Hello Math Lovers,

Bard released a very nice article about the Summer Program in Mathematical Problem Solving. Go ahead and read the article:

While the program was in session, I provided updates to the Bard community, and among the many wonderful and supportive responses was this question:

Curiously do we offer any programs like this for local kids with the same academic curiosity and promise?

I love this question! Of course, the answer is very complicated and nuanced.

On the face of it, not at all. Bard does not provide a 3 week sleep-away math camp for local kids on this beautiful, secluded campus. No all-star math staff selected from a national search for instructors who have the deepest mathematical knowledge and incredible experience and success at igniting mathematical passion and excitement. No amazing math curriculum, where students can delve deeply in to advanced mathematics that they’d never learn in school. We don’t offer that.

But, the SPMPS students are selected from some of the most underserved NYC middle schools. Each of these schools has a very high poverty level; at least 75% of students at each school qualify for free lunch, and at most of the schools that statistic is up around 90% or 95%. The typical student at these schools is far below grade level, and part of what makes SPMPS work is attention to building up necessary technical skills that are just plain missing.

However, the mid-Hudson Valley has all that too – not just urban poverty, but rural poverty too, with many students who have fallen behind, yet have an amazing intellectual potential.

We also have the Bard Math Circle, a small program with huge potential. The most consistent program happens monthly at the Kingston Library, and now the annual AMC 8 contest.

What do you think? Where could this go? Let’s discuss this in the comments.

Japheth

Here are some pictures of our activity from December, 2012: Paper Plate Polyhedra. It’s amazing what you can do with a simple paper plate! A tip if you’re rushing out to buy paper plates: the cheaper the better for this one. The super fancy and durable plates don’t fold so well.

Polygonal Flower as a warmup

A chair or a puppy?

Beehive pattern

5 plates fit together

Table view. Note the icosahedron mid-table.

First fingers, then hair pins hold plates together

From Las Noticias del 13–19 febrero, 2013:

I’ve just added a Documents page. Right now, you can download problem sets for the math circle we run in Kingston. I’ll add additional documents later.
To visit the page, just click on the documents tab up there in the toolbard.

I have never been so hyper coming from a museum in my life! Today I went to the new Museum of Math in New York City and boy did I have a blast. The exhibits lend themselves to a variety of topics ranging from Emily Noether’s work on noncommutative algebra (simplified with a bird in a bowl) to a visual representation of a statistical distribution using a smaller version of the game Plinko from The Price is Right. I was thoroughly entertained and informed. There’s so much to math that lends itself to beautiful things and unique interpretations, this museum does that well. If you ever have the opportunity to go see it, I highly recommend it. It’s still a new museum so I expect more exhibits will be on their way.

If you want a virtual tour of the place check out this link

http://www.businessinsider.com/museum-of-math-in-manhattan-2012-12?op=1

For information about the Museum of Math and their programs, check out their website http://momath.org/

For now, I’m FREEZING! I’m going to read a math book and make a mug of hot cocoa. Stay warm and we’ll see you soon!

Look! Its a truncated icosahedron…aka a soccer ball! There are 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. Alan House took this photo December 11th in Madison Square Park. Do you know what is near there? That’s right! The Museum of Mathematics! I can’t wait to go there!

‎”In the mathematics outreach system, bland teaching offenses are considered especially heinous. In the Hudson Valley, the dedicated instructors who investigate these vicious felonies are members of a elite squad known as the Bard Math Circle. These are their stories.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8lDYrvTILc