Electronic Proceedings of the Sixteenth Annual Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics


CONTRIBUTED PAPER: 16-C18

Modeling Geometric Objects Using Java

Paul Bouthellier
Phone: (814) 827-4432
E-mail: pbouthe@pitt.edu

Saeed Dubas
Phone: (814) 827-5672
E-mail: dubas@pitt.edu

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Pittsburgh-Titusville
Titusville, PA 16354
Fax: (814) 827-5574

ABSTRACT

The Java programming language contains 2-dimensional graphical elements for lines, rectangles, ellipses, arcs, and polygons. Using these elements, along with fills, students in college algebra and beyond can model a wide variety of objects. Using Java for projects works quite well as constructing Java applications and applets is simple for students to understand-even if they have no prior knowledge of the language. An added bonus is that students can place their work on the web.

As an introductory project, students in a course such as college algebra can be asked to model an object such as a no-smoking sign. This is the first example we will illustrate. The students are required to break the sign into simpler geometric shapes and derive their equations. The Java application and applet are then created.

More sophisticated modeling projects, such as cars and motorcycles, teach students about modeling more complex curves with polygons. This offers an excellent lead-in to teaching curve fitting by interpolating polynomials-which students will study in more advanced classes. A motorcycle will be modeled as our second example.

Often the best modeling projects will be suggested by the students themselves. Examples of past projects are: a detailed globe, a concept car, and a company logo. Students enjoy seeing their work placed on a web site and generally want to work on even more complex projects. Such interest often encourages students into furthering their mathematical studies.