MSRI, Math Circles, and Math Olympiads

Why MSRI is having this conference Berkeley Math Circles / Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad founded here (1998) Founders: Zvezdelina Stankova (postdoc at MSRI then, at Mills College now) Paul Zeitz (University of San Francisco) Hugo Rossi (MSRI Deputy Director) Program administered by MSRI ever since But that begs the question

Pipeline issue Students who have an aptitude for (and love) mathematics are our source for: Future postdocs whose training is central to MSRI’s mission Researchers in the mathematical sciences who will conduct and participate in our programs Encouraging Math Circles and Olympiads and gathering to talk about them addresses a pipeline issue

The U.S. needs to foster and encourage mathematical talent U.S. Bachelors degrees awarded in Mathematics: 1966: 20,090 (3.8% of all Bachelors degrees) 1970: 27,565 (3.5%) 2001: 11,455 (0.9%) Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966–2001, Susan T. Hill and Jean M. Johnson, Project Officers, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, NSF, March 2004; see http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf04311/pdf/nsf04311.pdf

At least we’re doing better with women, right? U.S. Bachelors degrees awarded in Mathematics to women 1966: 6,689 (33.3% of all Mathematics Bachelors) 1970: 10,317 (37.4%) 2001: 5,497 (48.0%)

U.S. Bachelors degrees awarded in classically mathematics-based SEM fields Mathematics; Computer Science; Physical Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric, and Oceanographic Sciences; Engineering 1966: 73,179 (14.0% of all Bachelors degrees) 1970: 95,403 (12.0%) 2001: 132,028 (10.5%) Omitted from NSF list: Biological and Agricultural Sciences; Psychology; Social Sciences

Are we losing the Mathematics students in college? Fraction of U.S. college freshmen intending to major in a classical Mathematics-based SEM field who actually intend Mathematics/Statistics 1975: 11.4% 2001: 4.4% Higher Education Research Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Survey of the American Freshman: National Norms, special tabulations, 2003

Some questions to be explored in this conference What does “exceptional talent” mean, where does it come from, and how do we identify it? What are some of the various models used for Math Circles? Can the models be improved? Are the models addressing the needs of students from diverse backgrounds? Besides encouraging Math Circles and Olympiads, this conference will seek to explore some questions

The best reason for having this conference and encouraging Math Circles and Olympiads It’s great to see the smiles on the faces of the kids who have won a prize, or solved a hard problem, or just enjoy being around others who share their love of mathematics and value being good at it. Photo credit: Zvezdelina Stankova