MathPath
MathPath is a mathematics enrichment summer program for students ages 11–14 (middle school age in the US). It is four weeks long, and moves to a different location each year. MathPath is visited by world-renowned mathematicians such as John H. Conway and Francis Su. It was probably the original, and is still one of the few, international residential high-end summer camps exclusively for mathematics and exclusively for students of middle school age.
History
MathPath was founded in 2002 by George Rubin Thomas, who had previously founded Mathcamp for high school students and has since founded Epsilon Camp for children age 7–11 (in 2011, originally aged 8-11) and Delta Camp for children 6 and 7 (in 2014 and 2015, now merged with Epsilon Camp). His goal was to inspire and advance the most mathematically gifted middle school age students, through a summer camp.
Subjects
At MathPath, students learn about many math topics that are rarely taught in American schools, or taught in much depth, such as non-Euclidean geometry, advanced Euclidean geometry, number theory, combinatorics, induction, spherical trigonometry, mathematical origami, and the mathematics of card shuffling. They also learn some history of math and work on mathematical writing. Topics vary somewhat each year, depending on instructor interest. As well, students have the opportunity to prepare for contests such as MATHCOUNTS, AMC, or AIME.
The emphasis throughout is on enrichment, not acceleration. Thus no effort is made to place students out of their next school course, and when topics are taught which are elective university courses (e.g., number theory) the purpose is to give a good understanding of the issues and key ideas and methods, not to cover the entire university course. Covering a whole university course would be difficult, even at the rapid MathPath rate, since MathPath courses are only a week long.
Although much of the day is spent learning mathematics, there is deliberately more free time than at high school math camps. Also, students regularly go on weekend day trips and visit the surrounding area's attractions.
Staff
Some staff are regular annual participants. Usually they come for 2–4 weeks, but a few come for only one week. Notable regular staff include John Horton Conway, Sam Vandervelde, and Glen Van Brummelen.
Visiting staff are participants for one year or occasional years. Usually they attend for one week, or for a day or two to give a few lectures. Often they are faculty at the host institution or nearby institutions. Notable visiting staff include Gene Abrams and Robin Hartshorne.
Activities
Typical weekday schedule[1]
- 6:00am Optional activities for early risers: math, jogging, table tennis, etc.
- 7:30 Last wake-up call
- 8:00 Breakfast
- 8:45 History Plenary
- 9:45–11:00 Morning Breakouts
- 11:00–12:00 Guest Plenary
- 12:00 Announcements
- 12:30 Lunch
- 1:00–2:45 Free Time
- 3:00 Writing Plenary
- 3:30–5:00 Afternoon Breakout Session
- 5:00 Wrap-up, Announcements, Problem of the Day
- 6:00 Dinner
- 6:30 Evening Activities (digestion/soccer, basketball, etc.)
- 8:30 Students back in the dorm; math conferencing time
- 9:15 Counselor Meetings
- 9:45 Quiet time, preparing for bed/ showers
- 10:00 Bedtime! (2013)
- 10:15 Bedtime! (2012 and prior)
NOTE: Every year's schedule varies slightly (around 15 minutes). Look on the MathPath website (www.mathpath.org) for the exact schedule for the year.
On Saturday, the afternoon activities are a little different.
- 2:30 Show and tell and voting for breakouts
- 3:30 Fun math activity (such as a math relay race, MathCounts Countdown, QuizBowl, etc.)
On weekends, students usually go on a day trip to the surrounding attractions or participate in other activities, such as biking, white water rafting, rock climbing, or hiking. Chess, ping pong, pool, Rubik's Cube, Set and Magic: The gathering tournaments are played and organized during the students' free time.
Admissions
MathPath is selective. The primary criterion for admission is the applicant's work on the yearly Qualifying Test. One begins the application process by filling out an online information form. An academic and nonacademic reference are also required. Admission is done on a rolling basis. For details, see How to Apply. Also available: financial aid, merit scholarships for high scores on various competitions, and fee reductions for paying early and for siblings attending in the same year.
Locations
- 2002 – Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD
- 2003 – Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD
- 2004 – Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI
- 2005 – Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
- 2006 – University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
- 2007 – Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
- 2008 – The University of Vermont at Burlington
- 2009 – Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
- 2010 – Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
- 2011 – Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
- 2012 – Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
- 2013 – Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
- 2014 – Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
- 2015 - Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
- 2016 - Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
- 2017 - Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
- 2018 - Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
- 2019 - Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI
References
- ^ "A MathPath Day". MathPath.