Word equations, or, JPEG compression for ideasWe found this website through the NYTimes Freakonomics blog, which features a daily “word equation” in which a word is defined in terms of a couple other words and standard mathematical operations. These equations are often funny, and always enlightening--their brevity forces the reader to really unpack the idea. Applying the syntax of one language to the grammar of another amounts to an exercise in montage, a form which offers forceful juxtaposition instead of over-determined definition. Whether or not the juxtaposition makes sense is beside the point—the point is to do the math for yourself.

For some of us here at The Functionality, this site begs the question: when did word equations become en vogue within architectural discourse and culture at large? Did OMA start the fad, or was it some irresistible manifestation of the zeitgeist? Turns out, its as old as math itself, dating back to the “rhetorical algebra” of several ancient civilizations. The form is also commonly used in chemistry to describe reactions, in logic to rationalize relationships, Computer science to leverage variables, and in advertising to ensnare desire.