Jun 20, 2024
Anyone whoβs ever said math canβt be fun never met Dr. Chris Hill.
The chair of the Department of Mathematics at ΒιΆΉΣ³» continued his outreach with local school districts, working with students in Linda Dodd-Nagelβs precalculus class at Allegany-Limestone Central School to build a work of mathematical art: a 3D βshadowβ of a four-dimensional shape.
The students built the cantellated hypericosahedron using Zometool, a mathematically precise plastic construction system.
Although they had never used Zometool before, the students built the 7,200-piece model over the course of just three class periods the last week of May. The structure was on display in the ALCS lobby June 1-5.
Hill has organized several βgeometry barn raisingsβ and Zometool workshops with local middle and high schools as well as the Challenger Learning Center of the Twin Tier Region.
The project allowed the students to explore concepts such as the fourth dimension, projections, and symmetry. Dodd-Nagel incorporated the project into the precalculus course by requiring each student to create a short video explaining the projectβs significance.
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