Welcome to the TAMU Math Circle!

The Texas A&M Math Circle is an outreach activity that brings 5th - 12th grade students into direct contact with mathematical professionals in an informal setting to work on fun and interesting topics in mathematics. The goal is to help students become passionate about math.  Our instructors range from professors and graduate students at Texas A&M to experts from industry, all of whom are eager to share with students their passion for mathematics and its applications.

This year's meetings:

For the Spring 2024 semester, we will have Saturday meetings on 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 3/2, 3/23, 4/6, 4/20, 4/27,  and 5/4.

February 24 is the Mathematics & Statistics Fair. March 9 and 16 are both adjacent to Texas A&M's Spring Break. March 30 is Easter weekend. April 13 is the Physics Festival. We will not be having Math Circle on any of these days. For the Math & Stat Fair, we encourage you to attend with your students and to sign up at the link provided. We also encourage you to bring your students to the Physics Festival - there is no sign-up required for the Festival.

There are two types of sessions being offered:

• 1:00 - 3:00 Discovery Activity

• 3:00 - 4:00 Problem Solving

Each is offered at three levels:

• Beginner (for those on Pre-Algebra and below)

• Intermediate (for those on Algebra 1 and Geometry)

• Advanced (for those on Algebra 2 and above)

All 6 groups are meeting in person with the exception of the Advanced Problem Solving group, which will be meeting in a hybrid form, both in-person and on-line via Zoom. For information on attending the Advanced Problem Solving group via Zoom, please contact Kun Wang <kwang@tamu.edu>.

The in-person events will take place on the first floor of the Blocker building. Drop-off and pick-up will be inside of Room 128.

Program for Last Week (Saturday, April 6):

April 6, 2023

Discovery Learning: Beginner Group (in Pre-Algebra and below)

Speaker: Marshall King, Texas A&M University

Title: Some Infinities are Bigger than Others

Abstract: What does it mean for two sets to have the same "size"? We introduce the concept of cardinality, starting with some easy consequences such as the pigeon-hole principle, and then discuss some paradoxes regarding infinities in the context of Hilbert's hotel, which is a hotel with an infinite number of rooms. Ultimately, we discuss whether some infinite sets are "larger" than others.

Discovery Learning: Intermediate Group (in Algebra I or above)

Speaker: Tanush Yarram, Texas A&M University

Title: Three Jugs Problem

Abstract: You have three jugs of varying volumes. The largest jug is filled to the brim with water, and the other jugs are empty. Can you find a way to leave one jug with any volume of water in it smaller than the largest jug? We will discuss some solutions and show some unique techniques to arrive at our answers.

Discovery Learning: Advanced Group (in Algebra II or above)

Speaker: Dr. Collin Victor, Texas A&M University

Title: Prisoner Probabilities, Certainties, and a Paradox

Abstract: We will consider several problems meant to stretch our knowledge of probability - these include paradoxes, random distributions, and variations on some classic mathematics puzzles.

Problem-Solving: Beginner Group (in Pre-Algebra and below)

Instructors: Dr. Kun Wang (Texas A&M), Dr. Xin Liu  (Texas A&M),  Dr. Bo Zhu (Texas A&M), Dr. Simone Cecchini (Texas A&M)

Problem-Solving: Intermediate Group (in Algebra I or above)

Instructors: Dr. Jinmin Wang (Texas A&M), Dr. Suhan Zhong (Texas A&M), Dr. Zhizhang Xie (Texas A&M), and Xiaoyu Su (Texas A&M)

Problem-Solving: Advanced Group (in Algebra II or above)

Instructors: Dr. Samson Zhou (Texas A&M), Dr. Sherry Gong (Texas A&M),  Dr. Collin Victor (Texas A&M), Abishek Hariharan(Texas A&M) and Andrew Yu (Harvard University)

Please visit our Registration page to register your student(s).