Students tackle math challenge
Alannah Coupp on September 26, 2011 in Education TipsFULLERTON – More than 25 middle school and freshmen high school students met with mathematicians at Cal State Fullerton today, where they discussed inequalities, quadratic equations and mathematical competitions for gifted students.
Billed as a mathematical circle, the first-of-its-kind program at the university is meant to encourage students from Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles area schools by providing an informal setting where they can learn mathematical methods and theories.
Freshman Nikolay Grantcharov, 14, writes the solution to a problem on the white board.CHRISTINE TRANG, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERMORE PHOTOS »
“It’s a place that’s meant to welcome and introduce students to math,” said Bogdan Suceava, a Cal State Fullerton associate professor of mathematics. “You can be a beginner in math and still participate well.”
Nikolay Grantcharov, 14, whose father runs a math circle in Texas, found the two-hour session helpful.
“Math makes you think,” Grantcharov said. “In other subjects, you just memorize a lot, but here, there’s just one right answer.”
The math circle was the first of four free Saturday sessions taught by Suceava, who encouraged students to participate in the ABACUS International Math Challenge, a program based on Gazeta, a printed journal that originated in Hungary more than 100 years ago.
“The journal covers very well the age group we serve,” Suceava said. “Some of the problems match the California curriculum for GATE students and honors classes.”
Every month, students who participate in the challenge have online access to eight math problems. If students submit an incorrect solution, a teacher will offer hints. This gives young mathematicians multiple chances to answer correctly. The top three participants in each age group receive a plaque. The challenge runs now through April 30.
“Every school in California should offer ABACUS, and they should train their children for these clever questions,” Suceava said. “The main motivation is to discover gifted children as early as possible, to train them and to build up a class of excellent professionals who work math with pleasure.”
Joshua Park, 12, will most likely enter the challenge. After today’s math circle, he feels he understands inequalities and quadratic equations a little better.
“I feel challenged, which makes me want to learn more,” Park said.
Suceava plans to continue the European-inspired program in the spring.
“We don’t do enough to train our children,” Suceava said. “People say we don’t have the money to spend on certain programs, but we don’t need that. All we need is the interest to develop math circles into a culture.”
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