Past MathFest Topics and Programs
April 15, 2023 Program
Probability: Chances Are
Probability is everywhere! It lets us calculate the odds of winning the lottery, helps us to make sense of political polls and tells us how much a stock option should cost. It can also be used to help make strategic decisions in games, though sometimes what it tells you to do is pretty counterintuitive. We’ll look into some of these uses of probability and chances are you’re in for a surprise!
Faculty Presenters
David Meyer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and participating faculty
Registrants will also have the opportunity to meet Reed math majors and ask questions about their experience studying math in college!
Prerequisites
- High school student
- Enthusiasm for mathematics
- Proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test within 72 hours is required for all attendees
- Pre-registration required
- Deadline to register: March 28, 2023
Registration
Registration for the 2023 MathFest is now closed. Hope to see you next year!
MathFest is capped at 25 high school students, plus math teachers.
Download the 2023 program
April 2, 2022 Program
Parentheses, Paths, and Partitions: Catalan Combinatorics
What do lattice walks, handshakes across a table, card shuffling patterns, binary trees, triangulations, and parenthesizations have in common? They can all be counted with Catalan numbers! In this short course, participants will delve into the history and contemporary relevance of these combinatorial structures. Expect to learn new counting techniques, engage your problem solving skills, and be exposed to several elementary problems that the mathematical community hasn't solved--yet!
Faculty Presenters
Marcus Robinson, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Nate Wells, Visiting Assistant Professor of Statistics
Registrants will also have the opportunity to meet Reed math majors and ask questions about their experience studying math in college!
Prerequisites
- High school student
- Enthusiasm for mathematics and a good preparation in basic algebra and geometry
- Proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test within 72 hours is required for all attendees
- Pre-registration required
- Deadline to register: March 16, 2022