Math Circles began over 100 years ago in Eastern Europe, and spread through
Russia and Asia before finally coming to the US about 30 years ago and to
Santa Barbara almost 15 years ago.
All Math Circles take a “problem-discussion approach to math education,”
most expose young students to mathematicians and/or related professionals,
and some participate in math
competitions and/or hold their own contests. (Our junior high school one does a lot of the first, a little of the second, and almost none of the third.)
Well, then, what's a Math Ellipse?
A circle is a special case of an ellipse. Ellipses have a property called
eccentricity, which
measures how emediumlongated they are. The eccentricity is always a positive number
between
zero and one, except that perfect circles have an eccentricity of zero.
(Our logo above has an eccentricity of 0.8855, whereas the eccentricity
of the earth's orbit around the sun is 0.0017.)
So a Math Ellipse is an eccentric Math Circle. Since Santa Barbarians tend to be somewhat eccentric, we thought it would be appropriate to call our Math Circle a Math Ellipse.
If you don't know what an ellipse is or what eccentricity is, don't worry
– you'll learn all that
and more at the first meeting. And if you already know all that, there will
be plenty of elliptical challenges for you, too.
Whom is it for?
The Junior High or Middle School Santa Barbara Math Ellipse is open to any interested
student, including homeschoolers, in Grades 6-8. Motivated, advanced younger
students may also attend with
permission of the organizer.
Why?
The general goal of Math Circles is to engage highly-motivated students
in the exploration of intriguing mathematical topics that are beyond the
standard curriculum. This is done in a collaborative environment fostering
the development of creative thinking skills through problem solving. Such
skills are applicable not only to mathematical research but to careers in
science
and engineering as well as other areas of life.
As an important by-product, Math Circles also provide opportunities for kids who enjoy math to socialize with similarly inclined kids in a relatively informal educational environment.
When and Where is it?
Meetings are held once a week on Thursday afternoon, from 3:30 to 5:00
p.m.
Most meetings
are held at SB Family School in Goleta but some may be
held at UCSB or other sites. You will be given the exact location of the meetings
after your registration form is received.
How much does it cost?
The cost per meeting is $36 ($24/hour).
Scholarships based on both need and merit are available.