Topic of presentation: Elementary Geometry vs Fibonacci & its sequences

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around choosing a topic for a presentation between Elementary Geometry and Fibonacci and its sequences. Participants explore the structure and content of each topic, considering various aspects such as definitions, properties, applications, and historical context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Fibonacci's numbers are present in nature, linking it to elementary geometry through the golden ratio.
  • There are proposals for the structure of the Fibonacci presentation, including an introduction, biography of Fibonacci, properties, and applications.
  • Elementary geometry could include discussions on Euclid's axioms, the parallel postulate, and various theorems related to lines and triangles.
  • One participant expresses concern that the proposed structure for the Fibonacci presentation may be too extensive for a single talk.
  • Another participant questions the target audience for the presentation, noting its importance in structuring the content.
  • Some participants emphasize the need for clarity and engagement, suggesting the inclusion of videos to illustrate Fibonacci's appearance in nature.
  • There is a suggestion to cover both Fibonacci and Lucas sequences, with a focus on properties and proofs, though some express uncertainty about the audience's familiarity with the Lucas sequence.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential overload of material in both presentations, suggesting that it may not be comprehensible to an audience not already familiar with the topics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the interest level and complexity of the two topics. While some favor Fibonacci for its specificity, others highlight the richness of elementary geometry. There is no consensus on which topic is definitively better for a presentation, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the optimal structure and content.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the target audience consists of fellow students, which influences the presentation's complexity and depth. There are concerns about the amount of material to cover and its appropriateness for the audience's knowledge level.

mathmari
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Hey! 😊

Between the following two topics:
  1. Elementary Geometry
  2. Fibonacci and its sequences
which would you suggest for a presentation? Could you give me also some ideas what could we the structure of each topic? :unsure:
 
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Hey mathmari!

Sun flowers! 🌻 (Sun)
And various other parts of nature.
They have Fibonacci's numbers embedded in them, and the ratio approaches the golden number, which is also a nice exercise in elemental geometry where we can also see the golden number. :)
 
Which of them do you think is more interesting and better for a presentation?

For the Fibonacci numbers we could refer the sequence and the formula, some applications, some properties, or not?
For the elementary geometry we could refer to the properties of straight lines, circles, planes, polyhedrons, the sphere, the cylinder, or not?

Do you have an other better idea? :unsure:
 
Just to give a though for the other possibility. With elementary geometry you can discuss the Euclid's axioms and postulates. The parallel postulate is always good fun as so many have tried to prove that it doesn't need to be included. (It does need to be because it's a launching point for non-Euclidean geometries.)

Lots of fun stuff you can talk about.

-Dan
 
I looked for both topics and I think Fibonacci is more specific, elementary geometry is a more abstract topic, isn't it?

As for the Fibonacci one, what do you think about the following structure:

  1. An introduction about the topic
  2. A little biography of Leonardo Fibonacci
  3. Some words about the Fibonacci sequence
  4. Some properties about the Fibonacci sequence
  5. Applications

:unsure:
 
What would you put in section 3? 🤔
Which applications in section 5 are you thinking of?

Btw, if it were me, I'd include a couple of neat videos.
For starters one in the introduction - to immediately grab the attention of the audience. 🌻
And more videos in other parts of the presentation.
There are some very nice videos around that show how Fibonacci appears in nature. (Sun)
I'd also highlight the connection to the Golden Ratio, which ties it to elementary geometry as well.
That may deserve its own section. 🤔
 
Ok! As for the begining, the structure could be the followinf, or not?

- Definition/Formula
- Using other inital values we get the lucas sequence
- Example of application of Fibonaccisequence
- Properties of Fibonacci/Lucas-sequence and proving some of them of mention just the idea of proof
- Formula of Binet to get the explicit definition
- Relation between fibonacci and lucas sequences
- The sequencews are also defined for negative indices

What do you think of that? Or could we d that better? :unsure:

The given notes for the properties (this is the first part) are here (they are in german).Then as for the second chapter, it is about Fibonacci and Linear Algebra, here are some notes.
Here again we could mention all the properties and for some give also the proof.

What do you think of that? :unsure:
 
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Mathmari, what is the target audience for this presentation? I don't think I've seen you mention this. It matters a lot when it comes to structuring your talk.
 
Fantini said:
Mathmari, what is the target audience for this presentation? I don't think I've seen you mention this. It matters a lot when it comes to structuring your talk.

The audience consists of the other students of that lecture.
 
  • #10
I thought now about elementary geometry, and more precisely on the straight line and the triangle.

For this I use the book "Elementary Geometry" by Ilka Agricola, Thomas Friedrich (chapters 1.1 and 1.2).

The following topics are discussed there with regard to the straight line:
- Intercept theorem
- Pappus's hexagon theorem
- Desargues's theorem
- Theorem of Thales

And regarding the triangle:
- Theorem: A triangle is isosceles if and only if two of its inner angles are equal.
- Theorem: A triangle is equilateral if and only if its three interior angles are equal.
- Exterior angle theorem
- Sum of angles in a triangle
- Alternate angle theorem So would the structure of the presentnation mention all of these topics and prove some of them? Or what do you think? :unsure:
 
  • #11
mathmari said:
Ok! As for the begining, the structure could be the following, or not?

- Definition/Formula
- Using other inital values we get the lucas sequence
- Example of application of Fibonaccisequence
- Properties of Fibonacci/Lucas-sequence and proving some of them of mention just the idea of proof
- Formula of Binet to get the explicit definition
- Relation between fibonacci and lucas sequences
- The sequences are also defined for negative indices

What do you think of that? Or could we d that better?

The given notes for the properties (this is the first part) are here (they are in german).

Then as for the second chapter, it is about Fibonacci and Linear Algebra, here are some notes.
Here again we could mention all the properties and for some give also the proof.

What do you think of that?
mathmari said:
The audience consists of the other students of that lecture.
I think it is a lot to cover in a single presentation.
To be honest, I'm not really familiar with the Lucas sequence, and there is quite some information there that is not known to me yet.
Still, that might actually make it interesting to an audience that is already familiar with Fibonacci in general.
It does seem to me that it is too much. (Worried)

Since your structure is basically the first chapter from a book, it seems to me it would effectively be a lecture in a teaching course.
Is that what you intend? :unsure:
mathmari said:
I thought now about elementary geometry, and more precisely on the straight line and the triangle.

For this I use the book "Elementary Geometry" by Ilka Agricola, Thomas Friedrich (chapters 1.1 and 1.2).

The following topics are discussed there with regard to the straight line:
- Intercept theorem
- Pappus's hexagon theorem
- Desargues's theorem
- Theorem of Thales

And regarding the triangle:
- Theorem: A triangle is isosceles if and only if two of its inner angles are equal.
- Theorem: A triangle is equilateral if and only if its three interior angles are equal.
- Exterior angle theorem
- Sum of angles in a triangle
- Alternate angle theoremSo would the structure of the presentnation mention all of these topics and prove some of them? Or what do you think?
Again, it may be too much.
A presentation that covers all of it, may be rattling through the material.
Then it would only be understandable to an audience that already knows all of it. o_O

What is the purpose of the presentation? 🤔
If the target audience are other students of the same lecture, then that sounds as if it is a teaching exercise.
Is it?
 

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