The Search for Symmetric Words

The word MATH has a vertical line of symmetry. The parts of the letters on the left of the vertical line are reflected on the right. On the other hand, the word DECK has a horizontal line of symmetry.  The parts of the letters below horizontal line are reflected above.

symmetric-words

The word OHIO is both horizontally and vertically symmetric.

Challenge: Find as many words as you can that are horizontally symmetric, vertically symmetric, and both. What are the longest symmetric words of each kind?

The Beauty of Mirrors and Symmetry

Symmetry is considered by many as a reflection of beauty and perfection. A symmetric object is an object where we can place a line such that the images on both sides of the line mirror each other.

line of symmetry

The geometric shapes in the first figure are symmetric. As shown, we can draw a line — in fact more than one line — to show symmetry. The equilateral triangle has three lines of symmetry, the square has four, and the circle has infinitely many. » Read more

Link Post: Applying Mathematics to Web Design

“Mathematics is beautiful.” This may sound absurd to people who wince at numbers and equations. But some of the most beautiful things in nature and our universe exhibit mathematical properties, from the smallest seashell to the biggest whirlpool galaxies. In fact, one of the greatest ancient philosophers, Aristotle, said: “The mathematical sciences particularly exhibit order, symmetry and limitation; and these are the greatest forms of the beautiful.”

Because of its beautiful nature, mathematics has been a part of art and architectural design for ages. But it has not been exploited much for website design. This is probably because many of us regard mathematics as being antithetical to creativity. On the contrary, mathematics can be a tool to produce creative designs. That said, you don’t have to rely on math for every design. The point is that you should regard it as your friend, not a foe. For illustrative purposes, we created a couple of web designs that present mathematical principles discussed in this article. We are also giving away a couple of PSDs that you can use right away in your next design. Continue reading…

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