Inspired by Math!

Richard Rusczyk is the founder of the Art of Problem Solving, the premier community for high-performing middle and high school math students in the English-speaking world. I've always been intrigued with the world of math competitions and with what it takes to excel in them. I picked Richard's brain for an hour about competitions and about his company.

Sue VanHattum is very excited about creative ways to look at math. She has compiled and written a number of the chapters in a new book, Playing With Math, which is being produced in a community supported publishing (i.e. crowd funding) model. Listen to Sue's enthusiasm, learn about the book, then reserve your copy at https://www.incited.org/en/projects/4992-Playing-With-Math---the-Book

Lou DiGioia is the executive director of MATHCOUNTS, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to extracurricular middle school mathematics. Lou and I discuss a number of MATHCOUNTS programs, including the recent National Competition, the National Math Club, and the Math Video Challenge. We discuss who the programs serve, and so much more. And, we do this all with a ton of infectious enthusiasm.

Al Cuoco has taught high school students, trained teachers, and developed curriculum that is really making a difference in math education. He and Joseph Rotman have published a book with the MAA, "Learning Modern Algebra From Early Attempts to Prove Fermat's Last Theorem." Al and I discuss a number of the principles and habits of mathematical thinking that are developed in the book.

David Reimer, author of "Count Like an Egyptian" and I discuss Egyptian computation methods, how kids can learn to do multiplication and division without shedding a tear or memorizing tables, how computers and Egyptians both use the same approach to multiplication, why brilliant mathematicians make better teachers and professors, and much more.

Tim Chartier is a math professor, a mime, and the author of the Princeton University Press book "Math Bytes: Google Bombs, Chocolate-Covered Pi, and Other Cool Bits in Computing." Tim and I talk about his performing career, how he became a mathematician, why the book, his role as Math Ambassador for the MAA, his involvement with the Museum of Mathematics, his next book project, and more.

Chuck Adler is a physics professor and the author of "Wizards, Aliens and Starships," published by Princeton University Press. Chuck and I have a great time talking about lots of implausible science, some plausible science, physics education, Star Trek, my squeamishness with physics, and more.

Colm Mulcahy is a mathematician and mathemagician. He recently published a book: Mathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects. Colm was, like many of us, greatly inspired by Martin Gardner and he knew Martin for the last decade of his life and visited with him several times.

Kiki Prottsman is on a mission to get girls (and everyone) interested in computer science. Kiki and I talk about responsible computing, her non-profit Thinkersmith, her background in studying and teaching computer science, various of her other initiatives, and more.

Michelle and Katie are both intimately involved in creating the yearly Moody's Mega Math Challenge together with SIAM, the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The three of us chat about the contest, the inspiration behind it, what's involved in its production, what the students go through, and more.