Smithsonian Celebrates Mathematics This Weekend

Two events celebrating mathematics will take place this weekend in Washington, D.C.: The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival and Circle on the Road Spring 2012.

The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival will take place Saturday, April 14, 2012, outside of the Smithsonian Institution’s MathAlive! exhibit in Washington, D.C. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will feature intriguing puzzles, problems, and activities for primary, middle, and high school students. (Registration information)

Julia Robinson was a mathematics professor at UC Berkeley. She is famous for her solution of Hilbert’s tenth problem. The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festivals were started in the San Francisco Bay Area to honor her legacy and encourage more students to pursue mathematics. (Read: The Autobiography of Julia Robinson)

Circle on the Road Spring 2012 is a workshop for new and experienced leaders of math circles for students and teachers. The workshop will be held on Friday and Sunday on the campus of George Washington University with a festival on Saturday at the Smithsonian Institution’s MathAlive! exhibit.

"The MAA's American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) is contributing to the activities at Circle on the Road with a couple of Math Wrangles, a combination problem-solving and problem-explaining event which is a cross between a debate, a spelling bee and math contest,” said Steve Dunbar, AMC Director. "AMC is involved because many math circles feature the AMC contests as a part of their activities. AMC problems are a great source for the the dueling problems and explanations featured in a Math Wrangle, a fun competition that Circles can employ to get kids active and involved."

The matches will be at 11:45 am and 3:00 pm in the Ripley Center at the Smithsonian.