Breaking the Ice: Figure Skating

Diana Cheng ()
Additional contact information
Diana Cheng: Towson University

Chapter 69 in Handbook of the Mathematics of the Arts and Sciences, 2021, pp 1749-1793 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Figure skating is filled with mathematically rich opportunities. Performing figure skating can be viewed as both an art form and a physically challenging endeavor. Competitive skaters continually seek to improve their skating skills and the scores that they receive for their performances. This chapter describes how knowledge of various facets of mathematics can be useful in helping them achieve these goals. Facets of figure skating that are described mathematically include: skaters’ blade tracings formed on the ice, skaters’ movements as they can be described using geometric transformations, pattern dances’ quantitative features such as musical tempi and step rates, and biomechanical research applying physical principles governing skating spins and jumps. The International Judging System used to score skating in individual events and the team event is explained. Shortfalls of the judging system, such as judging biases that have occurred in past competitive events, are described. Finally, mathematical analyses that can be used to consider aspects of the figure skating team event that was conducted at the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games are provided.

Keywords: Figure skating; Geometry; Biomechanics; Judging bias; Player evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-319-57072-3_51

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783319570723

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57072-3_51

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().