Volume 5, Number 25
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19 June 2000 Vol. 5, No. 25
THE MATH FORUM INTERNET NEWS
MSTE Java - UIUC | Planar Machines/Topology - Eldar
Poly, Tess - Pedagoguery Software
The Math Forum's Problem of the Week student recognition
page is now on the Web: http://mathforum.org/pow/awards/.
We wish to congratulate all the teachers and students
who took part during the 1999-2000 school year. Over 31,000
students from all over the world participated in these
six Internet projects.
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MSTE JAVA - UIUC
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/java/
Java-based activities submitted to MSTE, the Office for
Mathematics, Science & Technology Education at UIUC.
Topics include these and more:
- Best Fit of a line
- Box Perimeter
- Buffon Needle
- Cereal Box Problem
- Chi-Squared Test Analysis of Random Marbles
- Estimation of Pi - random points on a circle
- Exploring Parabolas - JavaSketchpad activity
- Methods for Estimating Roots
- Monty's Dilemma
- The Moving Man Activity - graph of motion
- Numerical Integration Activity
- Ohm's Law - flow of electrons in circuits
- Solving Systems of Equations
- Working with Triangles - JavaSketchpad activity
Files are available for downloading for Mac or PC.
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PLANAR MACHINES: AN INVITATION TO TOPOLOGY - Dori Eldar
http://www.ma.huji.ac.il/~deldar/thesis/
Learn a few building blocks of topology by studying Basic
Machines. 'Of Spiders and Toruses' examines the configuration
spaces for a family of machines (oriented surfaces of varying
genus), providing an abstract way to describe all the states
the machine could take. The site introduces the notion of
functional linkages ("Machines as Functions"), or machines
that can compute polynomial functions. Java applets that
illustrate machines (e.g. Peaucellier linkage) are included.
The site is organized into lessons designed to allow people
with varying mathematical backgrounds to explore the subject.
The applets require a Java 1.1-enabled browser such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4-5 for Mac or PC, or Netscape
Communicator 4.5 (excluding Macintosh systems).
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POLY, TESS - Pedagoguery Software
Shareware programs for manipulating and studying geometric
figures. Demo versions are available for downloading.
POLY: http://www.peda.com/poly/
Explore and construct models of polyhedra. Poly allows you
to manipulate a polyhedral solid on the computer and print
out a flattened version (a net), which can then be cut out,
folded, and taped to produce a three-dimensional model.
Nets of 147 different convex polyhedra can be generated.
Poly offers English, Spanish, French, Danish, Korean,
Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese interfaces.
TESS: http://www.peda.com/tess/
Create symmetric planar illustrations. While you draw, you
can automatically maintain the symmetry group you have chosen;
11 rosette groups, all 7 frieze groups, and all 17 wallpaper
groups are included. Illustrations may be printed out or
saved using Tess' cross-platform format. Versions are
available in English and French, and instructions for using
the tool box can be viewed by holding the mouse still for a
moment over each tool.
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