The Secret to Juggling

Reported September 2006

SAN DIEGO (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- If you've ever been to a circus, you've no doubt witnessed a juggling show. It takes skill, concentration, and even a little courage! But do you have what it takes to juggle? It looks hard, but now computer science makes learning new tricks easier for both beginners and pros.

Mathematicians Ron Graham, Ph.D., and Joe Buhler, Ph.D., have been juggling for more than 30 years.

"It's a nice combination of abstract form and pattern and physical activity, but really it's a just a very pure form of play," Buhler, a professor and director of communications research at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, tells Ivanhoe.

"It's like bicycle riding," says Graham, a computer science and mathematics professor at University of California, San Diego. "Once you learn it, you don't forget."

They learned by watching others. Now, computer programs apply mathematics to help jugglers form new patterns.

"You just didn't realize what some things were possible until you actually saw them simulated on the computer, and you say, 'Oh, yes, I see,'" Graham says.

The program assigns a number to each throw. A one is when the juggler passes the ball directly to his other side. A four goes straight up, and a five is a little higher. You can make the computer-generated pattern easy or hard, and select just about any object to watch the program juggle. You can also watch multiple people perform patterns and see the ball from all angles.

While the program helps, Buhler says there's really only one way to become as good as him and Graham: "Practice. Lots of practice!"

You can download juggling programs on the Internet. Many of the programs are free, but some cost around $20.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Ron Graham, Ph.D.
Mathematician
University of California San Diego
graham@ucsd.edu

American Mathematical Society
Providence, RI 02904-2294
(800)321-4AMS (4267)
http://www.ams.org

Mathematical Association of America
Washington, DC 20036-1358
(800) 741-9415
http://www.maa.org

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It looks hard, but scientists say it's like riding a bike -- you never forget how to juggle once you learn! And computer science makes learning new tricks easier for both beginners and pros..