A Mathematical Tapestry: Demonstrating the Beautiful Unity of Mathematics

ISBN-13: 9780521764100 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 308 str.

Peter Hilton; Jean Pedersen; Sylvie Donmoyer

Opis

Build paper polygons and discover how systematic paper folding reveals exciting patterns and relationships between seemingly unconnected branches of mathematics.

Recenzje

'The book demonstrates the great unity of mathematics. This is supported by a wealth of instructive illustrations …' Zentralblatt MATH

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Flexagons - a beginning thread; 2. Another thread - 1-period paper folding; 3. More paper folding threads - 2-period paper-folding; 4. A number-theory thread - folding numbers, a number trick, and some titbits; 5. The polyhedron thread - building some polyhedra and defining a regular polyhedron; 6. Constructing dipyramids and rotating rings from straight strips of triangles; 7. Continuing the paper-folding and number theory threads; 8. A geometry and algebra thread - constructing, and using, Jennifer's puzzle; 9. A polyhedral geometry thread - constructing braided platonic solids and other woven polyhedra; 10. Combinatorial and symmetry threads; 11. Some golden threads - constructing more dodecahedra; 12. More combinatorial threads - collapsoids; 13. Group theory - the faces of the tri-hexaflexagon; 14. Combinatorial and group theory threads - extended face planes of the platonic solids; 15. A historical thread - involving the Euler characteristic, Descartes' total angular defect, and Pólya's dream; 16. Tying some loose ends together - symmetry, group theory, homologues, and the Pólya enumeration theorem; 17. Returning to the number theory thread - generalized quasi-order and coach theorems; References; Index.