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.

What people are saying

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

Robert J. Barro is Robert C. Waggoner Professor of Economics at Harvard University and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.About Robert Barro: "He has changed the way economists think about everything from the long-run effects of government deficits to the forces that favor economic growth."--Sylvia Nasar, New York Times

Bibliographic information

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