The purpose of Mathematical Circles is to identify and cultivate mathematical talent at an early age, by working through challenging problems under the direction of academic research mathematicians Historically, Math circles led eventually to the start of many national and international math contests, culminating in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), initiated in Romania in 1959.

This conference will bring together organizers of Math Circles, Competitions and Camps throughout the country in order to exchange ideas, present their activities to people interested in starting a circle and to establish a communications network providing resources and materials for Circles and Competitions. The organizers of several existing Math Circles will attend as well as people involved in competitions, academics in mathematics education as well as mathematical educators will be invited to add their perspectives on the effect of circles on the larger educational enterprise. The program will include workshops on math circles and training and prep camps, exposition of available materials, special sessions of the Berkeley and Boston Math Circles and a session on classroom adaptation directed toward teachers.

Among those invited to this conference are Mira Bernstein, Tom Davis, Mary Fay-Zenk, Zuming Feng, Dmitri Fomin, John Howe, Ellen Kaplan, Robert Kaplan, Harvey Keynes, Tom Leighton, Bob Megginson, Steve Olson, Tom Rike, Richard Rusczyk, Alexander Soifer, Jim Tanton, Abigail Thompson, Ravi Vakil, Josh Zucker.

We also have invited many recent olympiad competitors, their coaches and teachers. Interested teachers are especially urged to apply to attend this conference.

If you would like to submit a poster for the Poster Session, please so inform workshops@msri.org.

SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS

Thursday, December 16 at MSRI, 2850 Telegraph Avenue

8:30-9:00 Morning Tea (Sixth Floor)

9:00-10:00 Session 1, Chair: Hugo Rossi
MATH CIRCLES AND OLYMPIADS; HISTORICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND STRUCTURAL
Dmitri Fomin, Bob Megginson , Steve Olson, Mark Saul, Alexander Soifer

10:15-11:00 Session 2, Chair: Zvezdelina Stankova
DISCOVERING AND DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL TALENT, PART I
Wade Ellis, Bob Megginson, Tim Sanders

11:10-12:00 Session 3, Chair: Bob Megginson
STUDY OF EXCEPTIONAL TALENT
Carol Blackburn, Steve Olson, Jim Tanton

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00- 2:30 Session 4A, Chair: Tatiana Shubin
THE BOSTON MATH CIRCLE
Ellen Kaplan, Bob Kaplan

2:45- 3:45 Session 5, Chair: Paul Zeitz
DISCUSSION OF VARIOUS APPROACHES AND POSSIBLE ADAPTATIONS
Harvey Keynes, Joe Gallian, Walter Mientka

3:45-4:00 Afternoon Tea (Sixth Floor)

4:00- 5:30 Session 4B, Chair: Tatiana Shubin
THE BERKELEY MATH CIRCLE
Zvezdelina Stankova


Friday, December 17 at MSRI, 2850 Telegraph Avenue

8:30-9:00 Morning Tea (Sixth Floor)

9:00- 10:30 Session 6, Chair: Steve Olson
EXPERIENCES AS A MATH OLYMPIC COMPETITOR
Igor Ganichev, Fu Liu, Maksim Maydanskiy, Melanie Wood, Inna Zakharevich


10:45-11:45 Session 7, Chair: Hugo Rossi
DISCOVERING AND DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL TALENT, PART 2
Helmer Aslaksen, George Berzsenyi, John Howe, David Scott, Sam Vandervelde

11:45-1:15 Lunch

1:15- 2:45 Session 8, Chair: Tatiana Shubin
MATH CIRCLE MATERIALS AND PREPARATION:
(1) Salt Lake City MC, Peter Trapa
(2) San Diego MC, Richard Rusczyk
(3) San Jose MC and BAMA, Tom Davis
(4) South Alabama MC, Natalya Prokhorova

2:45-3:15 Afternoon Tea (Sixth Floor)

3:15-4:45 Session 9, Chair: Zvezdelina Stankova
PANEL DISCUSSION OF MATH COMPETITIONS: PROBLEMS, GOOD AND BAD
Kiran Kedlaya, Richard Rusczyk, Alexander Soifer, Ravi Vakil, Paul Zeitz, Josh Zucker

5:00-7:00 Poster Session


Saturday, December 18 at MSRI, 2850 Telegraph Avenue

8:30-9:00 Morning Tea (Sixth Floor)

9:00 – 11:30 Session 10, Chair: Titu Andreescu
OLYMPIAD TRAINING AND MATH CAMPS
(1) COSMOS, Abigail Thompson
(2) Canada/USA Mathcamp, Mira Bernstein
(3) SUMaC, Rick Sommer
(4) Ross Mathematics Program and ProMYS, Tom Roby
(5) MOSP, Zuming Feng

11:30-1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 Session 11, Chair: John Howe
PANEL DISCUSSION OF THE IMPACT OF MATH CIRCLES AND CAMPS ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION
Mary Fay-Zenk, Tom Rike, Jim Tanton, Josh Zucker

2:30-3:00 Afternoon Tea (Sixth Floor)

3:00 – 4:00 Session 12, Chair: Bob Megginson
DISCUSSION OF THE NETWORK OF MATH CIRCLES (INCLUDING A PARENTS’ ADVISORY GROUP)

Funding

Important