Mathematics

Symmetries

SYMMETRIES allows the visitor to experiment with a variety of symmetrical patterns. They can select from 15 symmetries and draw and erase their own designs on the video screen. Symmetry means something can be turned, slided, or flipped, and it still looks the same. There are a lot of different symmetrical objects that occur in nature. A leaf is an example of mirror symmetry—both halves are identical, as if one half was a mirror image of the other. A daffodil represents rotational symmetry. It can be turned a certain amount and it still looks the same. A row of corn kernels is like translational symmetry. Sliding down the row, the pattern is the same.