Professor Tanis will show how Maple can help you become an artist
 

If you thought the computer algebra system Maple could just help you solve a differential equation or evaluate an integral, you are wrong.  Professor Emeritus Elliot Tanis will show us, in tomorrow's colloquium, that Maple can be used to make art.  On  Thursday, November 21, at 4:00 p.m. in VWF 104, Professor Tanis will present  "Using Maple to Construct Tessellations Inspired by M.C. Escher."  He will be using examples from Chinese lattice designs, the Alhambra, Hungarian needlework, and M.C. Escher's tessellations.  The way in which tessellations are classified will be illustrated and examples of some of the 17 plane symmetry groups will be shown.

Wings by Elliot Tanis

Surfing the Web

Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, or MathWorld, (found at http://mathworld.wolfram.com/) is self described as the web's most complete mathematical resource.  MathWorld is a comprehensive mathematics encyclopedia and is indeed a very impressive site.  The encyclopedia is organized both by subject and alphabetically.  Particularly interesting are the topics under recreational mathematics.  Under this subject heading, you can find games, illusions, magic squares, puzzles, and more.  For example, the following classic spider and fly puzzle is given at that site.

 In a rectangular room with dimensions 30' x 12' x 12', a spider is located in the middle of one 12' x 12' wall one foot away from the ceiling. A fly is in the middle of the opposite wall one foot away from the floor. If the fly remains stationary, what is the shortest total distance the spider must crawl along the walls, ceiling, and floor in order to capture the fly?
 

Mathematics Department shirt sale deadline extended

Are you still thinking about getting the ultimate in Hope College apparel?  Or maybe you need a Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for person.  You are still in luck.  The deadline for the Mathematics Department shirt sale has been extended and an additional item has been added.  In addition to the already available T-shirt, Henley style long sleeve T-shirt, golf shirt, sweatshirt, and Henley style sweatshirt, the hooded sweatshirt has also been added.  Prices vary from $10.50 for a T-shirt to $29.00 for an xx-large hooded sweatshirt.  There are a total of 48 different style-color-size options available.  Order forms are available on the bulletin board across the hall from VWF 237.  Get your orders in soon.  The deadline is next week Tuesday, November 26.
 

Hope beats Calvin!

Two teams from Hope College tied for third place in the Michigan Autumn Take-Home (MATH) Challenge.  Winning the competition with 90 points was a team from Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana.  Earning 85 points put a team from Albion in second place.  There was a three way tie for third place with two teams from Hope and one from Kalamazoo.  Two teams from Calvin followed in sixth and seventh place with 77 and 75 points respectively.  While we are still not sure which of our teams finished in third place, congratulations to all those that competed for Hope; Heidi Libner, Daniela Banu, Chris VanSlooten, Ben Freeburn, Henry Gould, Michael Rininger, and James Boerkoel.