Math Circle Launched to Excite Young Students About Subject

What/Who:      
A new program to excite and motivate middle school and freshmen high school students about learning and excelling at math is being launched at Cal State Fullerton. The Mathematical Circle program offers four, free Saturday sessions — beginning Sept. 24 — taught by Bogdan Suceavă, associate professor of mathematics, to more than 25 students in grades 7-9 from Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles area schools.

When:      
10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 22 and Nov. 5

Where:      
McCarthy Hall, Room 476
Cal State Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, 92831

Sept. 24 Program:
10 a.m. — “A Smooth Introduction to Inequalities”
10:50 a.m. — “A Brief Presentation of ABACUS and Gazeta Mathematica and How They Could Be Useful Today in California”
11:10 a.m. — “Quadratic Equations and Viete’s Formula” presented by Mihaela Vajiac of Chapman University

Background:     
Mathematical Circles are not usual lectures, but meetings where young mathematicians discuss themes related to problems assigned in USA Mathematical Olympiads, American Mathematical and other competitions for gifted students, explained Suceavă, adding that the mathematical content of every meeting is self-contained and independent of the other sessions. In particular, the Fullerton Mathematical Circle will discuss problems assigned in the New York-based Abacus Competition, which incorporates the tradition of the Hungarian School of Mathematics.

Problem-Solvers:     
“We will cover problems assigned in Olympiads all over the world and that are compatible with the current California curriculum,” Suceavă said. Participating students in 7th, 8th and 9th grades will be encouraged to solve and submit to editors their solutions to problems assigned in Gazeta Matematica, a monthly journal, established in 1895, that incorporates the educational experience from the Romanian School of Mathematics. Suceavă plans to continue the program in the spring.

Scott Annin, professor of mathematics, and graduate student Carol Kempiak, who is pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics, also are involved in the Fullerton Mathematical Circle.

More Info:      
http://math.fullerton.edu/framesets/events_set.htm

Media Contacts:     
Bogdan Suceavă, Mathematics, 657-278-7535 or bsuceava@fullerton.edu

Debra Cano Ramos, Public Affairs, 657-278-4027; 657-278-2414 or dcanoramos@fullerton.edu