Turtle Geometry: The Computer as a Medium for Exploring Mathematics

Harold Abelson, Andrea A. DiSessa

MIT Press, 1986 - Computers - 477 pages

Turtle Geometry presents an innovative program of mathematical discovery thatdemonstrates how the effective use of personal computers can profoundly change the nature of astudent's contact with mathematics. Using this book and a few simple computer programs, students canexplore the properties of space by following an imaginary turtle across the screen.The concept ofturtle geometry grew out of the Logo Group at MIT. Directed by Seymour Papert, author of Mindstorms,this group has done extensive work with preschool children, high school students and universityundergraduates. Harold Abelson is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science at MIT. Andrea diSessa is an associate professor in the Graduate School ofEducation, University of California, Berkeley.

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LibraryThing Review

User Review  - nillacat - LibraryThing

A lovely book on how to think geometrically and algorithmically, using a simple programming language to produce pictures and prove theorems, starting from Eucliedean Geometry and ending with the ...

Contents

• Introduction to Turtle Geometry: 3
• Exercises for Section 1 2: 30
• Exercises for Section 1 4: 50
• Exercises for Section 2 3: 85
• Exercises for Section 2 4: 99
• Vector Methods in Turtle Geometry: 105
• Exercises for Section 3 2: 135
• Topology of Turtle Paths: 161
• Exercises for Section 4 2: 179
• Exercises for Section 4 3: 188
• Exercises for Section 4 4: 198
• Exercises for Section 5 3: 235
• Exploring the Cube: 241
• A Second Look at the Sphere: 279
• Exercises for Chapter 7: 301
• Exercises for Section 8 2: 330
• Exercises for Section 8 3: 338
• Exercises for Section 9 2: 370
• Exercises for Section 9 4: 387
• Writing Turtle Programs in Conventional Computer: 405
• Hints for Selected Exercises: 423
• Answers to Selected Exercises: 439
• Index: 471

About the author

Hal Abelson is Class of 1922 Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a fellow of the IEEE. He is a founding director of Creative Commons, Public Knowledge, and the Free Software Foundation. Additionally, he serves as co-chair for the MIT Council on Educational Technology.

Andrea diSessa is Chancellor's Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the National Academy of Education. He is the coauthor of Turtle Geometry: The Computer as a Medium for Exploring Mathematics (MIT Press, 1981).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Turtle Geometry: The Computer as a Medium for Exploring Mathematics; Artificial Intelligence Series; MIT Press series in artificial intelligence, ISSN 2691-8951
• Authors: Harold Abelson, Andrea A. DiSessa
• Edition: illustrated, reprint, revised
• Publisher: MIT Press, 1986
• ISBN: 0262510375, 9780262510370
• Length: 477 pages
• Subjects: Computers / Computer Science; Computers / Programming Languages / General; Computers / Reference; Mathematics / Geometry / General