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Polynomial Plot: Simple Math Expressions Yield Intricate Visual Patterns [Slide Show]
Plotting the roots of run-of-the-mill polynomials yields dazzling results
Dec28,2009 | ByJohnMatson |

Polynomials,themeatandpotatoesofhighschoolalgebra,arefoundationalto manyaspectsofquantitativescience.Butitwouldtakeaparticularlyenthusiastic mathteachertothinkofthesetrustyworkhorsesasbeautiful. Aswithsomanyphenomena,however,whatissimpleandstraightforwardina singleservingbecomesintricatelydetailedbeautiful,eveninthecollective. OnDecember5JohnBaez,amathematicalphysicistattheUniversityofCalifornia, Riverside,postedacollectionofimagesofpolynomialrootsbyDanChristensen,a mathematicianattheUniversityofWesternOntario,andSamDerbyshire,an undergraduatestudentattheUniversityofWarwickinEngland.

SAMDERBYSHIRE

Polynomialsaremathematicalexpressionsthatintheirprototypicalformcanbe describedbythesumorproductofoneormorevariablesraisedtovariouspowers. Asasinglevariableexample,takex2x2.Thisexpressionisaseconddegree polynomial,oraquadratic,meaningthatthevariable(x)israisedtothesecond powerinthetermwiththelargestexponent(x2). Arootofsuchapolynomialisavalueforxsuchthattheexpressionisequaltozero. Inthequadraticabove,therootsare2and1.Thatistosay,plugeitherofthose numbersinforxandthepolynomialwillbeequaltozero.(Theserootscanbe foundbyusingthefamousquadraticformula.)Butsomerootsaremorecomplex. Takethequadraticpolynomialx2+1.Suchanexpressionisonlyequaltozerowhen x2isequalto1,butonitsfacethisseemsimpossible.Afterall,apositivenumber timesapositivenumberispositive,andanegativenumbertimesanegativenumber ispositiveaswell.Sowhatnumber,multipliedbyitself,couldbenegative? Imaginarynumberswere,well,imaginedintoexistencetofitthebill.Basedonthe numberi,thesquarerootof1,imaginarynumbersareunusualinthattheydonot representatangiblephysicalquantity.(Youcannothaveidollarsatleast,notif youwishtopayyourbills.)Polynomialrootscanbeeitherrealorimaginarythat

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is,theymayormaynothaveanimaginarycomponent. WhatChristensenandDerbyshiredidwasplottherootsofentirefamiliesofsingle variablepolynomials,imposingconstraintsonthepolynomials'degreesand coefficients.(Coefficientsarethemultipliersofthevariabletermsinthe polynomial4x2,thecoefficientsare4and2,respectively.)Forexample, Christensenplottedtherootsofeverypolynomialwhosedegreeissixorlessand whosecoefficientsareintegersbetween4and4. ThehorizontalaxisinChristensen'sandDerbyshire'splotsistherealnumbersthe verticalaxisistheimaginarynumbers.Soarealroot,suchas1,wouldfallonthe horizontalaxisapurelyimaginaryrootsuchas2iwouldfallontheverticalaxis. Therestoftheimaginarynumbersthosewithbothrealandimaginary componentsfilloutthequadrantsofthegraph.Forinstance,theimaginary number32iwouldberepresentedbythepointaligningwith3onthehorizontal (real)axisand2onthevertical(imaginary)axis. Whathappenswhenthesefamiliesofrootsareplottedenmasse?Intricateand intriguingpatternsemergethatshouldappealeventothemostmathaverse.Takea lookatChristensen'sandDerbyshire'simagestoseeforyourself. SlideShow:PolynomialPlot

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