Grand Prix Freestyles and Movements

[maryboyd99]

In my data management math class, we have to do a culminating project about any subject we’ve covered that has a personal connection. So, I’m doing mine about Grand Prix Freestyles and want to determine how many different ways one could execute one - I’m taking into account the geometry of the movements and order. (I’m not taking into account time, that would be nearly impossible to calculate).

So, I’m going to take individual movement from the FEI freestyle 2015 test, and determine how and where one could ride each one, then do the order from first salute to final salute.

Any suggestions?

[joiedevie99]

Challenging. Unless you are going to consider one “way” to perform them to be a figure rather than a location, there will be infinite possibilities. For example, I could ride my tempis on a circle, straight line, or broken line - but I could place those lines in an infinite number of places (on the rail, one foot off the rail, centerline, on the long diagonal, long diagonal to the centerline instead of the rail, etc.)

[Libby2563]

^ Although particular movements are required, the geometry is not dictated in all cases AND riders can include “extra” movements (like a piaffe pirouette). It is not just the GP test rearranged. Also, each movement may be performed more than once. So really there are infinite possibilities unless you set artificial constraints.

[Knubbsy]

[QUOTE=joiedevie99;8602217]

• but I could place those lines in an infinite number of places (on the rail, one foot off the rail, centerline, on the long diagonal, long diagonal to the centerline instead of the rail, etc.)[/QUOTE]
  Technically those are still finite. Yes, it would be challenging but because you have at least the confined space of the ring, you could theoretically quantify the location options.

OP- what level math are they expecting you to use, even within the software? Long form this could probably be done with permutations but even utilizing the software I had in college, this could easily get beyond the basic “teacher math” that was required.

I second what Libby2563 said and create a tighter focus, something like “The number of possible combinations within the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, as written, allowing for limited variation between the choreography and what is ridden.” I’m assuming you will need to expand upon your purpose anyway to explain the difference as well as allow for variations beyond what your findings are.

I would go to your professor’s office hours and talk over the issues people are raising here and make sure it is appropriate to project.

[maryboyd99]

I’ve set some ground rules so far in order to simplify it, since the level of math is not that high, it’s just a university level high school course:
-the rider will not be riding any extra movements in addition to the test;
-each movement is only ridden once;
-I will only have the movement be performed as the minimum that is described, (if applicable); and
-timing is not a factor,
and one that will surely simplify it a lot - all movements are ridden letter to letter. I did this because each movement has to continue from exactly where the last one ended, because there are no extra movements. So, all of the movements following the first one is dependent because of the geometry of it.

The trickiest part will be about determining where each movement can be ridden.