From: Gail (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Jul 28, 2000 at 20:11:07
Subject: Re: Grouping students

OK, now I am intrigued by this...   so I tried it too, but I wrote the names
on one cylinder in the reverse order of the other cylinder, and I found that
if you started with an even number of students, and rotated the cylinder an
even number of spaces you could make partners without conflict, because the
names always paired up with each other.

Here is what I mean: (pretend each letter stands for a name...)

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J     (this is how they look at the start...)
J  I  H  G  F  E  D  C  B  A

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 1 twist...
I  H  G  F  E  D  C  B  A  J     some of the people have the same partner)

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 2 twists...)
H  G  F  E  D  C  B  A  J  I

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 3 twists...
G  F  E  D  C  B  A  J  I  H     some of the people have the same partner)

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 4 twists...)
F  E  D  C  B  A  J  I  H  G

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 5 twists...
E  D  C  B  A  J  I  H  G  F      some of the people have the same partner)

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  (this is after 6 twists...)
D  C  B  A  J  I  H  G  F  E

I realize it doesn't answer your question about Websites, but it sure is
interesting to me, so I hope I haven't bored you...   now I am wondering why
this works with even numbers, but not with odd numbers.  (I tried it, and
always got doubled partners, no matter how many twists).  I am also wondering
if you do indeed get all the students partnered up with other people, like
you wanted...   eventually...   :-)

 -Gail, for the Teacher2Teacher service

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