Day 19: Heart of Mathematics

• Your homework is due today on the Dimension unit.

• Note: I won't be available for my 1:00 office hour today, as I'm going out of town.

• You were to have read Section 4.3 for today; please read Section 4.5 for Monday.

• (Part!) of your assignment for next Friday:

  Section 4.3, pp. 244-: #2, 3, #13 (use a 4x1 rectangle as your starting rectangle, and repeat at least four times), 14, 15

What does this line from Amazing Grace's sixth stanza have to do with class?

• Section 4.3 is title "The Sexiest Rectangle": do you believe that there is a sexiest rectangle?

• Results from our experiment of last time:
  • gold: 1.618033988749895
  • Your mean ratio: 2.522210398703965
  • Your median ratio: 2.025
  • Xlispstat file:
  • StatCrunch, with the data

• "The Sexiest Rectangle" - or is it just cute? The Golden Section in Art and Architecture
  • Note on the rectangle contest, page 233: what's wrong with squares?!

  • We'll start with a nice logarithmic spiral (see this site, partially wacko....)

  • Fibonaccis, again! They give us the "golden mean".

  • The Golden Section in Art and Architecture

    or not? Many people think that if you look hard enough, you'll find them - or any rectangles you're particularly interested in!

    The Parthenon

  • Interestingly, one of the canvasses by Turner claimed to show the Golden Rectangle is of Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying -- so much for Amazing Grace!

  • What sizes do U.S. flags come in? (How about Togolese Flags?)

  • Where might you find a golden rectangle? (Hint: what's in your wallet?)