• ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    Depends on how the song is interpreted. The intention is probably “by the 𝑛ᵗʰ day of Christmas, my true love had given to me [list of 𝑛+(𝑛–1)+…1 items]” but the actual grammar means that by day 12, you’d have received 𝑛(13–𝑛) of the 𝑛ᵗʰ item, or

    • 12 drummers drumming
    • 22 pipers piping
    • 30 lords-a leaping
    • 36 ladies dancing
    • 40 maids a-milking
    • 42 swans a-swimming
    • 42 geese a-laying
    • 40 gold rings
    • 36 calling birds
    • 30 French hens
    • 22 turtle doves
    • 12 partriges in pear trees

    Total is 184 birds. By day 7, only 69 birds, up 50 % from 46 by day 6. At least the number of received birds stays constant (23) on days 8-12. The geese technically-a-reproducing are not accounted for, as the eggs might not be fertilized and take several weeks to hatch.

    Also explored in an awesome video by Vihart: YouTube/Piped/Vimeo