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Requesting Math Help (Vanity)
12/14/07 | self

Posted on 12/14/2007 2:03:12 PM PST by murphE

My 9th grader needs to write a 10 page term paper for her 10th grade honors math class. (Which I find strange). Anyway she is having a difficult time choosing a topic - it cannot be a biography. She was thinking about writing about math used in computer graphics, but she is having a difficult time finding sources that are written anywhere near her level. She needs at least one text as a source - it cannot all be from the internet.

Any of you math teachers, general brainiacs, computer geniuses etc. out there who could offer suggestions on a topic and or sources we'd both be extremely grateful.

Please post any questions or responses to malokitty (that's my girl)

Much thanks in advance,

murph


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Education; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: geometry; math; mathematics
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1 posted on 12/14/2007 2:03:13 PM PST by murphE
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To: murphE; Malokitty

Ping


2 posted on 12/14/2007 2:04:04 PM PST by murphE (These are days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own. --G.K. Chesterton)
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To: murphE

What about the origin of the zero?


3 posted on 12/14/2007 2:05:15 PM PST by RightWhale (anti-razors are pro-life)
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To: murphE

How Andrew Wiles cracked the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture and therefore proved Fermat’s last theorem.


4 posted on 12/14/2007 2:05:16 PM PST by coloradan (Failing to protect the liberties of your enemies establishes precedents that will reach to yourself.)
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To: murphE
She can try using this but tell her to be very careful not to plagerize.


5 posted on 12/14/2007 2:08:04 PM PST by ShadowDancer ("To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.")
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To: murphE; Malokitty
How about Fibonacci Numbers?
6 posted on 12/14/2007 2:09:43 PM PST by Clint N. Suhks (Roses are reddish-Violets are bluish-If it weren’t for Christmas-We’d all be Jewish.©®™)
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To: murphE; Malokitty

A big field of computer graphics is 3-d modeling and CAD. There are lots of topics there: geometry, boolean logic, wireframe systems, solids, surfaces, etc. Try googling “solid modeling cad math” for some inspiration or starting points.


7 posted on 12/14/2007 2:09:55 PM PST by Lil'freeper (Don't taze me, bro!)
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To: murphE; Malokitty

A nice mathematical topic on which there are plenty of print sources is mathematical cryptology.

“Invitation to Cryptology” by Barr is a nice book, and has plenty of ideas for more specific topics, as well as setting down the mathematics to understand them.

The breaking of the Enigma cipher is an old stand-by, but a paper on public key encryption would be able to include more actual mathematics (Euler’s extension of Fermat’s Little Theorem, and its use as the basis for RSA encryption).

Of course, as I joke when I teach the subject, if you know the RSA algorithm, you might be classed as a munition and find yourself subject to export control.


8 posted on 12/14/2007 2:11:15 PM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
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To: ShadowDancer

One wonders why a ninth grader is in a tenth grade honors math class.


9 posted on 12/14/2007 2:12:20 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Moveon is not us...... Moveon is the enemy)
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To: murphE
10th Grade, huh? Here's the best I can do (for ideas):

Sudoku and Other Diversions [Free Republic].

Don't forget to tell her that it's not considered cheating to find a source using the Internet, then go to a library and source (bibliographically) it through a hardcopy. That's commonly referred-to as "doing your homework."
10 posted on 12/14/2007 2:12:30 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: murphE
Here's an interesting mathematically-oriented game (although probably more geometry here, rather):

Planarity.

11 posted on 12/14/2007 2:18:13 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Clint N. Suhks
I was going to suggest the same thing. The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers

Here's another good idea: Divine Proportion: Phi In Art, Nature, and Science

12 posted on 12/14/2007 2:18:52 PM PST by BubbaBasher (WWW.TWFRED08.COM)
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To: RightWhale
What about the origin of the zero?

That would be a great topic. She could bring in the Babylonians, Mayans, Hindus ...

By the way, do you know which number divided by zero is not undefined, and why?

Answer Here

13 posted on 12/14/2007 2:19:07 PM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: murphE; Tijeras_Slim; Constitution Day; hellinahandcart
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Oooh! Haven't had to do one of these in a looong time!

14 posted on 12/14/2007 2:20:30 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: murphE
My 9th grader needs to write a 10 page term paper for her 10th grade honors math class.

Suggestions:

1) The Fibonicci thing indicated in another post.
2) PI - Teachers LOVE PI...
3) "Math in Everyday Life" - Many highschoolers take the attitude of "I'll never use this stuff." (Those people, as adults, are now stuck with bad home loans.) Inability to assess simple Time Value of Money problems causes MANY bad financial decisions. Geometry is very useful in construction, home repairs, and a million other things. Algebra solves many day to day problems. What mix of a and b to make the desired output, etc.

15 posted on 12/14/2007 2:23:23 PM PST by Onelifetogive (* Sarcasm tag ALWAYS required. For some FReepers, sarcasm can NEVER be obvious enough.)
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To: murphE; Malokitty
Perhaps you might consider using a simple Excel spreadsheet to demonstrate the magic of compound interest. Say you invested $20 dollars today - what will it be when you are ready for college at, say, 5% annual interest? 10%? What if you compound it monthly? What happens if you let it be until you're 65? Use the graphing function to show how it goes up. Research the current annual rate you could get with a savings account at your local bank and plug that number in. A CD? An average mutual fund?

Prepare to be amazed... ;-)

16 posted on 12/14/2007 2:24:51 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: murphE

pi or i (square root of -1) would both be interesting


17 posted on 12/14/2007 2:32:47 PM PST by Irxfxs
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To: RightWhale
What about the origin of the zero?

That would be easy...The zero was created by an Islamic mathematician, and since then, Islam has contributed ZERO to civilized society! Leave the rest of the pages blank...

18 posted on 12/14/2007 2:42:26 PM PST by Captainpaintball
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To: ShadowDancer

As tempting as that sounds, I have a bad feeling that’s not exactly what my math teacher had in mind.


19 posted on 12/14/2007 2:46:57 PM PST by Malokitty
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To: Irxfxs; Onelifetogive; Red_Devil 232; BubbaBasher; 1rudeboy; The_Reader_David; Lil'freeper; ...
Thank-you all for your help and ideas. I’m am going to look them up and hopefully find an easier topic. I want to do well on this to bring my grade up a bit. Once again, thank you for your assistance.
20 posted on 12/14/2007 2:46:58 PM PST by Malokitty
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