Problems from the American Mathematics Competitions

My talk is based on problems I wrote for the American Mathematics Competitions.  I will include at least two of my problems from this years tests.  Handouts will be provided.

Organizers:
Steven Davis, Retired

MathArt at MathFest

The first MathFest Exhibition of Mathematical Art will include up to 50 artworks contributed by mathematical artists, as well as a group display organized by the SIGMAA on Environmental Mathematics (SIGMAA EM), with a critical mass of images contributed in advance highlighting mathematics and the environment, as well as an opportunity for MAA MathFest 2025 visitors to make their own images and submit them to the display. The EM organizers have created a fun hexagonal template that invites participants to contribute to a honeycomb pattern of environmental math/art. 

Submit your mathematical artwork to MathArt at MathFest here: forms.gle/k82bYVaYjR9iPVkr7

Submit to the SIGMAA EM display here: https://shorturl.at/Rz7fY

Organizers:
Frank Farris, Santa Clara University
Bronna Butler, B.A. Baroque Arts, LLC
Amanda Beecher, Ramapo College of New Jersey
Russ deForest, Everly College of Science
Chris Gott, University of the Pacific
Katy Franz, Unaffiliated Mathematical Artists
Jack Love, San Francisco State University
Jeff Venrtella, Unaffiliated Mathematical Artists

Read the Masters!: Weierstrass Formalizes the Limit Concept

Attention to the power of using primary historical sources as a resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics has grown over recent decades. (Witness the success of MAA’s Convergence online journal, dedicated to providing its readers with such resources for the mathematics classroom since 2004.) The experience of encountering mathematical ideas in the context of their early development, before becoming refined and carefully sculpted for textbook consumption by students, can be a powerful one, as it is often charged with the excitement of discovery in which these notions were forged. This event is designed to allow anyone who wishes to participate in this common reading experience.

Participants will be introduced in a brief 15-minute talk to Karl Weierstrass (1815--1897), an important figure in the development of calculus, a universal introduction to analysis for mathematicians and scientists, and its foundational principles. After Cauchy introduced limits to underpin the main notions of the calculus around 1820, Weierstrass deepened the rigor of this idea with his representation in terms of “ϵ-δ” inequalities. This opening talk will be followed by 70 minutes of common reading from Weierstrass’ lecture notes (texts will be provided), where participants can experience the immediacy of what was to Weierstrass students a novel approach to understanding calculus and the theory of functions. This event is a follow-up to Read the Masters! events at MathFests 2023 and 2024, where participants read from Cauchy about his limit idea in his definitions of continuity, differentiability and integrability. (Not having attended the earlier events will not disadvantage attendees who wish to participate in this event.)

Organizer:
Daniel Otero, Xavier University

Celebrating Black Excellence in Mathematics: Screening of ”Journeys of Black Mathematician: Creating Pathways” by George Csicsery and Panel Discussion

Join the National Association of Mathematicians for a screening of Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Creating Pathways , a documentary directed by George Csicsery. This powerful film features interviews with Black American researchers and educators, showcasing innovative educational programs in mathematics at every level, from grade school to postdocs. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that delves into the themes of equity, inclusion, and the advancement of Black American mathematicians. For more information on the film series, visit www.jbmfilm.com.

Organizers:
Torina Lewis, National Association of Mathematicians
Asamoah Nkwanta, Morgan State University
Edray Goins, Pomona College
Ami Radunskaya, Pomona College

Sponsor: National Association of Mathematicians (NAM)

Future Directions for Mathematics Education Research, Policy, and Practice

This working session will create opportunities for participants to collaboratively develop strategies and initiatives for tackling pressing issues in mathematics education. Recent advancements in industry and technology combined with access to data and information offer powerful new tools and opportunities to address issues in mathematics education in ways that have not previously been feasible. Such advancements require new partnerships and collaborative approaches to both imagining and realizing the possibilities. Participants in this working session will focus on recommendations from the Future Directions for Mathematics Education Research, Policy, and Practice (Future Directions) convening, which brought together leaders from all levels of mathematics education and a range of related areas. The resulting Future Directions report presents a set of recommendations for programs, strategies, structures, policies, and investments in multiple areas, including K-12 teacher preparation and undergraduate mathematics teaching and learning. Working session participants will have opportunities to build new collaborations and create initiatives that can transform Future Directions recommendations into actions. We encourage those with an interest in mathematics teacher education and improving mathematics teaching and learning in the first two years of undergraduate education to attend. Registration is required.

Organizers:
Catherine Paolucci, Mathematical Association of America
Ann Edwards, WestEd

Introduction to MAA MathFest

First time at MAA MathFest? Welcome! Come meet members of the MAA Community, including members of the MAA Board of Directors, MAA Congress, SIGMAA Organizers, Section Chairs.

Organizers:
TBC

Expanding Mathematical Futures Through Multimedia Storytelling

Mathematics education in the United States has long been challenged by both narrow conceptions of mathematics as a discipline and the lack of racially/ethnically diverse role models for mathematics in media and curricula. One promising way to expose teachers, students, and their families and communities to a broader picture of mathematics is to include diverse people telling their stories about their doing and knowing of mathematics.

In this special session, we are sharing short digital narratives from our research project, drawing from extensive interviews with 30 Black mathematicians across different professions and backgrounds. This project, supported by two National Science Foundation grants, seeks to expand our notions about who can do mathematics and reveal the many ways in which we learn and practice mathematics. With this goal in mind, we produced a database of 90 2-5 minute videos about mathematicians' experiences in formal and informal learning spaces, their research interests, and advice for students and teachers. The purpose of the session is to share these mathematician’s stories with the goal of providing resources and ideas for shifting perceptions about mathematics among young people, their teachers, and their communities.

Organizers:
Robin Wilson, Loyola Marymount University
Erica Walker, OISE, University of Toronto
Nasriah Morrison, Teachers College, Columbia University