Epsilon math camp

[mathwonk]

The previous post suggested that euclidean geometry may be the only geometry one needs if one does not stray far from home. But what about distant voyagers? That reminds me that the first person I met who knew some spherical geometry was my cousin, a PanAm pilot. And that makes me wonder about ancient mariners, did they know spherical geometry intuitively via their navigation techniques using the stars?

[mathwonk]

@Kathy. Thank you for the memories generated by that photo. One of our other campers stopped me in my tracks the first day with a t - shirt that read something like: "Do you judge me by my size?"

 

In that photo I seem to be holding a chair so that one of our intellectual giants can reach the board where he is explaining something about Euclid's beautiful construction of a pentagon.

 

One day after I had presented one of my special prides, the description of a complicated solid, (maybe an icosahedron or a 32 sided soccer ball), this child came up and showed me how to lay it out as a "net" of attached flat polygons, carefully drawn, something quite out of my reach.

 

When I asked if he could visualize that mentally, he explained how it wasn't so hard if I looked at it in a certain way.

Edited June 14, 2012 by mathwonk

[Kathy in Richmond]

@Kathy. Thank you for the memories generated by that photo. One of our other campers stopped me in my tracks the first day with a t - shirt that read something like: "Do you judge me by my size?"

 

In that photo I seem to be holding a chair so that one of our intellectual giants can reach the board where he is explaining something about Euclid's beautiful construction of a pentagon.

 

One day after I had presented one of my special prides, the description of a complicated solid, (maybe an icosahedron or a 32 sided soccer ball), this child came up and showed me how to lay it out as a "net" of attached flat polygons, carefully drawn, something quite out of my reach.

 

When I asked if he could visualize that mentally, he explained how it wasn't so hard if I looked at it in a certain way.

 

Yes, wasn't he an amazing kid? I remembering seeing his paper with his sketch of the net of polygons. One day when L was walking her counselor group to lunch, R spent the whole time discussing the topology of the torus with her. She was blown away, especially having that conversation with a boy half her size.:)

[mathwonk]

Kathy, i see you are working late again!

 

In regard to that beautiful net by R, I just realized I didn't check it to be sure it was correct. I was so amazed I just assumed he had it right, and no doubt he did. But if I don't check the work, I don't learn and can't really appreciate and praise the work as it deserves. I feel like something of a dweeb on that score. But I was also putting in some 14 hour days! We are all mortal. (At least the profs !!??)

Edited June 19, 2012 by mathwonk