2+2

copyright (c) 1996 by Nasser Shukayr

If a square dance has rounds between tips, it is commonly listed as "2+2".  Everyone knows what 2+2 means:  it obviously indicates two squares followed by two rounds.  If there will be only one round between tips, this is usually indicated as "2+1".  Again, we have a clear precise representation of the dance program.

Well, there's a dance coming up which features rounds and LINE DANCING between tips.  It will have two squares, then two rounds, then two squares, then two LINE dances, then the whole cycle starts over.

How can this dance be listed?  You can't really say 2+2, because it would be a lie.  We've gotta be PRECISE.  Maybe you could say 2S+2R+2S+2L.  But this would indicate the dance ENDS with 2 Lines, when in fact it ends with 2 Squares.

So, what's a good way to correctly describe the dance so everyone can easily know what the program is?  In mathematical terms, here's the best I could come up with:

         { 4 x ( 2 x [ S+R+S+L ])} - 2L

As you can easily see, the above description is a vast improvement over simply stating "2+2".  Today's puzzle-solving dancers will absolutely love it.  If we can manage to complicate OTHER things in addition to choreo, we will accomplish our apparant goal (of running off all the low-level dancers) MUCH more quickly.

 EDITORIAL NOTE --> The above paragraph is written "tongue-in-cheek".

If you know of a more concise and precise way to describe this dance mathematically, please reply at your earliest convenience.

  Nasser  "can't go two whole weeks without writin' about somethin'"  Shukayr