SME 430: History of Mathematics

Week 11: Polynomials & Patterns

1
 Itinerary
• Announcements

• Biographies

• Timeline

• Sharing out of linear systems activity

• Discussion of Readings

• Break

• Slide Rule Activity

• Closing

2
 Portfolio Check
• The next binder check will be in 2 weeks. Portfolios
will be due at the start of class on Week 13
(03/13/10)

• If you want us to re-check for lost points from last

time, pick up a pink sheet, circle which parts you
wish to be re-checked, and attach it to the graded
sheet you got when your binders were returned to
you. This should be the FIRST thing in your binder.

3
 Contents of Binder
• Biography Facts
Apollonius, Eudoxus, Plato, Hypatia, Mandelbrot, Sierpiński, Lobachevsky, al-
Khwārizmī, Diophantus, Gauss, Galois, Grothendieck, Abel, Jacobi, Bernoulli
(Jacob), Germain, Bernoulli (Johann), Newton, Leibniz, Cauchy
• Activities
SME 430: History of Mathematics 02/23/10 Linear Modeling Activity 3/23/10 SME430: History of Mathematics! 03/30/10

03/02/10
Name:____________________________ Name_____________________________ Name:____________________________
SME 430 Solids with Modular Origami
The purpose of this activity is to be able to construct solids by using modular origami and Problem Set A Slide Rule Activity
Watch the video clip about changing maps from the episode of The
to describe properties of solids we have constructed by relating to the properties provided for West Wing titled “Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Try to solve the problem below first by guessing. Then, solve the problem using three
Platonic Solids. Going to Jail” (Episode 16, Season 2). Pay attention to the maps different methods: using pictures, rhetorically, and symbolically.
that are presented in this clip. Fill in the chart below with what you
Regular polyhedrons are named as Platonic solids. heard in the video clip. 1. An automobile mechanic is called to a huge parking lot where severe weather has
Task damaged the vehicles. In the parking lot there are only motorcycles (that have 2
In this activity we will construct two solids by using modular origami. Maps Advantages Disadvantages wheels each) and cars (that have 4 wheels each). If the mechanic!s supplies can only
repair 100 tires, how many vehicles can they repair? (Assume the mechanic fixes all
In Japanese, the word “ori” means “to fold” and the word “kami” means “paper”. So, the tires on each vehicle before moving on to another vehicle) A Brief History of the Slide Rule
• •
“origami” means “to fold paper”1. Modular origami, or unit origami, is a paper folding ! William Oughtred and others developed the slide rule in the 1600s based on the
technique which uses multiple sheets of paper to create a larger and more complex structure than emerging work on logarithms by John Napier. Before the advent of the pocket
Mercator • •
calculator, it was the most commonly used calculation tool in science and engineering.
would be possible using single-piece origami techniques. Each individual sheet of paper is folded Map
The use of slide rules continued to grow through the 1950s and 1960s even as digital
into a module, or unit, and then modules are assembled into an integrated flat shape or three- • • computing devices were being gradually introduced; but around 1974 the electronic
scientific calculator made it largely obsolete and most suppliers exited the business.”
dimensional structure by inserting flaps into pockets created by the folding process. These
- from wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule)
insertions create tension or friction that holds the model together2. ______________________________________________________________________
We’ll use the same unit structure for both of the solids we’ll construct together. In order to • •
A Review of Some Algebra
have some familiarity with this technique we picked the first one to be an easier one. We’ll Peters Write the solution to the following problems as a prime number raised to a power.
• •
construct a cube in the first part of this activity. Projection
Map 1. 24 x 23 = ________ Write a general rule for multiplying two
All we need in this activity is 6 set square pieces of paper -for the first task and 12 square piece • • exponential numbers that have the same bases:
2. 35 x 36 = ________
of paper -for the second task.
____ x ____ = _____
Description of Basic Module (Unit) 3. 7100 x 710 = ________
What problems occur when trying to represent the surface of the world on a flat map?
The definition for logarithms is that loga(c)=b means ab = c. Use this fact to solve for the
______________________________________________________________________ unknown x in the following equations

______________________________________________________________________ 4. log2(4) = x x=________ 7. log10(x) = 7 x=________

5. log2(8) = x x=________ 8. log10(x) = 4 x=________

______________________________________________________________________
6. log2(32) = x x=________ 9. log10(x) = 3 x=________
What does the group in this clip claim that maps have to do with social equality?

______________________________________________________________________
You will need a square piece of paper. Fold and unfold the paper in half Fold and unfold the two sides in Use your answers to illustrate the rule logz(x)+logz(y)=log(x*y).
towards the center crease.
______________________________________________________________________
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"
!#$$%&''((()*+,-./,0+12*3+410415$1+)4*/',5617)#$/8! ______________________________________________________________________
9
!#$$%&''15)(,:,%16,.)*+-'(,:,';*638.+<*+,-./,!

SME430: History of Mathematics

Origami Maps Linear Systems Slide Rule Jigsaw

• Geometry and Arithmetic Journal Entries

• Notes from Class
• (Week 7-12 - Biographies & Timelines you may have done)
4
 Sophie Jacob Johann
Germain Bernoulli Bernoulli

Biographies
5
Timeline
6
 Arabic Mathematicians
Al-Nasawi (1010-1075)
Khayyam (1048-1122)
Abraham (1070-1130)
Ezra (1092-1167)
Geber (1100-1160)
Gherard (1114-1187)
al-Samawal (1130-1180)
al-Tusi, Sharaf (1135-1213)

Indian Mathematicians
Sripati (1019-1066)
Brahmadeva (1060-1130)
Hemchandra (1089-1173)
Bhaskara II (1114-1185)

Chineese Mathematician
Jia Xian (1010-1070)
Shen (1031-1095)

European Mathematicians
Hermann of R. (1013-1054)
Adelard (1075-1160)
Grosseteste (1168-1253)
Fibonacci (1170-1250)

1000 A.D. 1050 A.D. 1100 A.D. 1150 A.D. 1200 A.D.

7
 Linear Systems
Activity
• Last week each group completed one problem set.

• This week each problem set will share out what they
did while other groups take notes.

• Come to the board and write down the work you

used to solve a problem in the set

8
 Babylonian Algebra: Rhetorical Style
Problem: Length, width. I have multiplied length and width, thus obtaining
area: 252. I have added length and width:32. Required: length and width.
[cuneiform clay tablets, King Hammurabi, 1700 BC]
Rhetorical Symbolic
[Given] 32 the sum;
252 the area

[Answer] 18 length, 14 width

One follows this method: Take half of 32 [this gives

16]
16x16 = 256
256 – 252 = 4
The square root of 4 is 2.
16 +2 = 18
16 – 2 = 14

[Check] I have multiplied 18 length by 1 width

18x14 = 252 area
9
 Greek Geometric Algebra
• Greek algebra was geometric.

• Formulated by Pythagoreans (540 BC) and Euclid (300 BC)

If a straight line be divided into any two parts, the square on the whole
line is equal to the squares on the two parts, together with twice the
rectangle contained by the parts. [That is, (a+b)2 = a2+ b2 + 2ab

10
 Discussion
(Quadratic Equations)
• What is meant by “quadratic” equations?

• What are different methods that have been used to

solve quadratic equations in the past?

• What are some of the quadratic equations and

solutions (current method & al-Khwarizmi’s method)
you came up with?

• What are the advantages of setting all quadratic

equations equal to zero

11
 Discussion
(Cubic Equations)
• Describe the culture of mathematics in Europe in the
15th and 16th centuries.

• Historically, why did mathematicians believe that there

were 14 different ways of describing cubic equations (p.
110). What are some of the ways you came up with?

• The book mentions al-Khayammi producing a solution

method to the cubic equation. Describe the method and
its advantages and limitations.

• What do we know about the solutions to cubic, quartic,

and quintic equations?

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Break - Back in 10
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Slide Rule Activity

• Begin working on this with a partner/small group

• We will be coming back together at various

points during this activity

• If you have a laptop, you will find under this week’s

folder on ANGEL a link to a digital slide rule.

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 Homework
• On ANGEL, read the chapter from Mathematics and
the Imagination

• In the Dropbox on ANGEL, submit a journal entry for

Algebra

• Consider the following topics: algebra, math

history, and education. Write a couple of
paragraphs that describes your understanding of
(and how your understanding has improved in)
these three topics and how they intersect with
each other.

15
Sketch 10 – Quadratic Equations

• What is meant by “quadratic” equations?

Dictionary.com – equations containing a single variable to the second degree. (It’s

general form is ax^2+bx+c=0, where a is not equal to zero.).

Wikipedia – a polynomial of degree 2.

Comes from the latin word quadractum which means “square”.

• What are different methods that have been used to solve quadratic equations
in the past?

Solving an equation – finding where the graph of the equation passes through the x-
axis. This is also finding the values of x, such that when you plug them back into the
equation, the equation comes out to zero.

Different approaches – graphic, algebraic (factoring, quadratic formula, completing

the square, difference of squares), geometric

• What are some of the quadratic equations and solutions (current method &
al-Khwarizmi’s method) you came up with?

X^2 + 8X = 20.
x 8

x 4

• X^2+8X+16=20+16

• (X+4)^2=36
 • X+4=6

• X=2

X^2+8X=20

X^2+8X-20=0

(X+10)(X-2)=0

X= -10 OR X=2

∆=b^2-4ac

x=[-b±sqrt(∆)]/(2a)

• What are the advantages of setting all quadratic equations equal to zero
 Sketch 11 – Solving Cubic Equations

• Describe the culture of mathematics in Europe in the 15th and 16th

centuries.

Competitive. There were scholarly competitions with the winners getting support
by rich patrons and universities. This caused many mathematicians to be secret
about their work. Betrayals.

Del Ferrro found the solution of the cubic, but secret. On his deathbed, he gave it to
his student, Ferrari. Ferrari challenged Tartaglia to a competition. Tartaglia
discovered the solution to the cubic equation, which happened to be the same
method that Ferraro had used. Cardano, convinced Tartaglia to take him on as a
student, and so Cardano learned of the method, but was told to never reveal it.

• Historically, why did mathematicians believe that there were 14 different

ways of describing cubic equations (p. 110). What are some of the ways you
came up with?

Still didn’t used zero and negative numbers, so they treated ax^3+bx^2=cx+d as
different from ax^3+bx^2+cx=d

• The book mentions al-Khayammi producing a solution method to the cubic

equation. Describe the method and its advantages and limitations.

Geometric solution. Produces a line segment, but didn’t produce a number. This
shows the existence of positive roots.

Cardano’s solution method produced negative roots. The culture of mathematics at

this time didn’t accept negative roots (false roots).

• What do we know about the solutions to cubic, quartic, and quintic

equations?

Quartic equations also solutions, but quintic equations do not have solutions. By this
we mean there does not exist one formula that accounts for all quintic equation
roots.
 Slide Rule Applet

https://angel.msu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&E
NTRY_ID=E3C18A740E494704A312DDD1A97C77D3
SME430: History of Mathematics 03/30/10

Name:____________________________

Slide Rule Activity

A Brief History of the Slide Rule

William Oughtred and others developed the slide rule in the 1600s based on the
emerging work on logarithms by John Napier. Before the advent of the pocket
calculator, it was the most commonly used calculation tool in science and engineering.
The use of slide rules continued to grow through the 1950s and 1960s even as digital
computing devices were being gradually introduced; but around 1974 the electronic
scientific calculator made it largely obsolete and most suppliers exited the business.”
- from wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule)
______________________________________________________________________

A Review of Some Algebra

Write the solution to the following problems as a prime number raised to a power.

1. 24 x 23 = ________ Write a general rule for multiplying two

exponential numbers that have the same bases:
2. 35 x 36 = ________
____ x ____ = _____
3. 7100 x 710 = ________

The definition for logarithms is that loga(c)=b means ab = c. Use this fact to solve for the
unknown x in the following equations

4. log2(4) = x x=________ 7. log10(x) = 7 x=________

5. log2(8) = x x=________ 8. log10(x) = 4 x=________

6. log2(32) = x x=________ 9. log10(x) = 3 x=________

Use your answers to illustrate the rule logz(x)+logz(y)=log(x*y).

SME430: History of Mathematics 03/30/10

Use the the rule logz(x)+logz(y)=log(x*y) to explain the following progression:

log10(4)=0.60206
log10(40)=1.60206
log10(400)=2.60206
...
log10(4*10n)=n.60206

______________________________________________________________________

Using a Slide Rule

Index

C & D Scales

• The clear plastic slider is called the hairline. This is used for keeping track in more
difficult problems.
• The 1 and 10 on the moveable scale are called the left and right indices, respectively
• We keep track of powers of 10 when using the C/D scale. This scale treats 16 the
same as 160 and 1.6

Instructions for multiplying:

1. To multiply the numbers a and b, slide the middle piece so one of the indices is over
the number a on the fixed part of the rule.
2. Look on the middle piece for your number b. This other number of the problem should
be directly over the solution to the problem.
3. If the number b is hanging outside the rule, put the other index over the first number a
and try step 2 again. This will give you your solution.

Try multiplying the following problems with the slide rule:

a) 2 x 4 c) 1.5 x 6
b) 3 x 2 d) 2.4 x 3.5
SME430: History of Mathematics 03/30/10

Try the following problems on the slide rule: 3 x 5. What is different about this problem,
than problems (a)-(d) above?

If we wanted to multiply 35 x 28, how would we do that on a slide rule?

What do users of a slide rule have to keep track of as they’re doing multiplication
problems?

How are the numbers laid out on a slide rule? How does a slide rule maker know where
to put each number on the slide rule?

Explain the connection between multiplying numbers, and adding the distances on the
slide rule.