The Five-Button Door Lock
How Computers Help Mathematicians Explore and Discover
Professor Shai Simonson
Stonehill College
Exploration, experiment, and discovery are fundamental tools for doing mathematics. The invention of computers, through simulation and visualization, has enhanced these tools. An illustration of this is the problem of calculating the number of combinations one needs to try in order to break into the common 5-button door lock.
Using patterns inspired and generated by a computer algorithm, we will uncover the recursive structure of these locks.
Shai Simonson is a professor of computer science at Stonehill College, interested in discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, and effective teaching. At various times, he has taught gym, science, mathematics, and computer science to students from first grade through graduate school. Shai’s book, Rediscovering Mathematics, promotes teaching mathematics as an experimental science, emphasizing interactive exploration and discovery. He also co-authored a book on Java programming.
Shai was the director of ArsDigita University, http://aduni.org, a pioneer online learning site that offers free computer science lectures to students all over the world, especially in developing countries. He plays go and bridge, dabbles with poker and Scrabble, loves to hike, cycle, bowl, sing, and play disc-golf. Shai grew up in New York, spent ten years in Chicago, and now makes his home in the Boston area. He spent two years (1983 and 1999) teaching and doing research in Israel. He is married with three children.
