A mathematician has come up with a formula for building the best snowman.



The formula, which itself looks remarkably like the shape of a snowy figure, advises builders to aim for a height of 64 inches tall when constructing their snowman from three balls of freshly fallen snow.



Dr James Hind at Nottingham Trent University was commissioned by an insurance company to come up with a formula for the ultimate snowman. The formula examines a number of variables when assessing snowman supremacy, including height, number and diameters of snowball tiers, freshness and purity of snow, accessories, outdoor temperature and the 'golden ratio' Phi, which is used as a marker for beauty and determines the visual appeal of objects.

Dr Hind's formula is designed to work in three related sections or 'terms', with each section addressing different aspects that comprise the perfect snowman.

For example, the first term is about the purity of the snow.
It gives a maximum score of 20 out of 100, with the score falling for any pieces of litter or grass caught up in the snow, the time since the snow fell and the temperature rising above freezing.



The middle term gives a maximum score of 30 and is about the 'extras' such as the accessories and facial features.



Lastly, the bottom term is about size and proportions, accounting for half of the total score, making it the most important.



The formula says the snowman should be precisely 64 inches tall and be made of three tiered balls of snow with diameters of 12 inches for the head, 20 inches for the body, or 'chest' and 31 inches for the base, or 'legs'.   These measurements follow the golden ratio.

It also suggests the snowman should have four distinct limbs, such as arms made from sticks and be made from freshly fallen snow made at or below 0°C or 32°F.

For the face, the snowman's eyes should be no more than two inches apart and have a carrot nose exactly 1.5 inches long.

Dr Hind advised that the perfect snowman should wear just three accessories – a hat, scarf and gloves – and have three buttons on its chest, arranged at an equal distance from one another.
Link to the story from The Daily Mail