Tropical mathematics redefines the rules of arithmetic by replacing addition with taking a maximum, and by replacing multiplication with addition. After briefly discussing a tropical version of linear algebra, we study polynomials build with these new operations. These equations define piecewise-linear geometric objects called tropical varieties. We explore these tropical varieties in two and three dimensions, building up discrete tools for studying them and determining their geometric properties. We then discuss the relationship between tropical geometry and algebraic geometry, which considers shapes defined by usual polynomial equations.

40 pages, 27 figures. Chapter submitted for "Foundations for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics" edited by Pamela Harris, Erik Insko, and Aaron Wooton