PROGRAM

A Close Approximation of a Good Time: Cauchy, Math History, and Instructional Design by Stephen Strand II, California State University, Chico.

Approximations play a central role in the history of mathematics, not only for solving important problems but also as the inspiration for Cauchy's rigorous foundations of calculus. In this interactive talk we develop some approximation techniques, see how those techniques lead directly to important conjectures about the foundations of calculus, and how those same techniques offer powerful tools for proofs of those conjectures. We also zoom out a bit and talk about how historical motivations can be a powerful tool for instructional design.

Fermat's Polygonal Number Theorem by Nick Franceschine, Sonoma State University.

We explore the back alleys of number theory as we learn the history of this curious but rarely-discussed theorem, with an All-Star cast of famous math folks.

Discussion Under the Pines: Problem Sets and the Pòsa Method led by Jillian Kimzey, California State University, Sacramento .

In a time when inquiry based learning (IBL) is gaining popularity in the US, I want to share an IBL method used with gifted students in Hungary. This method was developed by the Hungarian mathematician Lajos Pòsa for his mathematics camps. This method relies on what are called problem threads to guide students to conceptual knowledge. In this discussion I explain what makes this method different from other IBL models, as well as give some examples of problem threads and a daily problem set.