Class Schedule: TR 1:30-2:55pm - Gulick 206B
Final Project. For your final project, you should submit results of research on a mathematics-related topic of your choice. The project should be in the form of a poster, a paper, or a product. In all cases, your project should include a written page properly crediting all sources used in your research. All forms of projects should also include original text, written by yourself. I don't want to know what someone else learned, I want to know what you learned from your research. For a research "paper only", a minimum of 2 full pages (double-spaced, max 1" margins, max 12pt font) is required in addition to the written sources page mentioned above. For the other projects, text may be integrated on the poster or submitted on a page or pages accompanying the product (in addition to the sources page).
The final project is worth 40 points and is due on Friday, December 10, at 5:00pm. If submitted on time (or earlier), 3 bonus points will be added to your score. Note: Late projects will be accepted without penalty up until the final exam period at 7:00pm on Tuesday, December 14.
Ideas for possible topics will be discussed in class. If none of those sound good and you have trouble thinking of a topic, come see me. I have lots of ideas.
Tessellation Project. For your first large project this semester, you will create a full poster-size, Escher-style tessellation. Your tessellation should be your original creation and exhibit precision, careful attention to detail, and the use of at least two colors other than (or in addition to) black and white. Your poster should measure between 22" X 14" and 22" X 28". On the back of your poster you should include a small sample tiling of the underlying geometric figure that your tessellation is based on. The Tessellation Project is worth 40 project points and is due in class on Tuesday, November 9. Late projects will be accepted but will be penalized 10 points for each day late. No projects will be accepted after Friday, November 12.
Some of the details will be discussed in class, but you should take a look at the references on the Totally Tessellated Website. To get an idea what I am thinking about in terms of "Escher-style", look particularly at this, this, and this. Note: Some of the links at the Totally Tessellated Website may take you away from where you want to be. To see all of the pages click on their Site Map and look particlularly at the links under Mosaics/Tilings, Essentials.
If you are stumped on an Escher-style creation, you might work thru some of the Escher examples at the Totally Tessellated site. For each example there is a link to printout a worksheet to practice the indicated technique.
Another excellent resource for ideas (and Howtos) on tessellations is Tessellations.org. Particularly take a look at the "Do It Yourself" section.
The Chisenbop (Chisanbop) tutorial handed out in class on Tuesday, September 14, can be found by clicking Basic Computing: Chisenbop. Another tutorial by the same author is The Chisenbop Tutorial. This second tutorial has interactive graphics to help you practice your chisenbop.