Mathematical Games and Puzzles (Fall, 4th-6th)

Play is a key part of a healthy mathematical perspective, and one that many students, parents, and teachers fail to appreciate.

In this 8 week course, we'll dive in to some of Math for Love's favorite games, including Nim, Hex, and Pico Fermi Bagels. These games are great to just play, but they also have some puzzling questions built-in, many of which have the potential to spiral into some serious problem solving rabbit holes that are compelling to mathematicians at all levels.

In addition to providing a fun and rewarding experience on Sundays, we really hope you'll run with these games at home for years to come. During the last few minutes of class, Paul will step into the hallway to introduce parents to the games, in order to make it easier for you to take these games home with you. Write-ups for most of these games are also available on the Math For Love website, for your reference.

These games provide quite a rich space for play and exploration, so this course is appropriate for new and returning Math for Love students, regardless of their level of mathematical sophistication.

The 2nd-3rd grade group and the 4th-6th grade group will explore a similar collection of games this fall, although we'll emphasize the analysis more with the older students and the play more with the younger ones. By keeping the content coverage similar between the two groups, we aim to further ease the burden of bringing these games into your homelife, particularly for those families with students in both groups.

Instructor: Paul Gafni

Class runs from Sundays October 2 to November 20, 2016, from 3:05-3:55. Help putting away tables and chairs from 3:55-4 is appreciated.

For information about need-based scholarships, contact paul.gafni@gmail.com.