

Group Theory in the Bedroom - prtk
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/id.3465,y.0,no.,content.true,page.1,css.print/issue.aspx

======
tokenadult
Previous submission of the canonical URL, with on-topic discussion:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1032722>

------
warmfuzzykitten
Begs the question of how best to do the numbering. The sequence yaw, roll,
yaw, roll will give a full rotation without requiring that the mattress ever
be flipped length-wise (pitch). But this isn't a golden rule because you have
to remember the last operation. Hence, you can start with any orientation,
label the upper right corner 0, yaw, label it 1, roll label it 2, yaw label it
3, roll done. Now all you have to do is remember to flip the mattress. :)

~~~
warmfuzzykitten
Oh, and the rule is, if the next number is on the same side, yaw (duh), if it
isn't, roll.

------
hammock
The closest to a golden rule (besides random flipping) is given early in the
article and is a two-step rule:

 _Linda Cobb, The Queen of Clean®, recommends flipping on a seasonal schedule
- side-to-side in spring and fall, and end-over-end in summer and winter._

In other words, when you flip the mattress over, alternate between flipping
from the side, and flipping from the foot. This will take you through the
cycle of four configurations.

------
Groxx
Always a fun read :)

> _The absence of a golden rule for mattress flipping is a disappointment, but
> it does not portend the demise of Western Civilization. We can adapt; we can
> learn to live with it._

------
Bud
More and more mattresses these days are side-sensitive; you can't flip it
over.

This reduces the number of possibilities to 2. Not very interesting, group
theory-wise.

------
lurker17
Perpetuates the myth that mattresses carry the statement "Do not remove this
label." , when in fact they carry a statement more like "Not to be removed
except by consumer." Free yourselves; discard your labels.

------
seagaia
I remember reading a similar thing in a Barnes and Noble. Oh, bookstores...it
was a fun read.

------
jpdoctor
Was not the guide to symmetric and asymmetric positions that I expected. Would
not read again.

------
donnaware
maybe I will just buy a new matress this weekend :)

