著者

植野 Yoshiaki UENO 東京工芸大学工学部基礎・教養

雑誌

東京工芸大学工学部紀要 = The Academic Reports, the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Polytechnic University (ISSN:03876055)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.21, no.1, pp.86-92, 1998

被引用文献数

2

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This paper will present an overview plot of a new discrete mathematics course. Its intended audience is non-science majors. The unique feature of this course is its use of computer algebra. After creating some super magic squares of size 5 by hand, super magic squares of size 4 are classified with the aid of Mathematica. Then the mathematical structure of these magic squares will be examined through an innovative approach by the author. Students can learn the use of arithmetic of modulo m, and the 4-dimensional geometry over the field with two elements. Overall, the goal of this course is to make the student a critical consumer of mathematical games, to understand what a mathematical structure is and how it works. We also mention that magic squares will provide good examples 'in nature' to motivate the student in a linear algebra course.