Mission
The Washington University Math Circle is a free weekly program that brings St. Louis area elementary, middle and high school students who enjoy the beauty and fascination of mathematics together with an instructor who leads the exploration of intriguing topics. It was first established by Prof. Steven Krantz back in the year of 2000, and later led by other directors, including Dr. Blake Thorton (2005-2014, as faculty leader in 2015-2022), Jason and Allison Bender (2015-2022), Prof. Nan Lin (2023-2024), and Prof. Alan Chang and Dr. Brandon Sweeting (2024-present).
Our goal is to have a great time learning and doing mathematics, introduce students to the wonders of mathematical theory, prepare them for math competitions, and encourage them to take career paths in mathematics related fields.
Content
One math circle can’t appeal to students of all ages. The Washington University Math Circle focuses on the interests of students in the 6th through 12th grade. But mathematically advanced 4-5th graders may also find the event joyful. Anyone is welcome to attend, including parents.
Instructors are mostly faculty and PhD students from Department of Mathematics at Washington University. We also welcome speakers from other math related disciplines such as statistics, data science, physics, computer science, and economics.
Besides offering lectures on stand alone topics, sessions in the fall semester emphasize more on topics appearing in math competitions like AMC tests, Mathcounts, or ARML. Previous talks have covered number theory, advanced counting techniques, Euclidean geometry, problem solving strategies and more. Please see the past presentations.
Donations
There is no charge to attending the Washington University Math Circle. However we encourage financial contribution. Please support us.
Joining
Joining is easy. All you have to do is come to our meetings. We would like to see you every week but you are not required to attend regularly. We meet on Sunday afternoons. Please see our schedule for specific dates. To receive event reminders and latest updates, please join our mailing list.
Rules for Parents
We love parents (and teachers) to attend our circle, but it is important to remember that Washington University Math Circle is for the students. If parents would like to sit in the class, we ask that parents sit in the back and not talk (between themselves, the students or the presenters).