Not all students jump for joy when it’s time for maths class, but if you presented them with a video game, it’s likely that many would. The funny thing is, there’s a great deal of maths that goes into video games. Whether it’s plotting the route of Super Mario’s jump or deciding the moment that a slot game will stop spinning, maths plays a part in a huge variety of games. We’ve unpicked the core lessons from each of these examples here. So, next time somebody moans about maths being boring, you can fire right back with one of these mathematical gems!
Random Number Generator
There’s a surprising amount of maths behind slots games. Though they seem like the push of a button and nothing more than randomness, how is it possible to guarantee randomness, particularly in online slots? The answer is simple, a random number generator. There are two types of random number generators and they are known as TRNGS (true random number generators) and PRNGs (pseudo-random number generators). The seed data, or the bit that starts the equation, is the major distinction between TRNGs and PRNGs. A TRNG needs seed data that is as close to truly random as possible, at the moment the most random thing scientists can find comes from measuring the nuclear decay of an atom. A PRNG uses a number and an equation to make its own seed data, this number could come from the click of a button, in fact, with slot machine games it usually does. The amount of data a TRNG needs is prohibitive for an online slot game, so PRNGs are used instead. Once the seed data is gathered, it is put through a long, confusing equation, that is almost impossible to figure out from outcomes alone. At the end of the equation, a number is generated and that number tells the reels when to stop rolling.
The randomness of mobile slots is tested for fairness on all of the sites that Vegas Slots Online recommends. This is to ensure that there is no way that the house can achieve an ‘edge’ more than that which is specified below each game. Rules and regulations like this are important to protect the player, so alongside the recommendations, you’ll find information on the safety and security of the sites too. Maths is good for all kinds of things, but online slots simply wouldn’t work without it.
Curved Trajectories and Gravity
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Super Mario is one of the games that has had a profound effect on humans. Many of us remember the game fondly from years gone by and it’s this that has enabled it to stand the test of time. However, have you ever stopped to wonder about what enables Super Mario to jump? When you press the button, it feels so natural, but there’s actually quite a bit of arithmetic involved. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll only contend with the single jump, as the double jump becomes even more confusing. For Mario’s single jump, he follows what is called a curved trajectory, which is a curved line that travels upwards and downwards in a symmetrical fashion. The fact that the arc created is symmetrical means that it will take the same amount of time to reach the peak of the jump, as it will to fall from the peak back to the ground again. Once you’ve plotted that curve, you need to determine the initial velocity, which is in this instance, is how fast Mario is moving when he makes the jump. After you’ve set your curve and velocity, you’ll need to account for how quickly Mario was accelerating when he started the leap, as well as the effects of gravity. With all of this decided, the jump can be made.
For those really interested in the maths, the jump can be described with the following equation s = s0 + v0t + ½ at2. To think that this equation is triggered with just a single button push is quite incredible. The single jump is one of the most simplistic of the moves you can make in the Super Mario games and it requires an equation that would leave most adults completely blank. We’ll leave the explanation of the double jump for another day!
