Logic puzzles. Origami. Kite creation. Sudoku. These are a just a few of the projects students in the college’s Math Circle program have tackled.
The Math Circle program is a free program where students from grades 5 – 12 can get together to investigate concepts in mathematics. Started in 2012 by Professor of Education Barbara Burns, PhD, and Professor of Mathematics Terrance Bisson, PhD, Math Circle encourages creative problem solving and conversations about mathematics for students and teachers alike.
Participants can come to all of the sessions in a semester or just one. Each session brings a different scenario that the students work to solve. Math Circle encourages participants to examine these scenarios in different ways. One student came up with a math proof on his own, worked with Dr. Bisson to verify it, and then presented at Canisius University’s Ignatian Scholarship Day!
“Math Circle provides students the opportunity to explore math, engage with their peers who have the same interest, and encourage imaginative problem solving,” said Burns. “In the future, I hope we broaden student participation to include more girls and to embark on research to explore why students attack problems differently.”
There is no cost to participate in the program, which runs for eight weeks in the fall and eight weeks in the spring.
The Spring 2020 Math Circle meeting dates are:
Tuesdays from 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm in Science Hall 1004
February 11, February 25, March 3, March 10, March 24, March 31 and April 7
For more information and to see some of the past scenarios posed during the in-class sessions, please visit the Canisius Math Circle Blog, or contact Dr. Burns at 716-888-3291.
