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Gabriel’s other possessions. (English) Zbl 1261.97010

PRIMUS, Probl. Resour. Issues Math. Undergrad. Stud. 22, No. 4, 338-351 (2012).
Summary: Gabriel’s horn is a solid of revolution commonly featured in calculus textbooks as a counter-intuitive example of a solid having finite volume but infinite surface area. Other examples of solids with surprising geometrical finitude relationships have also appeared in the literature. This article cites several intriguing examples (some of fractal type), adds additional ones, and discusses how these topics can enhance a Calculus II or Real Analysis course by adding cohesiveness between topics, challenging students at multiple levels, and illustrating both the power and limitations of a computer algebra system.

MSC:

97I50 Integral calculus (educational aspects)
26A99 Functions of one variable
51M25 Length, area and volume in real or complex geometry
53A05 Surfaces in Euclidean and related spaces
Full Text: DOI

References:

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