Beauty of Mathematics

[phands]

I'm a bit of a maths nerd. A few times a year, I teach primary school kids that maths is fun, not boring. I use the following, amongst other things, like getting paper, glue and scissors out to make Mobius Strips.

http://www.4to40.com/activities/index.asp?id=15

[Preno]

I assume this thread is meant for examples of the "beauty of mathematics"? If so:

BVVfs4zKrgk

[DMB]

Years ago when I taught secondary maths I used to have a huge collection of puzzles and experiments for everyone for hte last lesson of the term. I don't know what I have done with them and I can't remember what most of them were. Have you tried hexaflexagons? They're really a kind of tight Moebius strip. Great fun for children and they require precision in the construction.

[phands]

Years ago when I taught secondary maths I used to have a huge collection of puzzles and experiments for everyone for hte last lesson of the term. I don't know what I have done with them and I can't remember what most of them were. Have you tried hexaflexagons? They're really a kind of tight Moebius strip. Great fun for children and they require precision in the construction.

Hexaflexagons are cool, too. I like Mobius, because it's so easy to do with any ability level, and requires no real precision. I *love* watching their faces when they see what happens with a half twist and then a whole one, especially after having them predict what will happen.

[Brother Daniel]

Check out this (http://www.georgehart.com/bagel/bagel.html) method for slicing a single bagel into two linked rings.

[phands]

Cool!

[Cath B]

My elder daughter says that she studied Physics rather than Maths at University because she hadn't appreciated that there was scope for creative research in Maths when she was at school.

But I remember having a lot of fun with my children making patterns from Penrose tiles etc. at the Edinburgh Science Festival.

[BWE]

I taught a lesson to 6th graders using foam core and wood boards to make geared computers this last fall. They also made big posters of the ratios, predictions and error bars.

It was actually very cool.

Maybe I can get the school to send me some pics.

[Preno]

I taught a lesson to 6th graders using foam core and wood boards to make geared computers this last fall. They also made big posters of the ratios, predictions and error bars.Sounds familiar...

[David B]

This link doesn't have the sort of beauty mentioned in the thread before, but I think it has a beauty of its own.

http://scienceblogs.com/builtonfacts/2010/01/pondering_a_pendulum.php?utm_source=editorspicks

David

[Rie]

Mathematics used to fascinate me at school. Algebra too. once, ofter a looong family discussion I had accepted that OK if you just supposed that a=2 then everything fell into beautiful place.

Yes sir mathematics is what makes the world go round and it is beautiful.

And not least because of its intrinsic connection with MUSIC!

[phands]

Mathematics used to fascinate me at school. Algebra too. once, ofter a looong family discussion I had accepted that OK if you just supposed that a=2 then everything fell into beautiful place.

Yes sir mathematics is what makes the world go round and it is beautiful.

And not least because of its intrinsic connection with MUSIC!


Have you read Douglas Hofstadter's wonderful book, "Godel, Escher, Bach, an eternal golden braid"? It is all about the relationship between between music and maths, with the art of M.C. Escher added. Simply wonderful.

[Shake]

One serious type reply:
http://tech.petegraham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/fire-storm-small.png

And one more humorous:
http://www.eatsleepgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/girls_with_math_on_backs.jpg

Hm ... I'll take Maxwell's equations, please. :p

[Valheru]

Fractals are awesome. Nothing better than going to sleep while baked and following fractals down the rabbit hole.