[loevborg]

The author is doing it wrong. Although the illustration is presumably inspired by the Pythagorean theorem, one robot thinks about the formula "a₂..." rather than "a²..." and the other about an equilateral rather than right-angled triangle. Perhaps a technical co-author could help?

[erics]

That's an interesting point. The image needs a shift in perspective. Even as superscripts the robots wouldn't be thinking the same thing, but they're in a space of seeking love. Perhaps a bit of flexibility will lead to a positive outcome.