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Social Events

Exhibit Hall & Grand Opening Reception

Wednesday, August 3, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Exhibit Hall / Battelle South

The MAA MathFest Grand Opening Reception will launch this year's MAA MathFest on a high note. This event is intended to draw attendees together in a spirit of camaraderie. While scientific sessions will still commence on Thursday, we warmly invite you to enjoy complimentary light hors d'oeuvres while you mix and mingle in the Exhibit Hall with other registered participants and guests, sponsors, and exhibitors.

ECM Mentoring Network Social

Friday, August 5, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Peppercorn

The Committee on Early Career Mathematicians (ECM) will host its inaugural mentoring network social from 5:30-7:30 pm in the Peppercorn Room, immediately following PosterFest on Friday, August 5th. The social is open to mentors and mentees already in the MAA Mentoring Network, as well as all those interested in joining the Mentoring Network. Early-career mathematicians are especially encouraged to attend - refreshments will be provided along with a cash bar.

Organizer:
Audrey Malagon, Virginia Wesleyan College

Math Wrangle

Saturday, August 6, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Morrow

Math Wrangle will pit teams of students against each other, the clock, and a slate of great math problems. The format of a Math Wrangle is designed to engage students in mathematical problem solving, promote effective teamwork, provide a venue for oral presentations, and develop critical listening skills. A Math Wrangle incorporates elements of team sports and debate, with a dose of strategy tossed in for good measure. The intention of the Math Wrangle demonstration at MAA MathFest is to show how teachers, schools, circles, and clubs can get students started in this exciting combination of mathematical problem solving with careful argumentation via public speaking, strategy and rebuttal.

Organizers:
Ed Keppelmann, University of Nevada
Paul Zeitz, University of San Francisco
Mark Saul, American Math Competitions

SIGMAA MCST

Closing Banquet Reception

Saturday, August 6, 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Franklin Foyer

Closing Banquet 

Tom Lehrer Sing-along

Saturday, August 6, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Franklin

Master of Ceremonies
Art Benjamin, Harvey Mudd College
Ezra Brown, Virginia Tech

After Dinner: Bud Brown (at the piano) and Art Benjamin will sing favorite songs by mathematician/political satirist Tom Lehrer, including many that have a mathematical flavor to them, such as New Math, Lobachevsky, The Elements, and That's Mathematics. Song lyrics will be projected and the audience will be invited to sing along.

POM SIGMAA Reception

Thursday, August 4, 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Union B

SIGMAA TAHSM Business Meeting and Reception

Friday, August 5, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Union B

WEB SIGMAA Reception

Friday, August 5, 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Union A

MAA-PME Student Reception

Wednesday, August 3, 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Union D

Undergraduate students are invited to come for refreshments and a welcome to MathFest.

Math Jeopardy

Wednesday, August 3, 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., Union Station Ballroom A (Columbus Convention Center)

Answer: A fun undergraduate mathematics contest to lead off MathFest
Question: What is Mathematics Jeopardy?
Four teams of students will provide the questions to go with the mathematical answers in many categories. All interested students in the audience can enter their names to be chosen to play on one of the four teams of four players. There will be prizes for all the participants.
Come cheer for your favorite team. The session will be emceed by Michael Berry.

Organizers:
Robert W. Vallin, Lamar University
Michael W. Berry, University of Tennessee

Undergraduate Student Activity

Games Mathematicians Play

Friday, August 5, 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m., Hayes

Christopher Swanson, Ashland University

A combinatorial game is a game between two opposing players who make alternate moves from some starting position with each player having a finite number of moves available and knowing all possible moves of both players. Furthermore, moves are not determined by chance and the game lasts at most a certain number of turns, with the result being a win for one player or a draw. Tic-Tac-Toe and Chess are two well-known combinatorial games. In analyzing combinatorial games, the basic question is who should win if two expert players play the game - the player who goes first, the player who goes second, or should the game end in a draw? In this student activity, audience members will play a number of combinatorial games and try to determine the answer to this basic question.

Estimathon!

Friday, August 5, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Taft A

They're called Fermi problems...

  • How heavy is the Eiffel Tower?
  • How many prime numbers have distinct digits?
  • How many calories would you be eating if you had "one of everything" at the Cheesecake Factory?

If you're looking for a mindbending mixture of math and trivia, look no further! Jane Street Capital presents The Estimathon contest: teams will have 30 minutes to work on 13 problems, ranging from totally trivial to positively Putnamesque. Can your team beat the all-time best score?? The top teams will receive prizes!
As in past years, we will run 2 contests. Feel free to show up to either one!
(Please show up 15 minutes before the start time of the contest you want to join.)
Our target schedule is as follows:

  • 4:00 pm. Welcome, overview of rules and scoring.
  • 4:15 pm. Estimathon contest #1
  • 5:00 pm. Estimathon contest #2

Organizer:
Andy Niedermaier, Jane Street Capital

Pi Mu Epsilon Banquet

Friday, August 5, 6:00 p.m. - 7:45 p.m., Franklin

All PME members and their supporters are welcome. See the registration form for more information on this ticketed event.

MAA Ice Cream Social For Undergraduates

Friday, August 5, 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., McKinley

Besides cake and ice cream, we will recognize all students who gave talks in the MAA Student Paper Sessions, and award prizes for the best of them. All are invited.

Graduate Student Reception

Thursday, August 4, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Peppercorn

Graduate students are invited for some refreshments and to meet several of the invited speakers.

Organizers:
Estela A. Gavosto, University of Kansas
James Freeman, Cornell College

Year: 
2016