MathPath

It's hard to believe that we're already halfway through our time together at MathPath 2024! It's incredible the familiarity that's achieved in such a short time when everyone is able to spend time, overcome problems, and have fun together. Lasting friendships are forming, and students are settled into camp life. Many packages of mail have been tossed and received, adults have been educated in this years’ slang terminology, and the yearly bout of students vs staff basketball was settled. Dr. Asia preparing to perform matrix transformations with her Linear Algebra class We continued with a wonderful series of plenaries this week. Glen brought us along on the journey through the early history of mathematics and astronomical trigonometry, showing clever ways in which ancient mathematicians came to astounding conclusions. With his departure this weekend, the history plenaries will be given by Dr. Deborah Kent (Dr. Kent), who we are excited to welcome for her sixth year with ...

Week one of MathPath 2024 is officially on the books! Many friendships and memories have already been made and the month isn't even halfway over. A sense of fun, mathematical intrigue, and community has spread through the camp and makes us all the more excited to continue to get to know each other, tackle problems, and play games with one another. We've enjoyed some beautiful refrains, such as “O Canada,” to celebrate Canada Day, and one group’s rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” to serenade their counselor. Students delve deep into the math behind the game Set, a MathPath staple Our visiting plenaries continued with Dr. Sam Vandervelde (Dr.V). His presentations included graphing groups on a projective plane, and King Alephonso's infinite advisors discerning infinitely many sequences to solve the King's puzzle. Executive Director Lara Pudwell (Prof Pudwell) enlightened us about plentiful patterns in permutations, and Academic Director Matthew DeLong (Prof D) began his ...

On June 30th, the staff, faculty, and counselors of MathPath 2024 welcomed over 100 students to the beautiful campus of Rockhurst University. Some students drove with family, some arrived by way of the airport, but everyone showed up with excitement for the month ahead. Once everyone had safely arrived, they met their counselors and headed off to a wonderful dinner provided by the Rockhurst dining staff. They settled into their rooms, had a tour of campus with their counselors, made it to bed on time, and woke up the next morning ready for their first full day of MathPath. Counselor JJ and his group enjoy the giant chair outside Xavier - Loyolla Dorm On Monday - the first full day of MathPath, students assembled in the auditorium in Pedro Arrupe Hall for the MathPath Orientation. Executive Director Lara Pudwell (Prof. Pudwell) welcomed everyone and talked about how everyone who does math and is a person, is, by definition, a math person. Camp Director April Verser (April) introduced th...

As MathPath draws to a close, we reflect on an unforgettable journey of intellectual growth, camaraderie, and cherished memories. Throughout this summer, we witnessed the immense potential of each student, their passion for learning, and their unwavering support for one another. From inspiring breakout sessions to enlightening plenaries, every moment has been filled with enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge. We will miss the MathPath community, but as Prof D said during our closing ceremony, “in a sense MathPath 2023 will never end because it now lives inside of each one of us.” Our last week here in Portland was undeniably fantastic. The students enthusiastically participated in their final breakouts, eager to absorb every remaining bit of knowledge. “Metric Spaces” taught by counselor E was a hit, and students spent the final days ranking their favorite metrics from the course. Dr Kent worked with students to understand the intriguing world of “Hyperbolic Geometry.” Dr Z talked comp...

As we approach the final week of MathPath, it is heartwarming to witness the strong connections that have developed among our students. They have not only developed a fondness for one another but also formed a genuine support system both inside and outside the classroom. The growth of these relationships has undoubtedly enhanced the MathPath experience, and we look forward to the remaining days filled with continued fun and camaraderie. MathPathers at breakfast During the breakout sessions last week, our students were exposed to a diverse array of mathematical topics. Dr. H provided instruction on Mathematica, with no prior programming experience required. Every day, students accessed the Wolfram Cloud, utilizing this powerful software to solve equations and generate graphics of functions. Through the lens of Number Theory, MathPathers explored various classic ciphers in an always popular breakout, "Cryptology." Under the guidance of Prof R, students gained a solid foundation...

We have reached the midway point of MathPath 2022, and are reflecting on the remarkable growth and development our students have exhibited thus far. The initial nerves and uncertainties have given way to a sense of comfort and familiarity, allowing our students to truly make the most of their MathPath experience. However, now that we’re comfortable, we expect time to begin to move faster. This emphasizes the importance of making every moment count and fully immersing ourselves in the remaining time we have together. MathPathers working together during the annual Puzzle Hunt We hosted many fantastic visiting speakers this past week. Satyan Devadoss of the University of San Diego spent Wednesday and Thursday with us. He spoke with vigor about a geometric puzzle developed by Albrecht Dürer involving “unfolding” faces of polyhedra. Dr. Devadoss shared a story about how he built a two-ton interactive sculpture of this unfolding which was showcased at the Burning Man festival. He encouraged ...