Winners of the Flatlander competition
Imagine two-dimensional beings called flatlanders. What does their universe look like? Do flatlanders live on a flat surface or are there other surfaces on which they could move around? School classes participating in our competition have had to come up with an answer to those questions and create an object that represents their idea of a flatlander universe.
More than 20 school classes rose to the challenge of investigating the world of the flatlanders. 28 flatlander universes in many shapes and colours were created and presented in the goMATH exhibition “The Shape of Space” from 14 to 25 March.
The objects were assessed by a jury made up of professors and lecturers from the department based on the following three criteria: the accuracy of the visualisation, aesthetics and craftsmanship, and originality and creativity. The jury commented as follows: "It was a really interesting and fun experience judging these 28 objects and trying to understand them."
The jury awarded prizes to three school classes. They were invited to a MINT workshop organised by our partner mint & pepper.
We would like to congratulate the classes on their superb achievements!
First place
The poetic Klein bottle
Kantonsschule am Burggraben SG, class 3fNP
Teacher: Simon Knaus
Jury’s assessment: "We are delighted to see that the non-orientable surfaces are so attractive to all the students. What we particularly like about this object is the combination of mathematics, visualisation and the connection to social issues – in this case, the rights of women in Victorian England. The fact that the class has been able to link these two aspects in one single object is deserving of our highest honour. Many congratulations!"
Second place
Flatlander urban living (Das Stadtleben der Flatlander)
Kantonsschule Zürcher Oberland ZH, class C3c
Teacher: Michael Schneckenburger
Jury’s assessment: "We examined the object and all its additions very precisely, and held lengthy discussions about the topology and how it is portrayed. In addition to the exciting topological design, the object is a great success from an aesthetic point of view. On that basis, we have decided to award it second place. Many congratulations!"
Additional information such as city plans and legends (German)
Third place
Klein Pac-Man
Sekstufe 1 Wichtrach BE, class 3a
Teacher: Markus Gugger
Jury’s assessment: "The topology of this object is extremely clear and we can see the flatlanders who move around on the surface. We really liked the way in which this has been done. It is crocheted and has a zip so that we can look inside and see the Klein bottle problem in a three-dimensional space. The object scored highly in all three categories and is therefore awarded third prize. Many congratulations!"
Recording of the award ceremony
goMATH initiative
goMATH stands for going the MATH way and was launched in 2019. It gives a label to the women's and young talent development programme at the Department of Mathematics.
The goMATH programme comprises a series of annual activities as well as a triennial exhibition in the ETH Main Hall, which showcases the entries of the mathematics competition, among other content.