Teaching Recursion and Dominoes With Dominoes

Domino, or dominoes, is a game played by two or more players. The object of the game is to score points by laying tiles so that their ends touch each other in the form of a line or rectangle. Each end of a tile may be marked with a number. If the number on one end is equal to or greater than the number on the other, the tiles are referred to as doubles. The tiles must be matched so that the sum of the pips on both sides of each tile is a multiple of five.

Domino is an excellent choice for classrooms because it is a simple yet effective way to teach students about probability, and how it can influence outcomes. It is also a great tool to use when demonstrating the concept of recursion. Students can be encouraged to think about the effect of one action on the result of another, which can be applied to events such as car crashes or rocket launches.

When Hevesh is creating one of her domino sets, she follows a similar version of the engineering design process. First, she considers the theme or purpose of the installation and brainstorms images or words that would fit this idea. She then creates 3-D sections of the arrangement and tests each section to make sure it works. Once she is satisfied that each section works, she starts constructing the bigger flat arrangements and finally the lines of dominos that connect these sections.

Each player takes turn placing a domino on the table positioning it so that it touches one of the ends of the existing chain. The chain then gradually increases in length. A player may not play a domino unless the number on the exposed end of that tile is divisible by either five or three. Similarly, a double cannot be placed if the total of the pips on both sides of the double is not a multiple of five or three.

The game is won by the player who reaches a target score, or by the first player to amass a certain number of points in a set number of rounds. The winner is awarded the accumulated value of all the pips on his opponent’s tiles (doubles count as either one or two, and six-six counts as 12), or the total number of pips in both opposing players’ tiles.

In the case of Domino’s, the company reverted to its core values, especially the value of championing its customers. By listening to their concerns, and making changes quickly, Domino’s was able to reverse its downward spiral. Their efforts include a relaxed dress code, new leadership training programs, and a college recruiting system. In addition, they also made the decision to listen to their employees, and implement new policies that allowed for employee input. They also rebranded themselves as a company that “Does Pizza Right.” As a result, they have been able to attract more talented employees, and continue to grow and prosper.