Sir, - Hold on there! That 184 degree triangle referred to in question four of the Leaving Certificate higher level maths paper might just be legitimate. Perhaps the error is in the description of the terrain on which the triangle stands. Maybe those who set the question intended the triangle to reside on a curved rather than a plane surface as stated in the question. Curved spacetime demands the sum of the angles to be greater than 180 degrees.
Perhaps mathematics teachers should blow the dust off their old lecture notes on general relativity. Maybe next year the sum of the angles will be 176 degrees and we will be talking about hyperbolic space! Who knows? Obviously not the officials of the Department of Education or Minister Breathnach.
Chairman,
Research Scientists'
Association,
UCD,
Belfield,
Dublin 4.