MATH ART POSTERS

AND
CLOCK ARITHMETIC

Laurie Burton
Western Oregon University
MAA PREP
Active Learning Workshop
July 7, 2003
Algebra Theme Day
 Art Poster Goals
In the setting of Clock (Modular)
Arithmetic converse about:

Factors & Primes

GCFS & LCMs In Action
Number System Properties
Explore the Beginnings of
Making Math Art Posters
 VISUAL
APPETIZERS
Clock Warm-Up Activity

Clock by Joe Spooner

 Connecting Clocks to
Factors
Question:
On any n oclock clock, n = 2, 3, 4,

If you start with a number, a & you

generate all of the multiples of a to
form the set generated by a
<a> = {a, 2a, }

What is the size of the set

generated by a? Discuss!
 GCFs & LCMs
We know
GCF (A, N) X LCM (A, N) = A X N
thus
LCM (A, N)/N = A/GCF (A, N)

This is an excellent exercise to really

get students to think about
Greatest Common Factors
&
Least Common Multiples
 Clock Arithmetic in the
Abstract Algebra Course

In the Abstract Algebra course:

We explore groups in the Dihedral

setting and then we use clock
arithmetic to continue the study of
number properties
 Clock Arithmetic in the
Abstract Algebra Course
This allows us to study
The Identity Property
The Inverse Property
The Associative Property
The Commutative Property
and
Closure

In a setting other than the familiar

real numbers
 How Do You Make
Math-art Posters?
Understand the basics of clock
arithmetic

Create numerical codes on grids using

clock arithmetic

Replace numbers with patterns. Using

these patterns: Color/draw on grids
(directly or reflecting)

Cut & paste onto colored backgrounds

to make Math Art Posters!
Cayley Table: Addition on
the 4 O'clock Clock

+ 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1

2 2 4 1 2

3 4 1 2 3

4 1 2 3 4
 To Make a
4 oclock (addition)
Math Art Poster

Replace the Numbers

with Patterns
as demonstrated by
these "Colored Numbers"
To Make a Rotation Poster
Make Duplicate Copies
and
Rotate
0, 90, 180 & 270
 To Make a
Reflection Poster
Draw Reflected Patterns:

This is much more

challenging and a great
place to explore
mirror images!
 You Can Also Create A
Multiplication Table
For Clocks
Of course, for clocks which contain
the additive identity, using the
operation of multiplication does not
form a group.

This is a great non-group example to

work with in the class which leads the
students to explore Zp*..

However, the patterns are still fun!

 A few more
Math Art Posters

Which clocks are used

What operation is used?

Rotation or Reflection?
 I made these posters
using a Java Applet
designed by SDL.

Here are a few samples

of hand drawn and
scanned student work.
 There are many more
images linked to my
web page.

Also (described on the

handout) a web page full
of links & activities for
clock art posters. You are
welcome to use these!
 Now:

Participant Activity

The beginnings of a
Math Art Poster