For more than two decades, the Texas A&M University Department of Mathematics in partnership with the Department of Statistics has been fostering a love of numbers at the annual Mathematics and Statistics Fair. On Saturday, Feb. 24, the John R. Blocker Building on campus will once again host hundreds of eager young minds ready for a day of learning and fun.
The event, which is free and open to all ages, targets school-aged children and features interactive games, puzzles, crafts, magic tricks, statistics and problem-solving stations. Organizers add another layer of fun by utilizing the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival format. With each game played, craft created and problem solved, students earn a raffle ticket. The more tickets they earn, the better their chance of winning a prize and the more they learn to love math. A pizza lunch will be provided for all fair participants.
“We have created an event in which, even while students are having fun, they are learning math,” said Dr. John Weeks, an instructional assistant professor of mathematics and co-organizer of the fair. “We hope this energizes their return to the classroom as they start playing these games and crafting our projects at home or with their friends at school.”
This year’s fair will also host one of the department’s many popular professors, Dr. Gregory Berkolaiko, who is known for making complex topics understandable. He will teach a lesson about probability in presenting “The Many Colors of M&Ms and the German Tank Problem.”
Berkolaiko describes the lesson as follows: “Your friend chooses a die at random and rolls it several times, announcing the results. How many sides does the die have and with what certainty? This question has some interesting history connected to it. To answer the question, we will learn the basics of probability, including conditional probability and Bayes' Theorem.”
Founded in 2002 by Texas A&M husband and wife mathematics professors Dr. Peter Kuchment and Dr. Mila Mogilevsky, the fair was created to increase understanding and appreciation for math. The partnership with the Department of Statistics was added in 2017. The popular event serves as the highlight of the department’s spring outreach events.
Our mission is one of public service. We hope to educate young people in our community about the wonders of math and statistics in an informal setting and provide a space where everyone can freely explore and ask questions. And hopefully, we can get the kids exited for a lifelong journey of discovery.
Dr. Sinjini Sengupta, an instructional associate professor of mathematics and co-organizer of the event, says the fair allows Texas A&M students, faculty and staff to connect with the Bryan-College Station community.
“Our mission is one of public service,” Sengupta said. “We hope to educate young people in our community about the wonders of math and statistics in an informal setting and provide a space where everyone can freely explore and ask questions. And hopefully, we can get the kids excited for a lifelong journey of discovery.”
The fair runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Blocker Building. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. followed by Berkolaiko’s lesson at 1 p.m. The raffle prize winner will be announced at 2 p.m.
Free parking is available in Lot 47 near the Bonfire Memorial on the Texas A&M campus. Participants may also pay to park in the Northside Garage on the corner of University Drive and Ireland Street near the Blocker Building.
Weeks and Sengupta encourage Texas A&M mathematics and statistics students to volunteer for the fair. Participants may register, volunteer and learn more via the 2024 Math and Stat Fair website.