Friday Timewaster

Euclid: The Game. You're presented with a series of increasingly difficult geometric problems which you must solve with basic graphical tools.

While in high school, I was always getting into trouble in geometry class because I preferred to solve problems graphically. I was repeatedly told that it was an invalid method for solving mathematical problems, even when I could obtain the answer to an equal or higher degree of precision than the teacher could via algebraic interpretation. Imagine my surprise and delight when I got to college and discovered that there were entire courses, such as statics and strength of materials, which were based around graphical problem solving. The technique is also taught in advanced CAD classes.

I will sometimes still solve problems in a graphical manner, though as an estimator I have far less hands-on engineering time these days. I've designed some very complex systems and constructs over the last 20 years, and while I would often check the solutions algebraically, my primary solution was nearly always via graphical means, excepting only problems which are simply too complex to solve in such a manner. I've yet to hear of any of those constructs falling out of the air. Dear High School Geometry Teacher: Bite Me.


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