MATHEMATICS WEEK IRELAND
15 October - 22 October 2011

I was privileged to be invited to be part of this national event and my brief was to go into 'primary' schools to present mathematical activities which are not normally found in the text book.

Saturday was street maths in a Dublin precinct. After a slow start the shoppers became interested with the activities laid on the pavement and on the tables. Two presidential candidates came to the area for a photo call.The weather was kind until we were clearing up and then the heavens opened up.

Sir William Rowan Hamilton (4 August 1805 – 2 September 1865) was an Irish physicist, astonomer and mathematician who made important contributions to classical mechanics, optics and algebra. His greatest contribution is perhaps the reformulation of Newtonian mechanics, now called Hamiltonian mechanics. 16 October is always celebrated with a walk which Hamilton allegedly took home and then scratched his infamous formula on a limestone bridge. About a hundred joined the walk after a short presentation.

The next four days were spent in schools working the full day and entertaining a total of 1000+ pupils. They were very receptive and focussed on all the tasks presented to them. Natually a couple of simple mathematical magic activities always impressed them.

Tuesday evening was a twilight session with over 30 teachers in attendance and it was pleasing the material and arguments I presented were well received.

As well the 'day' work I attended a national prize giving ceremony for posters on statistics and attended evening presentations delivered by European renowned mathematicians.

Other presenters during the week included:

Maths Week is co-ordinated by
CALMAST
Waterford Institute of Technology

Every further education institution registered for Maths Week and over 120 000 registered.

http://www.mathsweek.ie/2011

MATHEMATICS WEEK
IRELAND
15 October - 22 October
2011