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| >>> Introduction |
What is a square? |
Reframe | Quadrilaterals | Conclusion |
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| Introduction | |
| Is this a
square? The red object you see here to the right - is it a square? |
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| How can you tell? What is the question asking
exactly? |
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| What about this object - is this a square too? Is it the same square as the one above, only coloured green? |  |
| Confused? What about this red object - is this a square? |  |
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Is it
the same square as the other red one above, only turned round a little? Is it
different now that it is "on the slant"? What is the question asking
exactly? |
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| Maybe this last
question is easier to answer because if you "zoom" in on the picture then you
will see more clearly the jagged form of the edges of the sides. Squares do not
have jagged edges, therefore this shape is absolutely NOT a
square. |
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| Is this a square? Is this a photograph of a square? Does this photograph show a square? Is the shape on the paper in this photograph a square? Is the shape on the paper in this photograph a printout from a computer image of a square? |
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Consider your answers carefully before proceeding. To help
focus tighter on the issue, try these easier questions. |
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| Is this a human
being? No. Is it a photograph of a human being? Debatable. But I would argue yes. |
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| So what about the
first photograph... Actually, no! The image printed on the paper was obtained
from this object: |
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Now
you think you've been asked trick questions all along. Fair enough. Perhaps the
question should have been, does this look roughly like a square? Is that
what this is all about? |
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We
need to be clear about what questions like these mean. Maybe you are being
asked to make a rough approximation, like in arithmetic where a rough answer to
23 × 21 is 400, in which case you might say that the images above are
roughly squares. But there is still something very important to be
clarified: |
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