Mathematical Modeling
Interpret Real-Life Scenarios with Mathematical Modeling
Santa Cruz, CA — Learning in Motion is pleased to announce our latest release, Mathematical Modeling: Using Graphs and Matrices. This Windows-based program enables students to model real-world situations to better understand the world around them. Through modeling scenarios including traffic management, airline routing, and production planning, students can gain an appreciation of the mathematics involved in these common situations. The software allows students to manipulate the data in the models to see how changes can affect the entire system.
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Students can change variables easily to see the effect on the problem; and multiple views give the student insight into their relationship and significance. The disk contains over 10 problems correlated to reproducible student worksheets in the Teacher’s Guide. |
Mathematical Modeling allows the user to visualize real-world situations on screen. The user can make connections on the picture while the program builds a matrix interpreting those connections. |
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Students can also explore mathematical concepts such as connectivity, central position, and diameter of graphs. These can be studied from a purely mathematical viewpoint or through practical applications like trip routing or city planning.
Over 15 scenarios are included and are correlated to reproducible student worksheets in the Teacher’s Guide. The software is open-ended so students can create and study their own unique scenarios. Pictures can be imported to assist in graph creation and to add realism.
Using Mathematical Modeling, students can create a graph and watch as the matrix is automatically built on the screen. Students can also begin with a matrix and observe the associated graph which is created by the program. This interaction enables students to see the association between the visual and numeric representations of a given scenario.
Mathematical Modeling: Using Graphs and Matrices is available on the Windows platform, running on either Windows 3.x or Windows 95. The software, which comes complete with a Teacher's Guide, is priced at $59. Customizable lab packs and site licenses are also available. For more information or a free 30-day preview of Mathematical Modeling, (available only to US & Candian educational institutions) contact Learning in Motion at (800) 560-5670.
This is the software to use when teaching discrete mathematics. The applications in finding the shortest distance in a network and the matrix modeling of population growth can be of interest to students and may encourage experimentation and investigations.
—Review for the California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse
(http://www.clrn.org/home/)
Strengths: The ability to create and manipulate graphs while a corresponding matrix is updated automatically allows students to observe the interrelationship between the two. The print guide and reproducible worksheets offer valuable insights into using graphs and matrices to solve problems. Uses: The program provides opportunities to explore visually and numerically the topics of Euler and Hamiltonian Circuits, shortest path algorithms, election theory, population growth in discrete mathematics, and real-world problems that can be solved using matrices.
—August 1998 review in School Library Journal (http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com)
As the instructor, I was able to coach students working in the program at their own pace. The seventeen worksheet lessons could easily provide twenty to thirty hours of student activity exploring many topics in discrete mathematics in a connected, real-life context. The computer program emphasized the relationship between matrix theory and graph theory while relieving students of many time-consuming and difficult aspects of matrix operations. Students could therefore focus on conceptual understanding and mathematical modeling before struggling to manipulate matrices. I highly recommend this product for its relevance to NCTM’s Standards and for its usability.
—Patricia Daniel, Mays High School, GA, reviewing for the October 1998 issue of Mathematics Teacher (http://www.nctm.org)
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