This special one-session circle is a chance to experience the engaging and collaborative nature of math circles and discover whether it’s the right fit for your child.
Participants will be grouped according to age and math level to ensure a positive and meaningful experience.
Note: This circle is exclusively for those who have not yet participated in math circles run by The Global Math Circle.
In a colorful world under the sea, there was a magnificent kingdom. All was well until the volcano, which had been dormant for thousands of years, erupted! The fish begin moving in strange ways, seashells broke into halves, quarters, and other fractions, and the coral reefs started growing in unusual patterns. Join us to explore these mysterious behaviors, and discover why the volcano has awakened after so many years!
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
The Lost Island is a math adventure where each setting introduces a new concept through math discussion. Students will explore geometry at the river, probability at the volcano, and graph theory in the forest, turning mathematical ideas into an engaging journey of problem-solving, discovery, and teamwork. Each part of the Island is a place to develop a different aspect of mathematical thinking.
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
In The Bear School, something unusual is happening: hallways twist and turn, doors connect to the wrong classrooms, and secret passages appear out of nowhere. In this circle, three friends — Claire, Yasmine and Pablo — decide to solve those mysteries. With graph theory as our guide, we’ll trace routes, solve puzzles, and discover how to move through this maze-like place. Each step will bring us closer to unlocking the secret of this magic school.
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
The great mathematician, Ramanujan, was fascinated by Magic Squares. There is so much more magic to be discovered! This circle will explore various magic shapes, possibly going beyond numbers. Give your child the chance to fall in love with a subject that's full of creativity, challenges, and, yes, a little bit of magic.
Note - Circle Prerequisites:
(1) Fluency with addition
(2) Has not extensively studied magic shapes, such as magic squares
Deep in the enchanted forest, everything once worked in perfect harmony. But out of nowhere, a strange thing fell from the sky, and everything changed. The trees began to grow in unusual patterns, rivers bent at curious angles, and hidden shapes appeared in the shadows. We must find out what happened to help the forest regain its balance. By following angles and uncovering the shapes that guide us through the woods, we’ll discover that every tree, stone, and spring can help us to solve the geometric mysteries that hide the forest’s secrets.
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
In this circle, we'll make geometry pop out of the page, and explore the third dimension! What shapes can we make, and what are their characteristics? We'll follow the rabbit holes of mathematics to a variety of exciting potential destinations, from graph theory to the wonders of dimensions higher than 3.
Note - Circle Prerequisite: Has not studied graph theory extensively
Platonic solids have much more in common than just being made up of all one shape, but how do we know what their relationships are? In this circle, we will explore these particular shapes in detail: their relationships with each other as well as how they connect to others. In doing so, we will discover why they make up a cohesive set and derive equations based on them.
Note - Circle Prerequisites:
(1) Should be familiar with volume and area equations for a variety of 3-D shapes
(2) Should have comfort manipulating algebraic equations
We can identify properties of a cube by looking at it, making a net of its shape, or making cuts in it to see what we find. How could we determine the properties of a 4-dimensional cube? What about an n-dimensional one? In this circle, we will explore properties of cubes beyond our visual comprehension. What might we find?
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
The mysterious number Pi shows up all over mathematics. But where does it come from, and how could we calculate it from scratch? In this circle we’ll travel back in time and tackle the mystery the way ancient mathematicians did, using only geometry. We’ll build and analyze triangles inside a circle, explore the Pythagorean Theorem from the ground up (no prior knowledge needed!), and use these tools to get closer and closer to Pi. Along the way we'll be able to connect our work to real‑world questions like estimating the distance the Earth travels around the Sun.
Note - Circle Prerequisite: Comfort with square roots
Long ago, when dragons ruled the earth, four powerful dragons kept the world in balance working together to solve the challenges that appeared on Dragon Island. But one day, everything changed. One of the dragons mysteriously vanished. As darkness spread across the land, the remaining dragons felt their powers slowly fading.
What happened to the missing dragon? Why is the balance breaking? And how can it be restored?
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
Pi is a ratio that allows us to make calculations on a circle, but do polygons have their own versions of pi? In this circle, we will use the circle as a basis for thinking about how to calculate ratios in other shapes. Pi, as we know it, is useful for a radius or diameter, but what happens when we start connecting random points on a circle? This will lead us to the basis for trigonometry!
Note - Circle Prerequisites:
(1) Can use the Pythagorean Theorem
(2) Has not explored the concept of pi beyond circles
This circle is currently full. Should more participants enroll, we will open a waitlist. To express interest, please reach out to us at info@theglobalmathcircle.org.
To maximize their lifespan, some mattresses require regular flipping and rotation. This raises interesting questions: How many different ways can a mattress be oriented? Furthermore, can we create simple, foolproof instructions that even our parents can follow to ensure all our mattresses achieve their maximum lifespan?
Note - Circle Prerequisites:
(1) Basic ability to form a logical argument
(2) Does not know about algebraic groups
How long can we make a sequence game go on? In this circle, we’ll look at an interesting “game” and explore how long we can make different sequences last. We will examine the patterns, and find out if the game is always doomed to end or if we can make it go on forever. What happens if we change the rules? Does it change our outcomes?
Note - Circle Prerequisite:
- Can do subtraction easily
In this circle, we'll take an in-depth look at geometry's favorite shape: the triangle! The features of these shapes extend far beyond what we learn in geometry class, and there's much to discover. Let's draw together, and explore the world of nature's strongest shape!
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
This circle is currently full. Should more participants enroll, we will open a waitlist. To express interest, please reach out to us at info@theglobalmathcircle.org.
Long ago, the world was ruled by four powerful Kingdoms: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Each Kingdom believed it was the most important and refused to work with the others. Their lands grew apart, and with time, they stopped talking entirely.
But now, a mysterious force is threatening to break the world into pieces. Will the four Kingdoms reunite and solve this strange puzzle?
Note: There are no prerequisites for this circle.
We can identify properties of a cube by looking at it, making a net of its shape, or making cuts in it to see what we find. How could we determine the properties of a 4-dimensional cube? What about an n-dimensional one? In this circle, we will explore properties of cubes beyond our visual comprehension. What might we find?
Note - Circle Prerequisites:
(1) Understands properties of 2D and 3D shapes (vertices, faces, lines)
(2) Has not explored this in depth with a hypercube
