[Langara College] 2001 B.C. Colleges
High School Mathematics Contest
May 4, 2001

Participants of the 2001 B.C. Colleges High School Mathematics Contest built a Sierpinski pyramid, based on the idea and instructions found in Build a Sierpinski Pyramid by Paul Kelley.

[Sierpinski Pyramid]

In about 30 minutes, the students built a 256-unit pyramid (there are four of these pyramids in the picture above) using lots of cardboard and lots of tape!

Building the pyramid is quite simple:

  1. Cut out a sufficient number of templates (there are 4n level-0 tetrahedra in a level-n pyramid.) These PostScript or PDF templates makes 8 units at a time. Print the templates on cardstock (also known as "cover") if possible. Be sure to score the dashed lines on the template before cutting out the eight triangles.
  2. Fold and tape the unit tetrahedra.
  3. Tape together 4 units to build a larger unit.
  4. GOTO 3.
You'll discover some joints are more important than others. Use lots of tape. We added a plastic trim-strip around the edges of the final model to give it some extra strength.

 

2001 B.C. Colleges High School Mathematics Contest