numworks / epsilon

Modern graphing calculator operating system.
https://www.numworks.com/resources/engineering/software/
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Perpendicular bisector equations (IB Voronoi diagrams) #1997

Open Evemerus opened 2 years ago

Evemerus commented 2 years ago

Problem you'd like to fix

Our IB curriculum requires students to construct Voronoi diagrams, a partition of a Euclidian space by proximity to a finite set of points. (IB vocab: the points are "sites" and the regions are "cells") See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voronoi_diagram

While the TI Nspire can determine (albeit clumsily) the equations of perpendicular bisectors in its Geometry kernel, I have so far been unable to obtain such equations on the Numworks. Calculators are required for all 3 exam papers of the AI syllabus, and is necessary as it it possible that irrational quantities are given as point coordinates (paper 2), or even complex in an Argand diagram (paper 3). This is the first time I have found the Numworks lacking.

Screenshots

Given the coordinates of the 2 purple points, determine the equation of the orange line: image

Describe the solution you'd like

A feature allowing the user to input coordinates of 2D points, and extract the equation of their perpendicular bisector. Students have shown me that it can be achieved on the TI Nspire, though unsurprisingly their model takes 30 seconds longer that it ought to.

Voronoi diagrams were one of the major additions to the new IB maths syllabus reform of 2019, so this problem will eventually need remedying.

Describe alternatives you've considered

The Desmos app allows a construction of the perpendicular bisector (but yields no equation). Currently, no solution found.

fbeleznay commented 1 year ago

Are your students using the TI Nspire in press-to-test mode? The IB use of calculator document tells that geometry functions need to be limited. I am not sure what this means, but maybe the feature you would like to have is blocked on exams on the Nspire. As far as I know, when geometry functions are limited, then no objects can be constructed. The screenshot below is from the use of calculator document, where the necessary actions with the nspire are described to set it to IB exam mode. Screen Shot 2023-03-06 at 19 18 18