Geometry 2014

Instructor: Jonathan Choate, Groton School, Groton, MA

Reflective Summary by Diana Tunnell

Day 3 SketchUp, Triangles and the Symmedian Point, Expressions for Polygonal Numbers

Introduction to SketchUp

One of the first items covered today was an introduction to the construction software
SketchUp. It serves as an architectural design tool, but has many applications that make
it a great resource for the geometry classroom. The program has very similar capabilities
as Geometers Sketchpad, but there is no cost to download the basic SketchUp tool for
educational or non-commercial use. The ability to construct objects in 3-D space and
then rotate them is a really neat feature.





My first attempt at using SketchUp
The Polygonal Numbers

In working with the polygonal numbers, we worked a lot with recognizing and testing
patterns. The forth pentagonal number was particularly challenging to draw.

a) The Triangular Numbers: t(n)
*
* *
1. Draw the next triangular number * * *
* * * *
10

2. Find an expression for t(n)
a) Explicitly [n(n+1)]/2

b) Recursively t(n) = f( t(n-1) ) tri (n-1) + n

c) As a sum :
1
( ) _____
n
i
t n

i


b) The Square Numbers: sq(n)
* * * *
1 4 9 * * * *
* * * *
* * * * 16
1. Draw the next square number


2.Find an expression for sq(n)
a) Explicitly SQR (n) = n
2


b) Recursively SQR (n-1) + 2n -1


c) As a sum : 2 I 1

1 3 6
The Pentagonal Numbers: pen(n)


1 5 12 *
* *
* * *
* * * * 22
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
1. Draw or build the next pentagonal number
2.Find an expression for sq(n)
d) Explicitly
3/2 n
2
*n

e) Recursively Pen (n-1) + 3(n) -2


f) As a sum : 3 I -



c) Create two tables using all you have done so far

Table 1: the first 5 terms of a n-polygon k
1 2 3 4 5
3
1 3 6 10 15
4
1 4 9 16 25
5
1 5 12 22 35
6
1 6 15 28 45
7
1 7 18 34 55
8
1 8 21 40 65





n
Table 2: Formulas for poly(n)
explicit recursive summation F( tri(n) )
tri(n)

n
2
+ 1/2n
Tri (n-1) + n i Tri (n-1) + n
sq(n)

N
2

SQR(n-1) + 2n - 1 2i -1 2Tri (n-1) + n
pen(n)

3/2n
2
n
PEN (n-1) +3n -2 3i-2 3Tri (n-1) + n
hex(n)

2n
2
-n
Hex (n-1) + 4n -3 4i - 3 4Tri (n-1) + n



Triangles & The Symmedian Point

This last problem called Triangles & The Symmedian Point relates to a problem that was
encountered by a man working for the Navy. His job was to identify the most probable
location of mines that were being dropped by the enemy into a harbor using an algorithm
from three different sitings from stations surrounding the harbor. This Symmedian point
minimizes the distance between the three sitings. The young man came to intuitively
construct the location where the sum of the squares of the three perpendicular distances
was minimized. The construction was completed more quickly and accurately than the
results made using the previous algorithm. The construction ended up being well known
before the war but proved useful in this circumstance. We discussed other potential
applications of this construction involved in GPS systems. See the Symmedian Point
Handout for additional information and diagrams for this problem.