Kids’ University

Lafayette Area Math Circle

Welcome!

The Lafayette Area (Indiana, USA) Math Circle will meet one Saturday each month during the school-year at Purdue University campus to explore and understand mathematical ideas with kids. A math circle is a free community of curious minds that come together in a relaxed and engaging environment to enrich their understanding of math concepts that are not typically discussed at school under the guidance of research mathematicians. The goal is understanding, not speed or competition (this is not tutoring or meant to supplement school math in any way), and developing a culture of mathematical inquiry within our community. Our discussions may lead us to explore other topics as well, so my son Bruno has named this math circle, Kids’ University.

Quoting from the National Association of Math Circles site:

Math Circles bring K-12 students or K-12 mathematics teachers together with mathematically sophisticated leaders in an informal setting, after school or on weekends, to work on interesting problems or topics in mathematics. The Circles combine significant content with a setting that encourages a sense of discovery and excitement about mathematics through problem solving and interactive exploration. Ideal problems are low-threshold, high-ceiling; they offer a variety of entry points and can be approached with minimal mathematical background, but lead to deep mathematical concepts and can be connected to advanced mathematics.

Our sessions focus on ages 6 to 10 but topics will be interesting to everyone- grown-ups included! Location and time details will be provided via email to registered participants.

If interested, please fill out this form to be added to the mailing list. This math circle open to everyone and there is no cost for participating.

Tentative dates for Fall 2025 sessions: September 6, October 4, November 8, December 6. All sessions are tentatively scheduled from 3:00 – 4:30 pm.

If you’d like to learn more or have any questions, please contact Manuel Rivera (manuelr at purdue dot edu)

For more information about math circles, check out these resources:

Some references: