Corequisite: None
Math can be seriously fun! This seminar explores mathematical puzzles, games, and art forms that are used as a playground for creative thought. We will introduce common language but quickly encourage participants to find their niche and develop native strategies. We then put them to the test and iterate as we explore.
Corequisite: Algebra I
Instead of the number line , what if it was a number circle ? Repackaging numbers this way provides a new lens to explore the beautiful and mysterious properties numbers possess.
Corequisite: Geometry
The world is not flat, why does geometry only study planes? In this seminar we go off the beaten path and explore surfaces that are mostly flat. Some of the ideas will extend nicely, but more often there will be a need to explore and discuss situations before proposing analogous theorems and properties.
Corequisite: Algebra II
In this seminar we wrestle with infinity and its smaller protege: the infinitesimal. Building off of the foundation provided by repeating decimals, we explore the following analogy:
Terminating Decimals are to Polynomials
as
Rational Numbers are to ... what?
Corequisite: Analytical Trigonometry
Reviving the often ridiculed work of Ptolemy, we explore the brilliant mathematics behind the flawed science of his geocentric universe. The idea that other planets have circular orbits which themselves have circular orbits around earth is laughable today - but why did it work so well?
Prerequisite: Instructor Permission
Do you want to chart your own diverging path and need a mathematical guide? This seminar is structured as a research seminar, with each participant exploring their own passions. Weekly meetings are used to share stories from the week as well as to give and receive inspiration for continued exploration.