In this series of posts, we’ll be featuring mathematical video and streaming channels from all over the internet, by speaking to the creators of the channel and asking them about what they do.
We spoke to Ben Sparks, the author of the SparksMaths YouTube channel, who shares recordings of live Geogebra builds illustrating various maths concepts.
Back in the olden days, Colin entered a proof without words in the Big Mathoff. It was mentioned, in passing, in a New York Times obituary of John Horton Conway.
I notice that our post queue is filling up with interesting mathematical apps, so I thought I’d deal with them all in one big roundup post. Read on for a mix of mathematical games, apps to help with calculations, and some frankly awful art.
GeoGebra, the Aperiodical’s official Favourite Thing for Messing About With Geometry, has just bumped up to version 5. With that bigger number comes another dimension – GeoGebra now supports three-dimensional geometry!
Just thought I’d bring the upcoming GeoGebra Conference 2014 in Budapest to your attention.
The main purpose of the conference is to provide a meeting platform for [International GeoGebra Institute (IGI)] members, and GeoGebra users, including teachers of all levels, educators, researchers, and developers from all over the World. The conference will allow ample time for speakers and audience interaction, and will encourage discussion of experiences, sharing of good practices, effective mathematics pedagogies that include GeoGebra, and enhancement of professional skills, and knowledge.
More information and registration: GeoGebra Conference Budapest 2014
You may be aware of GeoGebra. In a previous post, our very own CP described it as “a surprisingly capable piece of free dynamic maths software, used widely by teachers and geometry aficionados”. I am preparing lecture notes for the new academic year and have been making diagrams in GeoGebra (on Ubuntu, since you asked), both to print in my notes and animate in my lectures. I can insert $\LaTeX$ labels and export as code for PGF or PSTricks. Here’s one:
Now, following a successful Kickstarter (which we covered in a previous post), GeoGebra have released tablet versions of the software. So GeoGebra is now available on Windows, OS X and various flavours of Linux (.deb, .rpm, other), as a Chrome App, a Chrome Web Application and in a ‘Java Webstart‘ version (though be aware that the Java Webstart is being phased out), and now for Windows 8 or RT, Android and iPad tablets. Here is a screenshot of the iPad app:
Download and more information at the GeoGebra website.
Via MEI on Twitter and Michael Borcherds on our previous post.
GeoGebra is a surprisingly capable piece of free dynamic maths software, used widely by teachers and geometry aficionados. We haven’t discussed it here before, but people have created some really nice interactive tools with it, so we might do a round-up in the near future.
Earlier in the year, the developers released an HTML5 version of GeoGebra, dropping the dependency on Java, which means it works on new-fangled devices such as the iPad through the web browser. Now, following queries about a GeoGebra iPad App from “many people”, a Kickstarter project is trying to raise funds to develop a native iPad App, to be available for free from the Apple App Store.
They don’t say how the iPad app will be different to the HTML5 one, but I assume it’ll make use of the native controls and widgets to present a smoother interface. They could probably do with providing a bit more information to encourage interested parties to cough up the $10,000 they’re asking for. Right now they’re at just over $2,500.
Fellow Androidists can be reassured: the FAQ says that they are planning on getting round to “other platforms” once the iPad version is done.
Kickstarter: GeoGebra for the iPad.
More information:
Geogebra.org
Geogebra Chrome app