Number Theory and Algebra SummaryFriday, July 12, 2002What started as a rather simple problem (putting a uniform border around a rectangular picture) exploded today. The astonishing depth and breadth of our mathematical explorations eventually overwhelmed the original premise so much so that while, although we learned a great deal about number theory (including modulo arithmetic, divisibility, squares and such) our conclusion was beyond what we had hoped for the regular classroom teacher! However, after discussion leading into our weekend, we decided we would relook at the problem on Monday and try to simplify the massive amount of material we delved through today. |