STEM Day

1. David Thompson & Diana Cheng
Towson University
What does Mathematics
have to do with Mazes?

2. Where have you seen mazes?

3. Greek mythology: Theseus entered a labyrinth & killed the Minotaur
Mazes around the world
Cathedrale Notre Dame de
Chartres, France (medieval)
Hopi Indians’
penta-seed pattern
(classical)
4000 year old concept

4.  http://labyrinthlocator.com/home
 Baltimore area:
 JHU Bayview
 St John’s Lutheran Church (Parkville)
 Stevenson University’s Greenspring Campus -
Menning Meditation Center and Labyrinth
Find a maze near you!

5.  Definition & example
Labyrinths
 Exactly one way in to
the center & the
same way out
 Properties:
 Circuits (7)
 Seed pattern
(square)

6. 3 & 7 Circuit Labyrinths

7. 11 & 15 Circuit Labyrinths

8. 19 & 23 Circuit Labyrinths

9.  compass – centers of quarter circles in
A, B, C, D, E
Construction of Classical Labyrinths
A
CD
E B

10. Partitioning of the 7-circuit labyrinth

11. Solution paths
Example: 3-circuit’s path: 3, 2, 1, 0

12. Solution paths
What patterns do you notice?

13.  The kth circuit in the solution path is fk(C).
 The fk(C)th circuit in the solution path is k.
2c.

14. Thompson, D. & Cheng, D. Growing labyrinths from seeds. (September-October 2015) The
Oregon Mathematics Teacher, pp. 33-36.
Thompson, D. & Cheng, D. Square Seeds and Round Paths: Exploring Patterns with the Art of
Classical Labyrinths. Published in conference proceedings of BRIDGES 2015: Mathematics,
Music, Art, Architecture, Culture. Baltimore, MD.
 Available online at http://archive.bridgesmathart.org/2015/bridges2015-555.html
References

15. Contemporary TSP labyrinths