Probably no one needs to be taught how to eat and enjoy this all-time favorite food, but what is the perfect way to slice pizza? Mathematicians weigh in on the matter.
People typically divide a pizza by making straight cuts that meet in the middle, raising the matter of unwanted or unfairly distributed toppings in the center or the lack of crust portions.
Previously, too, mathematicians came up with the monohedral disc tiling, a slicing method that yields 12 identically shaped portions. Six of these form a star that extend out from the center, while the other six divide up the remaining crust.
This slicing recipe is created when one cuts curved three-sided portions across the pizza then divides the slices into two, which will result in the inside and outside parts.
The Science (Or Math) Of Slicing
Joel Haddley and Stephen Worsley from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom presented a brilliant idea: honing the technique to come up with the perfect – or at least visually pleasing – ways to slice pizza.
“Mathematically there is no limit whatsoever,” said Haddley, who proposed creating similar tilings from curved parts with any odd number of sides. Think of 5-gons, 7-gons, and so forth, although it appears impractical to go beyond 9-gon pieces.
One can even go up a notch and cut wedges in the corners of the shapes, which will produce unique pieces that still create a circle.
Haddley himself is uncertain of the exact practical applications of his pizza theorem outside of the bizarre pleasure and entertainment of pizza cutting. “[Y]ou can produce some nice pictures,” he suggested.
Is There One Perfect Pie?
Back in 2013, mathematician Dr. Eugenia Cheng developed a formula for the perfect pizza pie, which all comes down to the crust.
She made a direct correlation between the pie’s size and the experiencing of eating it: the larger the disk, the more sparingly distributed the pizza toppings are. Smaller pizzas, on the other hand, offer more toppings and therefore flavor in every bite.
Dr. Cheng’s findings confirmed consumer preferences: a crispier crust and more balanced toppings.
Whatever the formula for the perfect pizza in terms of size and topping distribution, it remains an enjoyable treat around the world, including in its birthplace Naples where locals prefer a soft and springy crust alongside a wet center.
In New York, pizza heaven is made up of the coal-oven, thin-crust variety, while in Chicago it’s the deep-dish pizza that’s highly celebrated. Asians deem their pizza a palatable adventure, too, piling on different toppings that include shrimp, sweet potatoes, and calamari.
And for Dr. Cheng, food is not a far cry from math.
"[Y]ou start with some basic ingredients and then use all sorts of interesting techniques to put it together,” said the mathematician, who also calculated the math behind Oreos and scones.
Photo: Tom Hilton | Flickr
