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ERIC Number: EJ943367
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Sep
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0025-5769
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Voronoi Diagrams and Spring Rain
Perham, Arnold E.; Perham, Faustine L.
Mathematics Teacher, v105 n2 p126-132 Sep 2011
The goal of this geometry project is to use Voronoi diagrams, a powerful modeling tool across disciplines, and the integration of technology to analyze spring rainfall from rain gauge data over a region. In their investigation, students use familiar equipment from their mathematical toolbox: triangles and other polygons, circumcenters and circumcircles, area, coordinates, data visualization, weighted averages, probability, and calculator applications. Because Voronoi diagrams become more difficult to construct by hand as points are added to the basic diagram, user-friendly, public-domain software is introduced to help students manage the rainfall data to plot points, partition the plane with convex polygons, and calculate areas. Integrating this modeling unit with technology provides a rich mathematical experience for students. An experience with Voronoi diagrams can help satisfy students' curiosity about what mathematicians do and how their work aids other disciplines while providing a rich mathematical experience. (Contains 9 figures, 1 table, and 9 online resources.)
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1502. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-3702; Fax: 703-476-2970; e-mail: orders@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A