The MAA endeavors to ensure that all the mathematical sessions at MathFest are accessible to a broad audience and students are invited and encouraged to attend any of them. In addition, check out the range of programming below, which has been curated for K-12 students, parents, teachers, and undergraduate students.

Math Jeopardy, the Student Welcome Reception, and Navigating MathFest Overview

Wednesday, August 5, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Answer: A fun undergraduate mathematics contest to lead off MAA 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.

Organizers:
Ron Taylor, Berry College
Michael W. Berry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Sponsors: 
D.E. Shaw & Co.
Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)

MaPP Challenge @ MAA MathFest 2026 - A Mathematical Puzzlehunt for Everyone!

Wednesday, August 5, 5:50 pm – 6:20 pm, Salon I

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CAMERON SAN FRANCISCO? Grab some friends and your phone, because Mathematical Puzzle Programs is bringing its annual puzzlehunt to MathFest 2026! Join us at 5:50 pm in Room I on Wednesday, August 5 for a fun skit that will set the stage for your adventure, or head to Play.MaPPmath.org and pick up materials at the American Institute of Mathematics exhibit hall booth to get started on your own.

Organizers:
Steven Clontz, University of South Alabama
Andrew Owens, Widener University

Sponsors:
American Institute of Mathematics
MathCommunities.org

Math Modeling Challenge at MathFest Working Session

Thursday, August 6, 9:00 am - 10:00 am, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Join us in the Student Lounge for a one-hour working session to solve the Math Modeling Challenge at MathFest designed exclusively for MathFest participants.

Organizers:
Amanda Beecher, Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP)
Eric Marland, Appalachian State University

Undergraduate Research Experiences

Thursday, August 6, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Student Lounge (Arlington)

This panel of former NREUP participants and mentors will share their NREUP experiences, student career trajectories, and advice for students and mentors considering undergraduate research opportunities.

Organizers:
Christopher Jett, Georgia State University
Gulden Karakok, University of Northern Colorado
Catherine Paolucci, Mathematical Association of America

Bingo…with a Mathematical Twist

Thursday, August 6, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Get ready to “B-1” of the lucky ones at our bingo event! Join us for some fun, laughter, and fabulous swag—because in our game, everyone leaves with a prize that’s more than just a “B-9” improvement to your MAA MathFest!

Estimathon®

Thursday, August 6, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

The Estimathon is a mind-bending mixture of math and trivia. Attendees will work in teams to come up with confidence intervals for 13 Fermi (estimation) problems, ranging from totally trivial to positively Putnamesque. The team with the best set of intervals will be crowned the champs!

Organizer:
Andy Niedermaier, Jane Street

Sponsors:
Jane Street
Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)

Research in Motion (Undergraduate Student Poster Session)

Setup: Friday, August 7, 9:00 am - 9:30 am, Poster Hall (Fairfield/Exeter/Dartmouth)
Students & Judges Only: Friday, August 7, 9:30 am - 10:30 am, Poster Hall (Fairfield/Exeter/Dartmouth)
Public Viewing: Friday, August 7, 10:30 am - 11:30 am, Poster Hall (Fairfield/Exeter/Dartmouth)

This session features research done by undergraduate students. Appropriate content includes, but is not limited to, a new result, a new proof of a known result, a new mathematical model, an innovative solution to a Putnam problem, or a method of solution to an applied problem. Projects that are currently in progress, but leading towards one of these outcomes, are also welcome. Purely expository material is not appropriate for this session.

Organizers:
Thomas Langley, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Bernadette Boyle, Sacred Heart University
Lauren Keough, Grand Valley State University

Sponsor:
MAA Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)

INTEGRATE Math Enrichment Expo: Hands-On Exploration for K–12 Educators

Friday, August 7, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Come learn about MAA INTEGRATE and experience an interactive Math Enrichment Expo featuring hands-on games, activities, and problem sets for K–12 math enrichment programs such as after-school math clubs. Rotate through stations, engage in mathematical tasks, and meet leaders who run successful middle school enrichment programs.

Organizers:
Shelby Aaberg, Scottsbluff High School
Elizabeth Arnold, Montana State University
Sandra Drozd, Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School
Genesis Grullon, The Young Women’s Leadership School of Manhattan
William Hawkins, Lower Merion High School,
Joshua Hiller, Adelphi University
Arah Lewis, The Eagle Academy for Young Men Bronx
Elizabeth Ramirez, Ortiz Middle School
Alpha Recio, The Young People’s Project
Ellen Ryder, The Young Women’s Leadership School of Manhattan

Student Activity Speaker

How to Fold Things into Thirds and Other Awkward Fractions: A Lead-In to Artin’s Conjecture
Friday, August 7, 2:30 pm - 3:20 pm, Salon EF

I am continually struck by how seemingly simple, school‑level questions can unravel into deep and still‑unresolved mathematics. One such question arises from an unexpectedly familiar activity: folding.

Is it possible to fold a tie into exactly three equal parts? Into fifths? Into other “awkward” fractions?

What begins as an accessible folding puzzle quickly leads to the study of prime numbers and subtle number‑theoretic phenomena. Why are some primes surprisingly cooperative, while others stubbornly resist? Following this thread brings us to the edge of Artin’s conjecture on primitive roots.

The goal of this session is to demonstrate how playful experimentation and rigorous mathematics can coexist—and how deep theory can emerge naturally from the simplest curiosities.

History of Mathematics Trivia Contest

Friday, August 7, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Come join fellow math enthusiasts for a fun time of team trivia. Questions will focus on the history of mathematics, and mathematical connections to the New England area. Undergraduates are especially encouraged to attend, but the contest is open to everyone!

Organizers:
Abe Edwards, Michigan State University
Ximena Catepillan, Millersville University
Thomas Drucker, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Eugene Bowman, Penn State University - Harrisburg

Sponsors:
Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)
SIGMAA on the History of Mathematics (SIGMAA HOM)

Special Session on AMC/AIME/USAMO Favorite Problems

Friday, August 7, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Salon AB

In this special session AMC Editors will showcase some of their favorite problems from recent competitions.

Organizer:
Steven Dunbar, MAA Council on Competitions

Sponsor: MAA Council on Competitions

Math Modeling Challenge @ MathFest Awards

Friday, August 7, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Join us in the Student Lounge for the Math Modeling Challenge Awards! This session highlights exceptional work from MathFest participants, with up to five teams (priority to student teams) sharing their solutions. Open to all, we especially encourage faculty to attend and see student modeling in action.

Organizers:
Amanda Beecher, Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP)
Eric Marland, Appalachian State University

AMC Editors Meet and Greet

Friday, August 8, 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm, Salon AB

Meet members of the Council on Competitions and Editors for AMC, AIME, USAMO problems. Informal discussions about the AMC program with light refreshments.

Organizer: 
Steven Dunbar, MAA Council on Competitions

Sponsor: MAA Council on Competitions

Undergraduate Student Dessert Reception

Friday, August 7, 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Student Lounge (Arlington)

Besides serving various desserts, we shall recognize all students who gave talks in the MAA Student Poster Session.

Sponsor:
Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)

Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival x YPP Math Playground

Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival: Saturday, August 8, 10:00 am - 12:50 pm, Arlington (Student Lounge)
YPP Math Playground: Saturday, August 8, 10:00 am - 12:50 pm, Gloucester

Join us for this public math festival designed to spread the joy of mathematics through hands-on puzzles and games. MAA MathFest attendees can join as a participant or sign up to volunteer to lead an activity for students and families. Participants are welcome to come and go throughout the duration of the event.

Organizers:
Daniel Kline, Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival (JRMF)
Cliff Freeman, The Young People's Project (YPP)
Noore Elkatta, The Young People's Project (YPP)
Jody Efron, Mathematical Association of America

Sponsors:
Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival
Young People's Project (YPP)

Chan Stanek Ross Lecture for Students

Unequal: The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up
Saturday, August 8, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm, Salon EF

Math is famous for its equations, and much of the time it can seem like that’s all mathematics is: following steps to show that what’s on one side of an equation is the same as what’s on the other. In this talk Dr Cheng will show that this is only part of the story, and the boring part to boot. Mathematics isn’t only about showing how numbers and symbols are the same. It isn’t even just about numbers and symbols at all, but a world of shapes, symmetries, logical ideas, and more. And in that world, the boundary between things being equal and unequal is a gray area, or perhaps a rainbow of beautiful, vibrant, subtly nuanced color. She will show that almost everything can be considered similar and different at the same time, whether it’s numbers, graphs, shapes, words, music, or people. It all depends on what features we choose to care about, and it’s up to us what we do about it. Mathematics isn’t a series of rules, facts, or answers: it’s an invitation to a more powerful way of thinking, about anything and everything.

Martin Gardner Lecture

The Magic of Math: Three-dimensional X-ray Vision
Saturday, August 8, 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm, Salon EF

In the 1970’s, a new X-ray based innovation was introduced. Tomography, or slice imaging, revealed the inner structure of a patient point by point as a three-dimensional map of tissues. This opened up a new world for doctors as they could do precise diagnosing based on these "CAT-scans.” Tomography is based on recording X-ray images of the patient along many directions, and then using mathematics in a clever way for combining the information into a 3D image. This talk explains that process in simple terms. An important research topic in modern mathematics is to look for a way to do tomographic imaging with the least possible amount of radiation dose to the patient. Or sometimes to compensate for incomplete measurements caused by restrictions in the imaging arrangement. This is based on a process called regularisation, also illustrated in the talk in an easy-to-understand way. Also: there is a fun quiz revealing natural tomographers among the audience.

Panel: Career Paths in Business, Industry, and Governments

Saturday, August 8, 3:00 pm – 4:20 pm, Salon G

You’re about to earn a degree in mathematics. Now what? You may be surprised to know that teaching isn’t your only option. Mathematical knowledge is a valued commodity, and there are many interesting job opportunities for mathematicians that don’t necessarily involve teaching. Whether you are a mathematics student looking for a job once you graduate or an advisor looking for advice to give to future job-seeking students, this session will help you gain new perspectives on career experiences in business, industry, and government and what employers value in their employees. Panelists will share their paths to their current positions and offer advice to others looking for employment in similar fields.

Panelists:
Joni Baker, Behavioral Modeller, Andrew Davidson & Company
Felipe Blanes, Senior Technical Program Manager, Amazon

Sponsors:
Amazon AGI
Committee on Undergraduate Student Programming (CUSP)