Winter 2007 Course Description:

MATH 402: POST-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY

Professor George Francis
MWF 11:00-11:50
24 Illinis Hall
contact: gfrancis@uiuc.edu, 101AH, 333-4794
Text: Michael Hvidsten, Geometry with Geometry Explorer, McGrawHill
TA: Michael Sommers

From the introduction to Hvidsten's textbook:
"Geometry is one of the richest areas for mathematical exploration. The visual aspects of the subject make exploration and experimentation natural and intuitive. At the same time, the abstractions developed to explain geometric patterns and connections make the subject extremely powerful and applicable to a wide variety of physical situations. In this book [and course] we give equal weight to intuitive and imaginative exploration of geometry as well as to abstract reasoning and proofs."

To enable our pursuit of these twin goals we will use the Geometry Explorer software package that accompanies the text. We will use a balanced mixture of contemporary and classical learning techniques, including online and paper submission of homework, online commentary and bound text, computer experimentation and rigorous proofs, intellectual journal and written, timed tests. Students will learn the LaTeX mathematical type settting system. Students will also use the complex number system to study the isometries of the Euclidean, hyperbolic and spherical geometry This page is the portal to a web-tree of useful information that will accumulate over the semester. Set your bookmarks to it, and consult it often. In a addition to weekly homework, quizzes, or reports there will be one midterm (TBA) and a 3-hour written final at the designated "non-combined" time.