<=+=+=+>› The following article is from one of› our very newest members RUDY› DiGIOSAFFATTE. Thanks RUDY, you› already show that you will be an› important member of OL' HACKERS!›› HIGH FLYING IDEAS.›› In a moment of wild optimism, I› purchased a 1020 printer, hoping that› my son would use it for algebra. He› hasn't used it yet, but it has given› me many hours of enjoyment. I am a› math teacher, and it was great to› create line designs on the 1020 on› snow days, after the show was shoveled› and work on students' papers was› done.›› WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERES A WAY.› › My programing skills are not› great to begin with and are, or were,› very rusty, but the brute force method› worked pretty well. That is, use GOTO› to skip parts of the design that are› correct and play around with one› section at a time until it is right. › One of the designs, a seemingly simple› 4-point pinwheel, took me about› twenty-five tries to get right, but it› was fun and some of the mistakes look› pretty good.›› EVEN MINIMAL KNOWLEDGE+SKILL=BEAUTY.›› Using the computer to do line› designs was much more fun for me than› using a compass, protractor, and› straight-edge would have been. Some › knowledge of trigonometry is necessary› and some skill in geometry. If, on› top of that, you have some programing› skills, you can have a lot of pleasure› creating beautiful mathematical› designs. If you have good programing› skills, I envy you.›› WANT TO BE UNIQUE?›› If you come up with a design you› really like, you can take it to your› local photo shop and have it blown up› and printed on a t-shirt that will be› unique.›› AN ASSIGNMENT FROM THE TEACHER›› Here is a challenge: write a› universal spiral program that requires› the user to input the number of sides› and will take it from there. Now I› really sound like a teacher. If anyone› knows of any good programs that would› enable the user to plot equations,› please share them.›› HERES AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO HAVE FUN.›› 1020 printers are available for› about $20.00 plus shipping and› handling. Be sure to get extra pens› and extra rolls of paper, in case you› get hooked.›› (Editor, Thanks RUDY you hit upon the› OL' HACKERS theme. This is what we are› all about, SHARING what we know!)› <*><*>›