Thessaloniki: Christmas cards for students with talent in … mathematics
Patterns with royal hats, firs and snowmen, repeated in harmony, making double, triple and even six turns before reaching the same point again, are the basic components of this mathematics. techniques.
These special mathematical-artistic creations belong to its members Mathematics Group of the Experimental High School of the University of Macedonia and decorate greeting cards for the holiday season. In collaboration with NOESIS- Science Dissemination Center and Museum of Technology, these cards are offered free of charge to the educational community and the general public, in order to send their wishes by mail or e-mail.
At the Mathematics Club that has been operating in our school for the last eight years, we deal with the topic of “mathematics and art”, with the aim of children seeing mathematics from a different perspective and loving them, regardless of whether or not they succeed in this subject. . ».
“At the same time, we seek to bring students closer to art and especially contemporary”, states in the Athenian / Macedonian News Practice the mathematician / professor at the experimental high school of PAMAK Nikos Terpsiadis.
Specific techniques include mathematical ideas of mosaics (paving) and isometries, which hide in them advanced and modern mathematics.
“The technique of mosaics is like the tiles that we pass on the floor or the walls of our house, that is, covering a surface with the same or different shapes, which do not leave gaps and have no overlaps with each other. On the other hand, isometries are a pattern that is repeated by simple displacement, rotation or reflection. In other words, it is the theory of geometric transformations, but it goes beyond the limits of school material “, explains Mr. Terpsiadis.
The students of the Experimental Lyceum of the University of Macedonia who participate in the Mathematics Club are from all high school classes, with most not missing any of the two hours a week meeting after the end of the schedule. In fact, even school graduates, according to Mr. Terpsiadis, continue to work.
The fifteen Christmas cards, designed by mathematical methods, are posted on his page ΝΟΕΣΙΣ https://www.noesis.edu.gr/peiramatiko-christmas-cards/.
They are available, with wishes in Greek or English, but without text, in order for everyone to write their personal message. Those interested can either print them or “download” them for free to send them electronically.