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“Mathemachines” via LEGO, GeoGebra and CindyJS

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Computer Algebra in Scientific Computing (CASC 2020)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 12291))

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Abstract

The embedding of computer algebra technology within some software and hardware environments is a part of some recent technological improvements for mathematics education, in particular for gifted students. Computer algebra methods for simulation and modeling can be effectively used to connect symbolic computation and dynamic geometry in the popular dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra, based on fast calculation of Gröbner bases. As a result, teaching of algebraic curves via linkages and LEGO constructions can be approached with the help of a combination of novel tools.

In our contribution, we describe a set of three tools: the software tool LEGO Digital Designer, the program GeoGebra and the use of a web-camera through the CindyJS system for the introduction of basic issues concerning algebraic curves and geometric loci.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Linux users can also use the software freely with the WINE emulator. See www.winehq.org for more details.

  2. 2.

    Computer use for children at camp in Colorado Springs was very limited. Instead of using their own computers, the lecturer’s computer was used during the classroom work. Tutorials on the assembly of LEGO linkages were printed instead of using them electronically. This made building the linkages a bit more difficult but still achievable.

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Acknowledgments

The author is thankful to Tomás Recio for his suggestions on finalizing the paper. The author was partially supported by a grant MTM2017-88796-P from the Spanish MINECO (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad) and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Private University College of Education of the Diocese of Linz, Salesianumweg 3, 4020, Linz, Austria

    Zoltán Kovács

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  1. Zoltán Kovács
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Correspondence to Zoltán Kovács .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France

    François Boulier

  2. Coventry University, Coventry, UK

    Matthew England

  3. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow, Russia

    Timur M. Sadykov

  4. Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Evgenii V. Vorozhtsov

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Kovács, Z. (2020). “Mathemachines” via LEGO, GeoGebra and CindyJS. In: Boulier, F., England, M., Sadykov, T.M., Vorozhtsov, E.V. (eds) Computer Algebra in Scientific Computing. CASC 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12291. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60026-6_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60026-6_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-60025-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-60026-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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