Madison Math Circle: Difference between revisions

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For the site in Spanish, visit [[Math Circle de Madison]]
For the site in Spanish, visit [[Math Circle de Madison]]
=COVID-19 Update=
We will moving back to in-person talks for the remainder of the semester.
As is the university's policy, all participants must wear masks. We will make every effort to maintain social distancing where possible.
=What is a Math Circle?=
=What is a Math Circle?=
The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department.  Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption.  In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion.  The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.
The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department.  Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption.  In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion.  The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.
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==Spring Enhancement Workshop==
== Fall Schedule ==
 
In addition to allowing students to explore various fields of math through our talks series, our Spring Enhancement Workshop helps them hone the various skills involved in higher mathematics. The workshop, titled the Math Circle Spring Enhancement Program Workshop (SEP) will be held from Feb. 27 through May 1, on alternate Mondays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm at the UW-Madison campus. Please see our schedule below for details. 
 
The topics for this workshop will cover an introduction to constructing mathematical arguments and proofs, understanding how to generalise simple mathematical ideas, and learn how to discover math for one's self. We will build these skills through collaborative problem solving sessions while learning about graph theory, game theory, and other cool areas of mathematics.
 
We want to invite any middle school students curious about math to join! If you are interested, please register using the form below. As always, this workshop is free and only requires your curiosity and participation!
 
  [https://forms.gle/EXRRCBLBHvAk1zLQ8 '''Math Circle SEP Registration Form''']
 
All your information is kept private, and is only used by the Madison Math Circle organizer to help run the Circle.
 
We hope to see you there!
 
==Spring Schedule==
 
<center>
<center>


{| style="color:black; font-size:120%" border="1" cellpadding="14" cellspacing="0"
{| style="color:black; font-size:120%" border="1" cellpadding="14" cellspacing="0"
|-
|-
! colspan="4" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Spring Schedule (see abstracts below)
! colspan="4" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Fall Schedule
|-
! Date !! Location and Room || Speaker || Title
|-
|-
! Date !! Location and Room || Program || Speaker
| Oct 7 || 3255 College Library || Caitlin Davis || How to Cut a Cake (Fairly)
|-
|-
| Feb 20th || 3255 Helen C White Library || Talks || Uri Andrews
| Oct 14 || 3255 College Library || Uri Andrews || Math, Philosophy, Psychology, and Artificial Intelligence
|-
|-
| Feb 27th || 3255 Helen C White Library || SEP || Math Circle Team
| Oct 21 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Mar 6th || 3255 Helen C White Library || Talks || Yunting Zhang
| Oct 28 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Mar 13th || 3255 Helen C White Library || SPRING BREAK ||
| Nov 4 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Mar 20th || 3255 Helen C White Library || SEP || Math Circle Team
| Nov 11 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Mar 27th || 3255 Helen C White Library || Talks || Amy Tao
| Nov 18 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Apr 3rd || 3255 Helen C White Library || SEP || Math Circle Team
| Nov 25 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Apr 10th || 3255 Helen C White Library || Talks || Chenxi Wu
| Dec 2 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Apr 17th || 3255 Helen C White Library || SEP || Math Circle Team
| Dec 9 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| Apr 24th || 3255 Helen C White Library || Talks || Yuxiao Fu
| Dec 16 || 3255 College Library || TBA || TBA
|-
|-
| May 1st || 3255 Helen C White Library || SEP (Competition) || Math Circle Team
|}
|}


</center>
</center>


== Abstract 2/20 ==
= Fall Abstracts =
<center>
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
|-
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Uri Andrews'''
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title:  How to split an apartment'''
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  | 
So you go off to college and after a year or two, you and some of your friends decide to get an apartment together. It'll be a lot of fun living with your best friends. Then move-in day comes, and you realize that everyone wants the room by the kitchen (for easy late-night snacking). You have 4 rooms and 4 people. Surely there must be some way to make everybody happy. People are willing to settle for their second-favorite room instead if maybe they pay a little less rent or do some less chores. How do you navigate this issue to make everybody happy? I'll share a way to do this based on a mathematical theorem which also explains the following fact: If you stir up a cup of hot chocolate, when the liquid has come to rest, some point in the liquid will end up in exactly the same place in the cup as before you stirred it.
 
|}                                                                       
</center>
 
== Abstract 3/6 ==
<center>
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
|-
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Yunting Zhang'''
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title:  Sequences and Induction'''
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  | 
I will introduce the definitions of set and sequence, and give some special sequences (such as arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences and Fibonacci sequence) and compute the sum of the first n terms of these sequences. I will then introduce the application of the Fibonacci sequence (relation to the Golden Section and "coincidence" in nature). Finally, I'll talk about induction and using induction to prove that the previous summations were correct.
 
|}                                                                       
</center>


== Abstract 3/27 ==
=== Abstract 10/7 ===
<center>
<center>
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Amy Tao'''
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Caitlin Davis'''
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title: Guess the number!'''
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title: How to Cut a Cake (Fairly)'''
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  |   
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  |   
On Monday you will learn a fun number guessing game to psych your friends with. Then we'll talk about why it works and introduce a particular concept. We will then think about a couple of other problems, some of which are related and another of which looks related, but in fact is not. Here's a sampling: does every number have a (non-zero) multiple that is made of just 1's and 0's? How can you get away with fewer birthday candles?
Imagine you and a friend are sharing a cupcake. How can you cut the cupcake so that each of you gets your fair share?  If you've ever shared a cupcake (or some other treat) with a friend, you might have an answer!  Now what if you're sharing a cake with several friends?  Can we use the same strategy to cut the cake fairly? We'll talk about how math can be used to study questions like this.
 
|}                                                                         
|}                                                                         
</center>
</center>


== Abstract 4/10 ==
=== Abstract 10/14 ===
<center>
<center>
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
{| style="color:black; font-size:100%" table border="2" cellpadding="10" width="700" cellspacing="20"
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Chenxi Wu'''
| bgcolor="#e8b2b2" align="center" style="font-size:125%" | '''Uri Andrews'''
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title: Almost periodic sequences'''
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  align="center" | '''Title: Math, Philosophy, Psychology, and Artificial Intelligence'''
|-
|-
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  |   
| bgcolor="#BDBDBD"  |   
If an infinite sequence of letters is periodic, then any finite section of this sequence will reappear infinitely many times. However there are sequences with this property which is not periodic. I will show some examples of them and also how they appear in Euclidean geometry and graph theory.
People come to understand the truth via a process of arguing. This could be a philosophical debate. This could be an internal dialogue. This could be in a courtroom. This could be deciding with your family where to go for dinner. These are all different forms of argumentation, with different rules for when you are convinced. In a courtroom, you have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, whereas when deciding where to go for dinner, you might just have to look hungriest to win. These processes can be mathematically modeled. Moreover, this is important for the modern goal of teaching a computer how to think and how to understand human reasoning (Artificial Intelligence).  
 
|}                                                                         
|}                                                                         
</center>
</center>


==Directions and parking==
==Directions and parking==
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<gallery widths="500" heights="300" mode="packed">
<gallery widths="500" heights="300" mode="packed">
File:Uri.jpg|[https://www.math.wisc.edu/~andrews/ Prof. Uri Andrews]
File:Uri.jpg|[https://www.math.wisc.edu/~andrews/ Prof. Uri Andrews]
File:Hongyu.jpg|[https://sites.google.com/view/hongyu-zhu/ Hongyu Zhu]
File:Karthik.jpeg|Karthik Ravishankar
</gallery>
</gallery>


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=Useful Resources=
=Useful Resources=
<!--==Annual Reports==
 
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/Math_Circle_Newsletter.pdf  2013-2014 Annual Report]-->[https://uwmadison.box.com/s/ns14iv68wv8lp4opdht2lxczu5fgi4at Fall 2022 Worksheets]
 


== Archived Abstracts ==
== Archived Abstracts ==
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2023-2024 2023 - 2024 Abstracts]
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2022-2023 2022 - 2023 Abstracts]


[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2021-2022 2021 - 2022 Abstracts]
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2021-2022 2021 - 2022 Abstracts]

Revision as of 20:44, 6 October 2024

Logo.png

For the site in Spanish, visit Math Circle de Madison

What is a Math Circle?

The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department. Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption. In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion. The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.

The level of the audience varies quite widely, including a mix of middle school and high school students, and the speakers generally address this by considering subjects that will be interesting for a wide range of students.


MathCircle 2.jpg MathCircle 4.jpg


After each talk we'll have pizza provided by the Mathematics Department, and students will have an opportunity to mingle and chat with the speaker and with other participants, to ask questions about some of the topics that have been discussed, and also about college, careers in science, etc.

The Madison Math Circle was featured in Wisconsin State Journal: check it out!

All right, I want to come!

Our in person talks will be at, Monday at 6pm in 3255 Helen C White Library, during the school year. New students are welcome at any point! There is no fee and the talks are independent of one another. You can just show up any week, but we ask all participants to take a moment to register by following the link below: 

Math Circle Registration Form

All of your information is kept private, and is only used by the Madison Math Circle organizer to help run the Circle.

If you are a student, we hope you will tell other interested students about these talks, and speak with your parents or with your teacher about organizing a car pool to the UW campus. If you are a parent or a teacher, we hope you'll tell your students about these talks and organize a car pool to the UW (all talks take place in 3255 Helen C White Library, on the UW-Madison campus, right next to the Memorial Union).


Fall Schedule

Fall Schedule
Date Location and Room Speaker Title
Oct 7 3255 College Library Caitlin Davis How to Cut a Cake (Fairly)
Oct 14 3255 College Library Uri Andrews Math, Philosophy, Psychology, and Artificial Intelligence
Oct 21 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Oct 28 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Nov 4 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Nov 11 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Nov 18 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Nov 25 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Dec 2 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Dec 9 3255 College Library TBA TBA
Dec 16 3255 College Library TBA TBA

Fall Abstracts

Abstract 10/7

Caitlin Davis
Title: How to Cut a Cake (Fairly)

Imagine you and a friend are sharing a cupcake. How can you cut the cupcake so that each of you gets your fair share? If you've ever shared a cupcake (or some other treat) with a friend, you might have an answer! Now what if you're sharing a cake with several friends? Can we use the same strategy to cut the cake fairly? We'll talk about how math can be used to study questions like this.

Abstract 10/14

Uri Andrews
Title: Math, Philosophy, Psychology, and Artificial Intelligence

People come to understand the truth via a process of arguing. This could be a philosophical debate. This could be an internal dialogue. This could be in a courtroom. This could be deciding with your family where to go for dinner. These are all different forms of argumentation, with different rules for when you are convinced. In a courtroom, you have to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, whereas when deciding where to go for dinner, you might just have to look hungriest to win. These processes can be mathematically modeled. Moreover, this is important for the modern goal of teaching a computer how to think and how to understand human reasoning (Artificial Intelligence).

Directions and parking

Our meetings are held on the 3rd floor of Helen C. White Hall in room 3255.

Helencwhitemap.png

Parking. Parking on campus is rather limited. Here is as list of some options:

Email list

The best way to keep up to date with the what is going is by signing up for our email list. Please add your email in the form: Join Email List

Contact the organizers

The Madison Math Circle is organized by a group of professors and graduate students from the Department of Mathematics at the UW-Madison. If you have any questions, suggestions for topics, or so on, just email the organizers here. We are always interested in feedback!

Donations

Please consider donating to the Madison Math Circle. Our main costs consist of pizza and occasional supplies for the speakers. So far our costs have been covered by donations from the UW Mathematics Department as well as a generous gifts from private donors. The easiest way to donate is to go to the link:

Online Donation Link

There are instructions on that page for donating to the Math Department. Be sure and add a Gift Note saying that the donation is intended for the "Madison Math Circle"! The money goes into the Mathematics Department Annual Fund and is routed through the University of Wisconsin Foundation, which is convenient for record-keeping, etc.

Alternately, you can bring a check to one of the Math Circle Meetings. If you write a check, be sure to make it payable to the "WFAA" and add the note "Math Circle Donation" on the check.

Or you can make donations in cash, and we'll give you a receipt.

Help us grow!

If you like Math Circle, please help us continue to grow! Students, parents, and teachers can help by:

  • Like our Facebook Page and share our events with others!
  • Posting our flyer at schools or anywhere that might have interested students.
  • Discussing the Math Circle with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others.
  • Making an announcement about Math Circle at PTO meetings.
  • Donating to Math Circle.

Contact the organizers if you have questions or your own ideas about how to help out.

Useful Resources

Archived Abstracts

2023 - 2024 Abstracts

2022 - 2023 Abstracts

2021 - 2022 Abstracts

2020 - 2021 Abstracts

2019 - 2020 Abstracts

2016 - 2017 Math Circle Page

2016 - 2017 Abstracts

2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page

2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page (Spanish)

2015 - 2015 Abstracts

The way-back archives

Link for presenters (in progress)

Advice For Math Circle Presenters

Sample Talk Ideas/Problems from Tom Davis

Sample Talks from the National Association of Math Circles

"Circle in a Box"

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