The math skills learned in our math circles have been helpful to students hoping to improve their scores on the AMC tests or the AIME. But to be successful in olympiads or to answer the questions from USAMTS or AOPS requires that students can also articulate their problem solving in the form of proofs.
A preferred tool for writing proofs and indeed for writing many scientific papers is the typesetting system called LaTeX. Whether you are a student who has never tried LaTeX and proof writing or you just want to improve your skills, this Saturday’s workshop is for you. Even younger students will enjoy how easy it is to create very advanced mathematical expressions by mastering LaTeX.
The LaTeX typesetting system (pronounced “Lay-Tek” or “Lah-Tek”) is widely used to produce well-formatted mathematical and scientific writing. With LaTeX, it is very easy to produce expressions like
Nearly every serious student of math and science will use LaTeX frequently.
In the second hour of the Metroplex Math Circle we will have a special private screening and discussion of the documentary Hard Problems. If you have not seen it, Hard Problems recounts the selection and success of the US team at the 2006 International Mathematics Olympiad. In this excellent film you will see many friends of MMC including Dr. Zuming Feng.
With the holidays approaching many of you may be looking for gift ideas for young problem solvers. A good place to start is the excellent Bookstore run by The Art of Problem Solving.
Among the many excellent resources are two that have been featured on this site that might make particularly good gifts. The DVD Hard Problems tells the story of the 2006 IMO team. The profiles of the six team members and the story of how they qualified for and competed in the IMO should encourage any aspiring problem solver.
We have also mentioned an excellent new book by Dr. Titu Andreescu called Problems from the Book. This book has received excellent reviews and is one of the most searched items on the Metroplex Math Circle site.
If you have any other recommendations for appropriate gift ideas please feel free to post them to the comments.
Our very good friends at the Art of Problem Solving have worked very hard to develop a new online learning system called “Alcumus.” Alcumus is a game that students can play to compete against themselves, compare their progress on the leader’s board and identify gaps or weaknesses in their math preparation.
Alcumus features over 1100 different problem representing a wide variety of subjects. In addition, the Art of Problem Solving instructors have developed over 60 video tutorials to help students better understand the subjects they are likely to see on contests like AMC 8, AMC 10 and AMC 12.
Alcumus is currently free to members of the Art of Problem Solving community so login or create an account today.
Our friends at Art of Problem solving hosted a Math Jam interview with Matt McGann, Associate Director of Admissions and Kiran Kedlaya, Associate Professor of Mathematics at MIT. Here are a couple of highlights and a link to the full transcript:
Q: What is MIT’s admission rate?
A: Last year, if memory serves, we received 13,396 applications and admitted 1589 students, for an admission rate of about 11.9%. But remember, just the admission rate tells you very little about the admissions process or the quality of the school.
Q: Where are the math major students go and what do they do once they graduated from MIT?
A: Our math majors choose a variety of career paths. Some pursue PhDs in math and continue in academic careers; some do likewise in related subjects (physics, computer science). Finance is a popular option, as are various IT-oriented careers.
Q: What are some of the research opportunities available during the vacations?
A:MIT has an extensive Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), through which undergrads can get funding to do research projects with faculty either during vacations or academic terms. The burden is on the student to find a faculty mentor, but many faculty participate in the program. (I’ve advised maybe 10 students in this way.)
Q: What kinds of things make an undergraduate application “jump off the page” during the MIT admissions process? In other words, what makes someone’s application stand out from the rest of the applicants who are most likely very studious as well?
A: I know you’re very anxious to have this question answered! It’s a tough question, and one that doesn’t have an easy answer. Lots of things can make an application stand out. A 42 at the IMO would be great, but it can be many, many things. Some students stand out for their personality, or their extra-curricular accomplishments, or for overcoming a challenging situation. But all of these students must have strong academics and an alignment with MIT’s mission and culture. For more detailed thoughts on this, I’d read the blogs at our website, http://mitadmissions.org
Q: Not everyone gets to IMO. Are USAMO qualifiers also considered for admission?
Our good friends at the Art of Problem Solving are hosting a Math Jam this Thursday with representatives from MIT to discuss their math programs and what they are looking for in applicants. MIT has done a particularly good job in recent years of recruiting top math talent including friends of MMC like Ivan Borsenco.
Math Jams are a free online chat format sponsored by AOPS. You will want to go to the site a bit before the start to make sure your computer is set up properly. If you cannot make this time a full transcript of the event is generally available the next day.
Date: Oct 23 (Thu) Time: 7:30 PM Eastern Instructor: Matt McGann
Matt McGann, Associate Director of Admissions at MIT, and Kiran Kedlaya, Associate Professor of Mathematics, will discuss MIT and the admissions process.
The first Math Circle of the 2008-2009 season succeeded on multiple levels. In its third year, Metroplex Math Circle finally exceeded the capacity of its current (large) lecture hall with over 100 students, teachers and parents in attendance. We were pleased to see many friends return, but even more new faces who were discovering Math Circles for the first time.
Comparative Advantage
Richard Rusczyk’s talks also exceeded all expectations. His first lecture was on the concept of comparative advantage and the benefits of free trade which many adults fail to grasp. Like many lessons in Math Circle, Mr. Rusczyk allowed the students to discover the meaning of the concept by playing out a game between two imagined countries. “Games” and the importance of “play” would be stressed throughout the day.
Option Pricing
The second segment introduced the audience to the principles of market prices and call options. With the current turmoil on Wall Street, parents were just as interested in this topic as the students. Mr. Rusczyk presented the students with a problem that he would use when he was recruiting for D.E. Shaw. Only the best students from elite schools ever made it to this stage in the interview process and apparently all but a handful (accomplished problem solvers) ever answered the problem correctly.
Life After MATHCOUNTS
In his final lecture, Richard Rusczyk sent students, parents and teachers home with a great deal to consider. He spoke very frankly and persuasively about the short comings of the standard school curriculum. But rather than just criticize, he also laid out concrete ways that students, parents and teachers can all improve the situation.
We won’t attempt to summarize this excellent talk particularly since an early version of the slides can be accessed below. However, a couple of themes should be highlight. First was his emphasis on play and the importance of giving students the time and freedom to work on challenging problems. A second theme was the importance of building a math community for young problem solvers, and the central role that a Math Circle can play. Finally, Mr. Rusczyk endorsed what many of us have already discovered, that Dr. Titu Andreescu’s books and leadership have been critical to the Renaissance in global problem solving.
Richard Rusczyk has committed himself to fulfilling the principles in his presentation by founding the Art of Problem Solving. Please take the time to see his presentation and the other excellent resources he has collected and developed.
The day has finally arrived, the first lecture of the MMC 2008-2009 season! We are very pleased to have Richard Rusczyk join us from San Diego. Richard is the author of many books used by accomplished problem solvers for individual study or as the backbone of a classroom course. One example is his new book Introduction to Algebra.
Introduction to Algebra
Learn the basics of algebra from former USA Mathematical Olympiad winner and Art of Problem Solving founder Richard Rusczyk. Topics covered in the book include linear equations, ratios, quadratic equations, special factorizations, complex numbers, graphing linear and quadratic equations, linear and quadratic inequalities, functions, polynomials, exponents and logarithms, absolute value, sequences and series, and much more!
Our September 20th, 2008 speaker, Richard Rusczyk, is the author of several books designed to help teenage problem solvers. Introduction to Geometry is an excellent text that many of our Math Circle participants have used, often along with the Introduction to Geometry course at Art of Problem Solving.
Learn the fundamentals of geometry from former USA Mathematical Olympiad winner Richard Rusczyk. Topics covered in the book include similar triangles, congruent triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, funky areas, power of a point, three-dimensional geometry, transformations, and much more.
…the text is structured to inspire the reader to explore and develop new ideas. Each section starts with problems, so the student has a chance to solve them without help before proceeding. The text then includes solutions to these problems, through which geometric techniques are taught. Important facts and powerful problem solving approaches are highlighted throughout the text. In addition to the instructional material, the book contains over 900 problems. The solutions manual contains full solutions to all of the problems, not just answers.
If you have not already seen it the Hard Problems movie is terrific and features many friends of MMC. You can buy it from the Art of Problem Solving or we may arrange for a showing during the upcoming semester.
The math skills learned in our math circles have been helpful to students hoping to improve their scores on the AMC tests or the AIME. But to be successful in olympiads or to answer the questions from USAMTS or AOPS requires that students can also articulate their problem solving in the form of proofs.
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
