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Figure This!

The sand patterns in the Challenge were created by the Tchokwe tribe of northeastern Angola. Members of this tribe used these designs for telling stories.

Anthropologists Dorothy Washburn and Donald Crowe have studied linking of geometric patterns to cultural identification.

Some African cultures, such as the Ndebele, make decorations that use line symmetry. These patterns contain no curves, in contrast to the Angolan patterns in the Challenge.

Jhane Barnes is a designer who uses mathematics to form patterns to weave into cloth for her line of clothing.

Many entrance examinations for higher education, including the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), include questions involving the recognition and extension of patterns.

     
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