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=Weekly Meeting=
[[Image:logo.png|right|440px]]
We have a weekly meeting, <b>Monday at 6pm in 120 Ingraham Hall</b>, during the school year.  <b>New students are welcome at any point! </b> There is no required registration, no fee, and the talks are independent of one another, so you can just show up any week.  See below for directions. 
 
If you are a student, we hope you will tell other interested students about these talks, and speak with your parents or with your teacher about organizing a car pool to the UW campus. If you are a parent or a teacher, we hope you'll tell your students about these talks and organize a car pool to the UW (all talks take place in [http://goo.gl/maps/6k5IA Ingraham Hall] room 120, on the UW-Madison campus).


For the site in Spanish, visit [[Math Circle de Madison]]
=What is a Math Circle?=
=What is a Math Circle?=
The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department.  Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption.  In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion.  The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.
The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department.  Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption.  In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion.  The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.
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[[Image: MathCircle_2.jpg|500px]]  
[[Image: MathCircle_2.jpg|500px]] [[Image: MathCircle_4.jpg|500px]]  
 
[[Image: MathCircle_4.jpg|500px]]  




After each talk we'll have pizza provided by the Mathematics Department, and students will have an opportunity to mingle and chat with the speaker and with other participants, to ask questions about some of the topics that have been discussed, and also about college, careers in science, etc.
After each talk we'll have pizza provided by the Mathematics Department, and students will have an opportunity to mingle and chat with the speaker and with other participants, to ask questions about some of the topics that have been discussed, and also about college, careers in science, etc.


'''The Madison Math circle was featured in Wisconsin State Journal:''' http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/school-spotlight-madison-math-circle-gives-young-students-a-taste/article_77f5c042-0b3d-11e1-ba5f-001cc4c03286.html
'''The Madison Math circle was featured in Wisconsin State Journal:''' [http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/school-spotlight-madison-math-circle-gives-young-students-a-taste/article_77f5c042-0b3d-11e1-ba5f-001cc4c03286.html check it out]!


=All right, I want to come!=
=All right, I want to come!=
We have a weekly meeting, <b>Monday at 6pm in 3255 Helen C White Library</b>, during the school year.  <b>New students are welcome at any point! </b> There is no fee and the talks are independent of one another, so you can just show up any week, but we ask all participants to take a moment to register by following the link below:
[https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eD09FBmDhEbWcYZ '''Math Circle Registration Form''']
All of your information is kept private, and is only used by the Madison Math Circle organizer to help run the Circle.
If you are a student, we hope you will tell other interested students about these talks, and speak with your parents or with your teacher about organizing a car pool to the UW campus. If you are a parent or a teacher, we hope you'll tell your students about these talks and organize a car pool to the UW (all talks take place in 3255 Helen C White Library, on the UW-Madison campus, right next to the Memorial Union).
==Directions and parking==
==Directions and parking==
Meetings are held in 120 Ingraham Hall.
Our meetings are held on the 3rd floor of Helen C. White Hall in room 3255.


<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">
<div class="center" style="width:auto; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;">
[[File: Ingraham_Map.jpg|400px]]</div>
[[File: Helencwhitemap.png|400px]]</div>


'''Parking.''' Parking on campus is rather limited.  Here is as list of some options:
'''Parking.''' Parking on campus is rather limited.  Here is as list of some options:


*Directly in front of Ingraham hall, 2 metered spots (25 minute max) in [http://goo.gl/maps/HhFUm Lot 11 off of Observatory Drive].
*There is a parking garage in the basement of Helen C. White, with an hourly rate. Enter from Park Street.
*A 0.2 mile walk to Ingraham Hall via [http://goo.gl/maps/3IFaw these directions], many spots ('''free starting 4:30pm''') [http://goo.gl/maps/Gkx1C in Lot 26 along Observatory Drive].
*A 0.5 mile walk to Helen C. White Hall via [http://goo.gl/cxTzJY these directions], many spots ('''free starting 4:30pm''') [http://goo.gl/maps/Gkx1C in Lot 26 along Observatory Drive].
*A 0.3 mile walk to Ingraham Hall via [http://goo.gl/maps/yFwNr these directions], many spots ('''free starting 4:30pm''') [http://goo.gl/maps/vs17X in Lot 34].   
*A 0.3 mile walk to Helen C. White Hall via [http://goo.gl/yMJIRd these directions], many spots ('''free starting 4:30pm''') [http://goo.gl/maps/vs17X in Lot 34].   
*A 0.2 mile walk to Ingraham Hall via [http://goo.gl/maps/9NNNm these directions], 2 metered spots (25 minute max) [http://goo.gl/maps/ukTcu in front of Lathrop Hall].
*A 0.3 mile walk to Helen C. White Hall via [http://goo.gl/yMJIRd these directions], 2 metered spots (25 minute max) [http://goo.gl/maps/ukTcu in front of Lathrop Hall].
*A 0.3 mile walk to Ingraham Hall via [http://goo.gl/maps/P156B these directions] 6 metered spots (25 minute max) around [http://goo.gl/maps/6EAnc the loop in front of Chadbourne Hall] .
*A 0.2 mile walk to Helen C. White Hall via [http://goo.gl/b8pdk2 these directions] 6 metered spots (25 minute max) around [http://goo.gl/maps/6EAnc the loop in front of Chadbourne Hall] .
*For more information, see the [http://transportation.wisc.edu/parking/parking.aspx UW-Madison Parking Info website].
*For more information, see the [http://transportation.wisc.edu/parking/parking.aspx UW-Madison Parking Info website].


==Email list==
==Email list==
Sign up for our email list: https://lists.math.wisc.edu/listinfo/math-circle
The best way to keep up to date with the what is going is by signing up for our email list.  Send an empty email to join-mathcircle@lists.wisc.edu


==Contact the organizers==
==Contact the organizers==
If you have any questions, suggestions for topics, or so on, just email the '''organizers''' (Carolyn Abbott, Gheorghe Craciun, Daniel Erman, Lalit Jain, Ryan Julian, and Philip Matchett Wood): [mailto:math-circle-organizers@math.wisc.edu math-circle-organizers@math.wisc.edu]. We are always interested in feedback!
The Madison Math Circle is organized by a group of professors and graduate students from the [http://www.math.wisc.edu Department of Mathematics] at the UW-Madison. If you have any questions, suggestions for topics, or so on, just email the '''organizers''' [mailto:mathcircleorganizers@lists.wisc.edu here]. We are always interested in feedback!
<center>
<gallery widths=480px heights=240px mode="packed">
File:de.jpg|[https://www.math.wisc.edu/~derman/ Prof. Daniel Erman]
File:Betsy.jpg|[http://www.math.wisc.edu/~stovall/ Prof. Betsy Stovall]
</gallery>
 
<gallery widths=500px heights=250px mode="packed">
File:juliettebruce.jpg|[http://www.math.wisc.edu/~juliettebruce/ Juliette Bruce]
File:Ee.jpg|[http://www.math.wisc.edu/~evaelduque/ Eva Elduque]
File:mrjulian.jpg|[http://www.math.wisc.edu/~mrjulian/ Ryan Julian]
File:soumyasankar.jpg|[http://www.math.wisc.edu/~soumyasankar Soumya Sankar]
</gallery>
</center>


==Report on Math Circle in 2013-14==
==Donations==
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/Math_Circle_Newsletter.pdf Annual Report]
Please consider donating to the Madison Math Circle. As noted in our [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/Math_Circle_Newsletter.pdf annual report], our main costs consist of pizza and occasional supplies for the speakers.  So far our costs have been covered by donations from the UW Mathematics Department as well as a generous gifts from a private donor. But our costs are rising, primarily because this year we expect to hold more meetings than in any previous year. In fact, this year, we expect to spend at least $2500 on pizza and supplies alone.


==Flyer==
So please consider donating to support your math circleThe easiest way to donate is to go to the link:
Please feel free to distribute our flyer!   
 
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/Flyer_MMSD.pdf Flyer]
[http://www.math.wisc.edu/donate Online Donation Link]
 
There are instructions on that page for donating to the Math Department.  <b> Be sure and add a Gift Note saying that the donation is intended for the "Madison Math Circle"!</b>  The money goes into the Mathematics Department Annual Fund and is routed through the University of Wisconsin Foundation, which is convenient for record-keeping, etc.
 
Alternately, you can bring a check to one of the Math Circle Meetings.  If you write a check, be sure to make it payable to the "WFAA" and add the note "Math Circle Donation" on the check. 
 
Or you can just pay in cash, and we'll give you a receipt.


==Help us grow!==
==Help us grow!==
If you like Math Circle, please help us continue to grow!  Students, parents, and teachers can help by:
If you like Math Circle, please help us continue to grow!  Students, parents, and teachers can help by:
*Posting our flyer at schools or anywhere that might have interested students
*Posting our [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/MMC_Flyer_2016.pdf '''flyer'''] at schools or anywhere that might have interested students
*Discussing the Math Circle with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others
*Discussing the Math Circle with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others
*Making an announcement about Math Circle at PTO meetings
*Making an announcement about Math Circle at PTO meetings
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Contact the organizers if you have questions or your own ideas about how to help out.
Contact the organizers if you have questions or your own ideas about how to help out.


=Meetings for Fall 2014 and Spring 2015=
=Meetings for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018=


<center>
<center>


All talks are at '''6pm in [http://goo.gl/maps/6k5IA Ingraham Hall] room 120''', unless otherwise noted.
Unless specified talks start at '''6pm in room 3255 of Helen C. White Library''', unless otherwise noted.


{| style="color:black; font-size:120%" border="1" cellpadding="14" cellspacing="0"
{| style="color:black; font-size:120%" border="1" cellpadding="14" cellspacing="0"
|-
|-
! colspan="4" style="background: #ffdead;" align="center" | Fall 2014
! colspan="3" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Fall 2017
|-
! Date and RSVP links!! Speaker !! Topic !! Link for more info
|-
|-
| September 8, 2014 || Philip Matchett Wood || [[#Philip Matchett Wood | Pictures and Puzzles]] ||
! Date !! Speaker !! Topic
|-
|-
| September 15, 2014 || Jen Beichman || [[#TBA | Playing with geometric sums]] ||
| September 18, 2017 || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~derman/ Daniel Erman] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#September_18_2017 Welcome to the Madison Math Circle!]  
|-
|-
| September 22, 2014 || DJ Bruce || [[#TBA | Is any knot the unknot?]] ||
| September 25, 2017 || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~stovall/ Betsy Stovall] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#September_25_2017  Math is a game! ]  
|-
|-
| September 29, 2014 || Uri Andrews || [[#TBA | The games of Criss Cross and Brussels Sprouts]] ||
| October 2, 2017 || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/~rdavis/ Rachel Davis] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_2_2017 Thinking outside the box]  
|-
|-
| October 6, 2014 || David Sondak || [[#David Sondak | Fluids, Math, and Oobleck!]] ||
| October 9, 2017 || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~sparenti/ Solly Parenti] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_9_2017 Hackenbush]  
|-
|-
| October 13, 2014 || George Craciun || [[#George Craciun | Proofs without words (but with plenty of pictures)]] ||
| October 16, 2017 || Mihaela Ifrim || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_16_2017 Escape of the Clones! ]  
|-
|-
| October 20, 2014 || Scott Hottovy || [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| October 23, 2017 || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/~mrjulian/ Ryan Julian] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_23_2017 Recursion for Fun and Profit]
|-
|-
| October 27, 2014 || Daniel Hast || [[#Hast | Clock arithmetic and perfect squares: a "Golden Theorem" of reciprocity]] ||
| October 30, 2017 || [https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/jwg John Wiltshire-Gordon] || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_30_2017 Euler Characteristic ]  
|-
|-
| November 3, 2014 || Alisha Zachariah || [[#TBA | Infinity]] ||
| November 6, 2017 || [https://sites.google.com/site/uwwanlin/ Wanlin Li]  || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_6_2017 How to Outsmart a State Test? ]  
|-
|-
| November 10, 2014 || Marko Budisic || [[#Marko Budisic | Mathematics of epidemics ]] ||
| November 13, 2017 || Jean-Luc Thiffeault || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_13_2017 Goldbug Variations ]
|-
|-
| November 17, 2014 || Nigel Boston || [[#Nigel Boston | Same bad channel]] ||
| November 20, 2017 || Ethan Beihl  || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_20_2017 Boomerang Sequences ]  
|-
|-
| <strike>November 24, 2014</strike> || <strike>Daniel Erman</strike> || [[#TBA | <strike>How to catch a (data) thief </strike> Cancelled or weather]] ||
! colspan="3" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Spring 2018
|-
|-
| December 1, 2014 || Daniel Erman || [[#TBA | How to catch a (data) thief]] ||
! Date !! Speaker !! Topic
|-
|-
! colspan="4" style="background: #ffdead;" align="center" | Spring 2015
|January 29, 2018 || Brandon Boggess || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#January_29_2018 ]
|-
|-
| <strike>January 26, 2015 </strike> || TBA || [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| February 5, 2018  || Ben Wright  || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#February_5_2018  ]  
|-
|-
| February 2, 2015 || Soledad Benguria || [[#TBA | Exploring Palindromes]] ||
| February 12, 2018 || || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#February_12_2018  ]  
|-
|-
| February 9, 2015 || Jeff Linderoth|| [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| February 19, 2018 || || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#February_19_2018 ]  
|-
|-
| February 16, 2015 || Simon Marshall || [[#Simon Marshall | The Ant Walk]] ||
| February 26, 2018 || || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#February_26_2018 ]  
|-
|-
| February 23, 2015 || Uri Andrews || [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| March 5, 2018 || Kit Newton || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#March_5_2018 ]  
|-
|-
| March 2, 2015 || Jordan Ellenberg|| [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| March 12, 2018 ||   || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#March_12_2018 ]  
|-
|-
| March 9, 2015 || Ali Gordon || [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| March 19, 2018 || No Meeting - (Spring Break) ||  
|-
|-
| March 23, 2015 || Betsy Stovall|| [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| March 26, 2018 || No Meeting - (Spring Break) ||  
|-
|-
| March 30, 2015 || No meeting|| [[#TBA | UW Spring Break]] ||
| April 2, 2018 || || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#April_2_2018 ]  
|-
|-
| April 6, 2015 || Julie Mitchell || [[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
| April 9, 2018 || || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#April_9_2018 ]  
|-
| April 13, 2015 || Jessica Lin ||[[#TBA | Coming soon!]] ||
|-
|-
|}
|}
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</center>
</center>


== Abstracts ==
=Off-Site Meetings=


===Philip Matchett Wood===
We will hold some Math Circle meetings at local high schools on early release days.  Our schedule for 2017-2018 has not yet been determined.  If you are interesting in having us come to your high school, please contact us!
''Pictures and Puzzles''


When does a simple picture solve a tricky puzzle?  Come and learn about how line-and-dot drawing can solve complex puzzles, and create some new puzzles besides!
<center>


===DJ Bruce===
{| style="color:black; font-size:120%" border="1" cellpadding="14" cellspacing="0"
''Is any knot the unknot?
|-
! colspan="5" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Fall 2017
|-
|-
! Date !! Time !! Location !! Speaker !! Topic
|-
| October 2nd || 2:45pm|| East High School - Madison, WI || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~moises/ Moisés Herradón]  || [https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#October_2_2017_.28East_High_School.29 How to make it as a Hackenbush player in the planet Zubenelgenubi 4]
|-
| November 2nd || 9:30am || Wisconsin Institute for Discovery - Madison, WI || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~rzachariah/ Alisha Zachariah]  ||
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_2_2017_.28WID.29_-_1 Fractals, Fractions and Fibonnaci.]
|-
| November 2nd (Canceled) || 11:00am || Wisconsin Institute for Discovery - Madison, WI || [http://zachcharles.wordpress.com Zach Charles]  ||
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_2_2017_.28WID.29_-_2 1+1 = 10 or "How does my computer do anything?"]
|-
| November 2nd || 6:00pm ||  Whitewater High School - Whitewater, WI || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~juliettebruce Juliette Bruce]  || 
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_2_2017_.28Whitewater.29 Doodling Daydreams]
|-
| November 3rd || 10:30am || KM Global - Wales, WI || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~stovall/ Betsy Stovall] ||
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_3_2017_.28KM_Global.29 Recent discoveries in mathematics]
|-
| November 27th || 2:45pm|| JMM High School - Madison, WI || [http://www.math.wisc.edu/~juliettebruce Juliette Bruce]  ||
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#November_27_2017_.28JMM_High_School.29 Is any knot not the unknot?]
|-
| December 11th || 2:45pm|| East High School - Madison, WI || [https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/jwg John Wiltshire-Gordon]  ||
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts#December_11_2017_.28East_High_School.29 What if seven is zero?]
|-


Abstract: You're walking home from school, and you pull out your head phones to listen to some tunes. However, inevitably they are a horribly tangled mess, but are they really a knot? We'll talk about what exactly is a knot, and how we can tell when something is not the unknot.
! colspan="5" style="background: #e8b2b2;" align="center" | Spring 2018
|-
|-
! Date !! Time !! Location !! Speaker !! Topic
|-
| Date TBD || Location TBD || Speaker TBD || Topic TBD  ||
|-
|}
</center>


===David Sondak===
=Useful Resources=
''Fluids, Math and Oobleck!''
==Annual Reports==
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/images/Math_Circle_Newsletter.pdf  2013-2014 Annual Report]


We will explore the magical world of fluids and their relationship to mathematics.  As an example of fluids and math in the real world, we will make the living fluid oobleck and discuss some of its mathematical properties.
== Archived Abstracts ==


=== George Craciun===
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_2016-2017 2016 - 2017 Math Circle Page]
''Proofs without words (but with plenty of pictures)''


We will discuss mathematical proofs that can be done using only pictures or figures. If you want to see many such examples you can check out the book "Proofs without Words: Exercises in Visual Thinking" by  Roger B. Nelsen. For more information also look at the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_without_words , where you can find links to Java Applets that show animations of proofs without words, such as http://usamts.org/Gallery/G_Gallery.php .
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2016-2017 2016 - 2017 Abstracts]


[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_2015-2016 2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page]


=== Daniel Hast===
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Math_Circle_de_Madison_2015-2016 2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page (Spanish)]
''Clock arithmetic and perfect squares: a "Golden Theorem" of reciprocity''


We'll explore systems of arithmetic where numbers loop back around to zero (like the hours on a clock!), called "modular arithmetic". Which numbers are perfect squares in such systems? Gauss, one of the greatest mathematicians in history, called the remarkable answer the "golden theorem".
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Madison_Math_Circle_Abstracts_2015-2016 2015 - 2015 Abstracts]


=== Alisha Zachariah===
[[Archived Math Circle Material]]
''What is infinity anyway''
 
Infinity has a long history of having confounded and fascinated thinkers. We will take a look at some fundamental problems that early mathematicians grappled with and see some ways to understand infinity that have contributed to how we do math today.
 
===Marko Budisic===
''Mathematics of epidemics''


Infectious diseases in our communities often make it into daily conversation: "There's a nasty cold going around.", "It's the flu season, get your shots.", and even, "There are news of a zombie outbreak!" Come hear how math gets applied to something as messy as spread of disease. We will use our wits, pencils, and computers to understand the progress of headaches, common cold, zombie outbreaks, and even ebola, a disease that is currently making the news.
==Link for presenters (in progress)==
[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Math_Circle_Presentations  Advice For Math Circle Presenters]


===Nigel Boston===
[http://www.mathcircles.org/content/lesson-plans Sample Lesson Plans]
''Same bad channel''
 
How do we get such clear photos of the comet in the news?
A 20 watt transmitter sends signals 500 million km through space to
us and yet amazingly they survive this ordeal error-free. What's
behind this is error-correcting codes. I'll give some of the basics,
some related puzzles, and some challenges.
 
===Soledad Benguria===
''Exploring Palindromes''
 
A Palindrome is a word or a number that reads the same forward and backwards. For example, Hannah, radar and civic are palindromic words, and 34743, 6446 are palindromic numbers. We will explore some curious properties of palindromes, and talk about what makes the number 196 special.
 
===Simon Marshall===
''The Ant Walk''
 
An ant is walking on a grid in the plane, but it can only move north or east.  How many ways are there for it to get from one square to another?  The numbers that appear when we answer this question have a wealth of interesting properties.
 
==[[Archived Math Circle Material]]==
[[Archived Math Circle Material]]


=Link for presenters (in progress)=
[http://www.mathcircles.org/content/circle-box "Circle in a Box"]
[[https://www.math.wisc.edu/wiki/index.php/Math_Circle_Presentations]]

Revision as of 20:46, 22 January 2018

Logo.png

For the site in Spanish, visit Math Circle de Madison

What is a Math Circle?

The Madison Math Circle is a weekly series of mathematically based activities aimed at interested middle school and high school students. It is an outreach program organized by the UW Math Department. Our goal is to provide a taste of exciting ideas in math and science. In the past we've had talks about plasma and weather in outer space, video game graphics, and encryption. In the sessions, students (and parents) are often asked to explore problems on their own, with the presenter facilitating a discussion. The talks are independent of one another, so new students are welcome at any point.

The level of the audience varies quite widely, including a mix of middle school and high school students, and the speakers generally address this by considering subjects that will be interesting for a wide range of students.


MathCircle 2.jpg MathCircle 4.jpg


After each talk we'll have pizza provided by the Mathematics Department, and students will have an opportunity to mingle and chat with the speaker and with other participants, to ask questions about some of the topics that have been discussed, and also about college, careers in science, etc.

The Madison Math circle was featured in Wisconsin State Journal: check it out!

All right, I want to come!

We have a weekly meeting, Monday at 6pm in 3255 Helen C White Library, during the school year. New students are welcome at any point! There is no fee and the talks are independent of one another, so you can just show up any week, but we ask all participants to take a moment to register by following the link below:

Math Circle Registration Form

All of your information is kept private, and is only used by the Madison Math Circle organizer to help run the Circle.

If you are a student, we hope you will tell other interested students about these talks, and speak with your parents or with your teacher about organizing a car pool to the UW campus. If you are a parent or a teacher, we hope you'll tell your students about these talks and organize a car pool to the UW (all talks take place in 3255 Helen C White Library, on the UW-Madison campus, right next to the Memorial Union).


Directions and parking

Our meetings are held on the 3rd floor of Helen C. White Hall in room 3255.

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Parking. Parking on campus is rather limited. Here is as list of some options:

Email list

The best way to keep up to date with the what is going is by signing up for our email list. Send an empty email to join-mathcircle@lists.wisc.edu

Contact the organizers

The Madison Math Circle is organized by a group of professors and graduate students from the Department of Mathematics at the UW-Madison. If you have any questions, suggestions for topics, or so on, just email the organizers here. We are always interested in feedback!

Donations

Please consider donating to the Madison Math Circle. As noted in our annual report, our main costs consist of pizza and occasional supplies for the speakers. So far our costs have been covered by donations from the UW Mathematics Department as well as a generous gifts from a private donor. But our costs are rising, primarily because this year we expect to hold more meetings than in any previous year. In fact, this year, we expect to spend at least $2500 on pizza and supplies alone.

So please consider donating to support your math circle! The easiest way to donate is to go to the link:

Online Donation Link

There are instructions on that page for donating to the Math Department. Be sure and add a Gift Note saying that the donation is intended for the "Madison Math Circle"! The money goes into the Mathematics Department Annual Fund and is routed through the University of Wisconsin Foundation, which is convenient for record-keeping, etc.

Alternately, you can bring a check to one of the Math Circle Meetings. If you write a check, be sure to make it payable to the "WFAA" and add the note "Math Circle Donation" on the check.

Or you can just pay in cash, and we'll give you a receipt.

Help us grow!

If you like Math Circle, please help us continue to grow! Students, parents, and teachers can help by:

  • Posting our flyer at schools or anywhere that might have interested students
  • Discussing the Math Circle with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and others
  • Making an announcement about Math Circle at PTO meetings
  • Donating to Math Circle

Contact the organizers if you have questions or your own ideas about how to help out.

Meetings for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018

Unless specified talks start at 6pm in room 3255 of Helen C. White Library, unless otherwise noted.

Fall 2017
Date Speaker Topic
September 18, 2017 Daniel Erman Welcome to the Madison Math Circle!
September 25, 2017 Betsy Stovall Math is a game!
October 2, 2017 Rachel Davis Thinking outside the box
October 9, 2017 Solly Parenti Hackenbush
October 16, 2017 Mihaela Ifrim Escape of the Clones!
October 23, 2017 Ryan Julian Recursion for Fun and Profit
October 30, 2017 John Wiltshire-Gordon Euler Characteristic
November 6, 2017 Wanlin Li How to Outsmart a State Test?
November 13, 2017 Jean-Luc Thiffeault Goldbug Variations
November 20, 2017 Ethan Beihl Boomerang Sequences
Spring 2018
Date Speaker Topic
January 29, 2018 Brandon Boggess [1]
February 5, 2018 Ben Wright [2]
February 12, 2018 [3]
February 19, 2018 [4]
February 26, 2018 [5]
March 5, 2018 Kit Newton [6]
March 12, 2018 [7]
March 19, 2018 No Meeting - (Spring Break)
March 26, 2018 No Meeting - (Spring Break)
April 2, 2018 [8]
April 9, 2018 [9]

Off-Site Meetings

We will hold some Math Circle meetings at local high schools on early release days. Our schedule for 2017-2018 has not yet been determined. If you are interesting in having us come to your high school, please contact us!

Fall 2017
Date Time Location Speaker Topic
October 2nd 2:45pm East High School - Madison, WI Moisés Herradón How to make it as a Hackenbush player in the planet Zubenelgenubi 4
November 2nd 9:30am Wisconsin Institute for Discovery - Madison, WI Alisha Zachariah

Fractals, Fractions and Fibonnaci.

November 2nd (Canceled) 11:00am Wisconsin Institute for Discovery - Madison, WI Zach Charles

1+1 = 10 or "How does my computer do anything?"

November 2nd 6:00pm Whitewater High School - Whitewater, WI Juliette Bruce

Doodling Daydreams

November 3rd 10:30am KM Global - Wales, WI Betsy Stovall

Recent discoveries in mathematics

November 27th 2:45pm JMM High School - Madison, WI Juliette Bruce

Is any knot not the unknot?

December 11th 2:45pm East High School - Madison, WI John Wiltshire-Gordon

What if seven is zero?

Spring 2018
Date Time Location Speaker Topic
Date TBD Location TBD Speaker TBD Topic TBD

Useful Resources

Annual Reports

2013-2014 Annual Report

Archived Abstracts

2016 - 2017 Math Circle Page

2016 - 2017 Abstracts

2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page

2015 - 2016 Math Circle Page (Spanish)

2015 - 2015 Abstracts

Archived Math Circle Material

Link for presenters (in progress)

Advice For Math Circle Presenters

Sample Lesson Plans

"Circle in a Box"