Summer Math Days - University of Pittsburgh 

When and where

The Summer Math Days 2007 will be held at the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland, on June 26 - 28, 2007, from 10am to 4pm. 
The program is sponsored by the Department of Mathematics.

Meeting Place

Most activities will take place in Thackeray Hall, in room 704. On Wednesday afternoon, activities will be held at the Pittsburgh SuperComputing Center.

About the event

The Summer Math Days is a fun and educational program for all high school students entering grades 10-12 (or having equivalent math background). The idea is to introduce the students to a variety of interesting topics in mathematics, like mathematics of juggling, cryptography, mathematical modeling in biology, mathematical analysis, parallel computing, 3D visualization, puzzles and mathematics etc. A number of dedicated faculty and graduate students in our department have enthusiastically agreed to give lectures and hands-on workshops on these and other topics. For details, please see the schedule posted below. 

Registration

The program is free for all participants but we ask all interested students to register by e-mailing or faxing one of us: aav4@pitt.edu (Prof. Anna Vainchtein), riviere@math.pitt.edu (Prof. Beatrice Riviere). The fax number is (412) 624-8397. 

Flyer

Download a copy of the flyer. 

Lunch and Snacks

On Wednesday, June 27, a pizza lunch provided by the Mathematics Department will be held in room 705. 

Please bring your own lunch on Tuesday and Thursday. Room 705 has a microwave and a refrigerator 
available for your use. We will provide cookies and drinks for some of the breaks. 

Schedule


Tuesday, June 26:
 
 

Time
Title
Speaker
10-10:10 am
Opening Remarks
Prof. Juan Manfredi, Chair, 
Department of Mathematics
10:10-11:00 am
From Toilets to Mexican Hats: A Mathematical Tour of Biology
Prof. Bard Ermentrout
11:00-11:05 am
break
  
11:05 -11:55 am
Calculus versus Computer and Your Birthday
Prof. Juan Manfredi
11:55 am-1:00 pm
lunch - bring your own lunch
  
1:00-1:50 pm
The Beautiful Universe, Its Past And Future, And What Mathematics Has To Do With This
Prof. Vladimir Savinov
1:50-2:00 pm
break
  
2:00-2:50 pm
Modern Financial Markets: The Black-Scholes-Merton Nobel Prize in Economics
Prof. John Chadam
2:50-3:00 pm
break
  
3:00-3:50 pm
Quick Trick Brick Stack
Prof. Piotr Hajlasz

Wednesday, June 27:
 
 

Time
Title
Speaker
10:00-10:50 am
X3475512064 Marks the Pot
Prof. Jonathan Rubin
10:50-11:00 am
break
  
11:00-11:50 am
The Mathematics of Juggling
Mr. Nathaniel Mays
11:50 am -1:00 pm
pizza lunch in 705 Thackeray - 
meet math professors and graduate students and ask 
questions about mathematics and academic careers. 
Lunch will be provided by the Mathematics Department.
  
1:00-1:50 pm
Parallel Computing
Prof. Beatrice Riviere
2:00-4:00 pm
Pittsburgh SuperComputing Center: visit and activities
PSC scientists

Thursday, June 28:
 
 

Time
Title
Speaker
10:00-11:20 am
Mathematics Competition
Prof. Anna Vainchtein
11:20-11:30 am
break
  
11:30-12:20 am
Ice Cream and Cryptography
Prof. Mark Dickinson
12:20 am -1:00 pm 
lunch - bring your own lunch
  
1:00-1:50 pm
Pigeons With Principles
 Mr. Mark Tronzo 
1:50-2:00 pm
break
  
2:00-2:50 pm
Problems from Mathematical Olympiads
 Mr. Eugene Trofimov
2:50-3:00 pm
break
  
3:00-3:50 pm
Theoretical Mathematics in the face of the Black Swan
Prof. Henry Cohen
3:50-4:00 pm
Concluding Remarks
Profs B. Riviere and A.Vainchtein

Participants

Maps

Download a campus map.

Directions to University of Pittsburgh Oakland Campus 

By car from the East Cars traveling from the east via the PA Turnpike (I-76) should take Exit 6 to I-376 West. From 376 take Exit 7A, Oakland, onto Bates Street. Stay on Bates until it ends at Bouquet Street. Turn left onto Bouquet, then right at the first light onto Forbes Avenue.

By car from the West Cars traveling from the west via the PA Turnpike (I-76) should take Exit 3 and follow I-79 South to I-279 South. (You exit to the left off I-79.) Follow 279 into the city, to the I-376 Monroeville Exit. Follow 376 to the Forbes Avenue/Oakland Exit. Forbes Avenue then leads right into the Pitt campus.

By car from the North Take I-79 South to I-279 South. (You exit to the left off I-79.) Follow 279 into the city, to the I-376 Monroeville Exit. Follow 376 to the Forbes Avenue/Oakland Exit. Forbes Avenue then leads right into the Pitt campus.

By car from the South Follow I-79 North to the I-279 North Exit. Take 279 through the Fort Pitt Tunnels and across the bridge to the I-376 Monroeville Exit (first exit on the right). Follow 376 to the Forbes Avenue/Oakland Exit. Forbes Avenue leads into the Pitt campus.

Parking on University of Pittsburgh Campus 

If you need to park on campus, you might want to park at the metered parking spots in the streets or at the following garages:
Soldiers and Sailors (SO): It is the closest garage to the Mathematics department. It is open from 6am to midnight. The rates are
0-1 hour $4.00;
1-2 hours $5.00;
2-4 hours $7.00;
4-6 hours $8.00;
6-8 hours $10.00;
8-10 hours $12.00;
Over 10 hours $14.00.
O'Hara (OH) : It is open from 6am to midnight. The rates are
0-1 hour $4.00;
1-2 hours $5.00;
2-4 hours $8.00;
4-6 hours $9.00;
6-8 hours $10.00;
8-10 hours $14.00;
Over 10 hours $17.00. 

All garages are listed on this map. 

B. Riviere | A. Vainchtein | Department of Mathematics | University of Pittsburgh