Upside Down

Figure This! What letters, when written in lowercase, can be read the same upside down as right side up?

Hint: Write out each lowercase letter and look at it in different ways.

Symmetry is a basic geometric concept. Understanding how one part of an object mirrors the rest is important in art, design, medicine and other fields. An ambigram (for those who didn’t read Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons” or see the movie) has rotational symmetry, so it can read the same upside down as right side up.

Solution is in the comments.


Get Started: Print the lowercase letters of the English alphabet. Turn your paper upside down.



Figure This! features mathematical challenges for families. Each challenge features:
- a description of the important math involved
- a note on where the math is used in the real world
- a hint to get started
- complete solutions
- a "Try This" section
- additional related problems with answers
- questions to think about
- fun facts related to the math
- resources for further exploration.