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I'm very surprised that we don't teach basic graph theory in <= high school education. It has such a nice, gradual slope from puzzles and pictures to proofs, al

by j2kun 12y ago

I'm very surprised that we don't teach basic graph theory in <= high school education. It has such a nice, gradual slope from puzzles and pictures to proofs, algorithms, and all sorts of science. I've done activities/lectures on the topic to all levels of high school (some with notes [1]), and it is routine to see amazement and engagement. And Hamkins shows it can go all the way down to eight-year-olds. It seems like a win-win to include it in every math teacher's repertoire. It can go as deep as the students want it to go. [1]: http://jeremykun.com/2011/06/26/teaching-mathematics-graph-theory/ http://jeremykun.com/2011/06/26/teaching-mathematics-graph-t...

malkia 12y ago
I was fascinated as a kid from various types of sailor knots. I was in the air modelling, then computer club, and our neighbours were the young sailors, but I've never got into it. But I know kids around me were fascinated by them too (it could be that we were after all living in a fishing/sea town with lots of big ships, etc.). But then even for girls (knitting, or other activities) - there is something about graph theory to be found there. Just wondering...
- eru 12y ago
  Or the graphs of social relations.
thesimon 12y ago
>I'm very surprised that we don't teach basic graph theory in <= high school education Not US, but I learned graph theory in HS, so it is done in some countries (CS class though, not maths)
- a-saleh 12y ago
  How did it look like? I faintly remember that we did `use` graph theory in our HS assignments, but haven't actually touched hypothesis or proofs, that I now associate with it. I remember we wrote programs to higlight a graphs skelet, find shortest path, search for components, e.t.c. Discussions on correctness and efficiency were informal.
mayukh 12y ago
Agree, This applies to pretty much every topic. If you make it relevant, interesting and create a safe environment where mistakes are ok a lot can be taught to kids.
primitivesuave 12y ago
I found your site through HN a while back, and since then I've sent a link to your site to pretty much every math/STEM teacher I meet (and I encounter quite a lot of them). Many of them have specifically mentioned to me what a great resource you've created for teachers and how you got their kids excited about math. I hope you know that your work is having a tremendous impact on math education and that impact will grow exponentially.
- AllTalk 12y ago
  Wow, what a nice testimonial!
- j2kun 12y ago
  Wow, I really appreciate that, thank you. I just wish I had more opportunities (and time, money) to try more things in classrooms.
  - davyjones 12y ago
    Your write up on EC and tensors, I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the excellent effort!
enupten 12y ago
I had like one grade where it was taught, but I mean, it would've been so much cooler to talk of things in Matrix-algebra land in terms of graphs. I think Bourbakian formalism should be kept where it belongs : > upper undergrad. Math should be about pictures and things. Also see, http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
ableal 12y ago
> And Hamkins shows it can go all the way down to eight-year-olds. At the bottom he mentions his previous visit - Math for seven-year-olds: graph coloring, chromatic numbers, and Eulerian paths and circuits http://jdh.hamkins.org/math-for-seven-year-olds-graph-coloring-chromatic-numbers-eulerian-paths/ http://jdh.hamkins.org/math-for-seven-year-olds-graph-colori...

by j2kun 12y ago

malkia 12y ago

I was fascinated as a kid from various types of sailor knots. I was in the air modelling, then computer club, and our neighbours were the young sailors, but I've never got into it. But I know kids around me were fascinated by them too (it could be that we were after all living in a fishing/sea town with lots of big ships, etc.). But then even for girls (knitting, or other activities) - there is something about graph theory to be found there. Just wondering...

eru 12y ago
Or the graphs of social relations.

thesimon 12y ago

>I'm very surprised that we don't teach basic graph theory in <= high school education Not US, but I learned graph theory in HS, so it is done in some countries (CS class though, not maths)

a-saleh 12y ago
How did it look like? I faintly remember that we did `use` graph theory in our HS assignments, but haven't actually touched hypothesis or proofs, that I now associate with it. I remember we wrote programs to higlight a graphs skelet, find shortest path, search for components, e.t.c. Discussions on correctness and efficiency were informal.

mayukh 12y ago

Agree, This applies to pretty much every topic. If you make it relevant, interesting and create a safe environment where mistakes are ok a lot can be taught to kids.

primitivesuave 12y ago

I found your site through HN a while back, and since then I've sent a link to your site to pretty much every math/STEM teacher I meet (and I encounter quite a lot of them). Many of them have specifically mentioned to me what a great resource you've created for teachers and how you got their kids excited about math. I hope you know that your work is having a tremendous impact on math education and that impact will grow exponentially.

AllTalk 12y ago
Wow, what a nice testimonial!
j2kun 12y ago
Wow, I really appreciate that, thank you. I just wish I had more opportunities (and time, money) to try more things in classrooms.
- davyjones 12y ago
  Your write up on EC and tensors, I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the excellent effort!

enupten 12y ago

I had like one grade where it was taught, but I mean, it would've been so much cooler to talk of things in Matrix-algebra land in terms of graphs. I think Bourbakian formalism should be kept where it belongs : > upper undergrad. Math should be about pictures and things. Also see, http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

ableal 12y ago

> And Hamkins shows it can go all the way down to eight-year-olds. At the bottom he mentions his previous visit - Math for seven-year-olds: graph coloring, chromatic numbers, and Eulerian paths and circuits http://jdh.hamkins.org/math-for-seven-year-olds-graph-coloring-chromatic-numbers-eulerian-paths/ http://jdh.hamkins.org/math-for-seven-year-olds-graph-colori...