Classes and Workshops:
Publicity and involvement:
More about us:
Saturday Workshop Class Descriptions
(The following are Math Circle 2008 class descriptions.)
Knot Theory
Marion Moore
Did you ever think you would take a class where a piece of yarn was your primary learning tool? Well, here's your chance! In this class we will explore the math of knots. We will see what different kinds of knots are possible, figure out how to show whether two knots are the same and we will even build human knots! In this class you will take objects and concepts that are familiar to you (yarn), find patterns (knots) and think critically about those objects, all the while developing mathematical intuition and skills. If you're only interested in the same old math, this may KNOT be the class for you...
Geometrical Perspectives: New Angles on Geometry
Tom Denton
Geometry has played a fundamental role in mankind's ability to understand his world since ancient times. According to legend, those entering Plato's Academy were warned by an inscription, "Let no man ignorant of geometry enter here." In ancient India, scholars used geometry to track the motions of the stars, and attempt to foretell the future. In modern times, we have developed radical new ideas of geometry to understand the shape of our universe, though we've mainly given up on using the stars to tell our personal fortunes. In this class, we will survey some of the biggest developments in geometry through the ages, especially those not usually covered in high school geometry classes. Some particular topics will include:
- Projective geometry, which was developed in the Reniassance, and can be thought of as the geometry of art.
- Hyperbolic geometry, the most fundamental non-Euclidean geometry.
- The geometry of special relativity, a 20th century invention which describes the relationship of time and space in our universe.
Math through Games
Yvonne Lai
In this class, we'll develop mathematics through exploratory games. Along the way, we'll encounter firefly blinking activity, funny political scenarios from the E.U., and honeycomb tilings on the surface of a donut.
Here is a teaser problem (from Martin Gardner): Suppose you have a 27 x 1 chocolate bar. What is the minimum number of cuts it takes to split it into 27 pieces if you can cut more than one row at a time? What is you have a 3 x 3 x 3 "bar" of chocolate? Surprisingly, the answers differ. We'll discuss the mathematics behind these questions, try some other puzzles, and maybe even eat some chocolate!