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The Four Color Problem |
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The Shockwave movie below makes it possible for you to investigate map coloring interactively and on-line. Create a "map of countries" of any number, shape, and size by drawing in the space, or let Serendip create a map for you by clicking on the Generate Map button. The question is how many colors are required to color such a map, using the rule that no two countries with adjacent borders may be the same color (countries meeting at a point may be the same color). Once generated, either by you or by Serendip, click on Submit Map. After a processing delay, Serendip will then present the map to you in grey, and you can color individual countries by clicking on them (or let Serendip color the map for you). To change the assigned color, click on the country again (color order: red, green, blue, yellow, grey). See if you can create a map that requires two colors, or three colors, or four colors. If you create one that requires five colors, you will upset mathematicians (and a few others) worldwide.
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