Introduction

Summary

I almost called this book THE MATH CLUB BOOK. The problem with that title, however, is that readers may mistakenly think the book is solely for students in focussed mathematics programs, and for their instructors and teachers. This is far from the case. Although the book sprang from my work running the mathematics club at St. Mary's College of Maryland and now at Merrimack College, its spirit (and the spirit of my clubs) is one of opening up the world of mathematics to anyone interested—it is my firm belief that mathematics is accessible to all. Showing this accessibility is the goal of the book.

Mathematics is creative, interactive and alive. It certainly can challenge or confound people at any level of training. Mathematics often demands critical thinking, ingenuity and innovation. But these are skills we all already possess. In living our everyday lives, we are often presented with open-ended or ill-defined problems. We are challenged to think clearly and creatively and to shift perspectives; that is, to think like a mathematician. Everyone can do math.

Students in a traditional classroom setting often don't have the opportunity either to witness or to experience for themselves the creative aspect to mathematics (this is often dramatically the case in high school and lower-level college classes; how can these students know if they want to pursue mathematics further?). A crucial aim of the activities in this book is to foster original inquiry, to transform the notion of “solved” from one of completion and closure to one of a new opportunity for continued exploration and creative endeavor.