Videos from the Circle in a Box

MSRI and the Akamai Foundation have built a web site to support all math circles.  The National Association of Math Circles provides links to programs across the country as well has suggestions for starting math circles where they do not yet exist.

The site continues to be updated and I recently noticed a page of videos that you may find interesting.

http://www.mathcircles.org/node/77

You may need to register in order to gain access to the videos.  In addition to videos hosted by NAMC they also pointed to this YouTube video featuring Paul Zeitz and Tatiana Shubin encouraging math teachers to develop circles of their own.

September 19 – Dr. Andreescu – “Back to Math”

Metroplex Math Circle will begin its 2009-2010 season with a lecture by its director, Dr. Titu Andreescu.  For those who are new to MMC this is a good opportunity to recall the world class qualifications that Dr. Andreescu brings to our math circle community.

Titu Andreescu received his Ph.D. from the West University of Timisoara, Romania. The topic of his dissertation was “Research on Diophantine Analysis and Applications.” Professor Andreescu currently teaches at The University of Texas at Dallas. He is past chairman of the USA Mathematical Olympiad, served as director of the MAA American Mathematics Competitions (1998–2003), coach of the USA International Mathematical Olympiad Team (IMO) for 10 years (1993–2002), director of the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program (1995–2002), and leader of the USA IMO Team (1995–2002). In 2002 Titu was elected member of the IMO Advisory Board, the governing body of the world’s most prestigious mathematics competition. Titu co-founded in 2006 and continues as director of the AwesomeMath Summer Program (AMSP). He received the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching from the MAA in 1994 and a “Certificate of Appreciation” from the president of the MAA in 1995 for his outstanding service as coach of the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program in preparing the US team for its perfect performance in Hong Kong at the 1994 IMO. Titu’s contributions to numerous textbooks and problem books are recognized worldwide. Related articles on this site.

AMS Article: Math Circles and Olympiads

Wenhua Ma brought an interesting article to our attention from the Notices of the AMS:

Math Circles and Olympiads, MSRI Asks:  Is the U.S. Coming of Age?

The Math Circle Experience

Extracurricular circles in a variety of subjects began in Hungary in the 1800s, all with the goal of providing young students opportunities to pursue personal interests to the fullest. Today they are considered a standard part of the Eastern-Europeanstudent experience, and participation in them is regarded as just as natural as participation in sports activities is viewed in the U.S. Although there is no set protocol to a math circle experience, all circles have the same goal of sharing the intellectual appeal and beauty of mathematics with as large an audience as possible. They engage faculty from both secondary and post-secondary institutions in their operation and successfully welcome students of all backgrounds to the mathematical experience.

Circles now exist in many countries, including the U.S. (see also [1], for instance), and follow multiple styles and approaches. Given the success of the Eastern European model it is natural to ask then whether some version(s) of the math circle experience could be incorporated into the U.S. cultural norm. Could even more be accomplished?