A Mathematics Trail at Exeter Academy

Abstract

At a recent Phillips Exeter Academy Mathematics and Technology Conference, we decided to create and conduct a mathematics trail on the campus and in the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. The idea was to put together a series of problems and puzzles that would give teachers an opportunity to do some mathematics in an outdoor setting. An attempt was also made to look for novel questions that would permit teachers and their classes to look at things from a different perspective. Although our trail was highly successful, the most exciting aspect was watching other participants create questions of their own. A high point for both authors during the walk was meeting Debbie Merrill, a mathematics teacher at Exeter Junior High School. Merrill has created and used for many years a trail of her own, along which, among other things, she has her students search for golden rectangles and solve a number of geometrical and algebraic problems related to the town of Exeter.