Math 412: Topics in Geometry 


Dr Langford
Contact me:
e-mail:
laurel.langford@uwrf.edu

My office location: 207B NH
My office phone number:
715-425-4360
 Grading policies, etc
Syllabus

Changes to Syllabus and grading (March 26)

Useful Links:
Euclid's Elements

Tues NH 16 Thurs NH 16
 Jan 28: 1. Read Bill Thurston's article On Proof and Progress in Mathematics
2. Write up what you would consider an ideal proof of proposition 4.1.3 on page 136 in the Stahl textbook.  It may be helpful to reference chapter 6 in the book by Serra.  We will use these to discuss what "proof" means to the members of our class.
Proposition statement: In a circle, a radius bisects a chord (that does not pass throught the center of the circle) if and only if the radius and chord are perpendicular.

Think about the following theorems/conjectures. Try to be aware of theorems and assumptions you are using:

  • In a triangle, the longer side is opposite the larger angle
  • It's possible to find/construct a line that is perpendicular to a given line, and passes through a given point.
  • The tangent line to a circle is perpendicular to a radius of that circle to the point of intersection.
Here is a list of some theorems we will consider shared knowledge.
Bring a laptop or tablet to class on Tuesday.

Feb 4:  Figure out how to construct an angle bisector and a line perpendicular to a given line, through a point that is on the line using only the basic geometry tools in geogebra.  Email me the links to your constructions.

Bring your computer again on Thursday, and we will check out some of the advanced tools! 


Feb 11:
Feb 18:

Feb 20.  Notes and the one problem that wasn't on the handout.

Electronic version of the handout problems. All homework due next Tuesday (unless you get stuck)
Feb 25:
  Regular Polygon Picture (assignment)
Mar 31: 

Examples from class.  (Handout problems 1, 4, 5 due next Tuesday)
Mar 10:  Notes from class
Updated defintions and theorems list
 Quiz
Mar 17: Stay Home
Mar 24:  Spring Break


Changes to Syllabus and Grading
March 31-April 10: Unit on polyhedra and Euler characteristic  
Unit on polyhedra and Euler characteristic
Unit on polyhedra and Euler characteristic Unit on polyhedra and Euler characteristic
Apr 14: Concurrence
 Concurrence
Apr 21:Concurrence Concurrence
Apr 28: Fractals
 Fractals
May 5: Fractals  Fractals

 End of semester announcements