Once upon a time, there was a little alien named Zorbon who lived on a planet in outer space. Zorbon loved to explore the universe and was always on the lookout for new and exciting adventures. One day, Zorbon stumbled upon an old, dusty map of the universe. The map showed the locations of different planets and galaxies, and Zorbon couldn't wait to start exploring.

Zorbon was so excited that he decided to build a spaceship and set off on his journey. He packed his map, a projection matrix, and a big bag of kernels (which he loved to snack on) and blasted off into space.

As Zorbon was flying through the galaxy, he realized that the map he had was not a normal map. It was a special map that showed the projections of different planets and galaxies in a matrix form! Zorbon was fascinated by this new discovery and decided to study the map more closely.

He soon learned that the map was a similarity matrix and could be used to find the inverse image of any planet or galaxy. Zorbon was amazed at how the map could project a 3D image of any planet onto a 2D plane. He decided to use the map to find the inverse image of his home planet, which was located far away from where he was.

Zorbon entered the projection matrix into his spaceship's computer and set the coordinates for his home planet. To his surprise, the spaceship's computer transformed the matrix into a row of numbers that showed the exact location of his home planet!

Zorbon was over the moon with excitement and couldn't wait to get back home. As he was flying back, he realized that he had gained a newfound independence and was no longer reliant on his map. He was now a confident space explorer who could find his way home all by himself!

Zorbon returned home to a hero's welcome and was greeted by his family and friends. They were all amazed by his adventures and couldn't believe how much he had grown and matured during his journey.

From that day on, Zorbon continued to explore the universe and used his newfound knowledge to help other aliens find their way home. And whenever he came across a map or a projection matrix, he always remembered his first adventure and smiled, knowing that he had found his way to independence through the power of math.

Reflections

1. What was Zorbon's favorite snack while exploring space?
2. What was so special about the map Zorbon found?
3. How did Zorbon use the projection matrix to find his way home?
4. What did Zorbon learn about himself during his journey through space?
5. Why was Zorbon greeted as a hero when he returned home?
6. How did Zorbon's journey help him become a better space explorer?
7. What was the most exciting part of Zorbon's adventure for you?
8. Do you think you could be a space explorer like Zorbon? Why or why not?