Lesson Plan

The Notorious Four-Color Problem

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This The Notorious Four-Color Problem lesson plan also includes:

Take a walk through time, 1852 to 2005, following the mathematical history, development, and solution of the Four-Color Theorem. Learners take on the role of cartographers to study a United States map that is to be colored. One rule: no adjacent state can be the same color. One question: What is the minimum number of colors the map maker should keep in stock? Planar graphs and real-life examples are explored and connected to coloring graphs and Euler’s Formula. Chromatic polynomials of graphs, the chromatic number, and chromatic symmetric graphs are presented as well.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Pros
  • Includes specific examples of map coloring and how the Four-Color Theorem applies
  • Superbly organized presentation including a table of contents
Cons
  • There is a tremendous amount of information in this 60-slide presentation, but it is easy to pick and choose your targeted slides
Common Core