YSU MegaMath Workshops

What Are They?

One of the main features of YSU MegaMath Day is the workshops. All students will attend 2 workshops chosen from a wide variety of topics. Workshops encourage learning and engaging in many fields in mathematics through group activities and demonstrations. Students will have the opportunity to see that mathematics is much more than computation! The workshops will be conducted by university faculty and students and are noncompetitive.

Workshop Titles 2023

1. Not Your Usual Multiplication by Dr. Eric Wingler.
2. Network of Friends by YSU Students.
3. Math Mystery by YSU Students.
4. Equation Shootout Three in a Row by YSU Students.
5. How Lucky is a Bowl of Lucky Charms? by Dr. Jay Kerns.
6. The Mathematics Behind Google's PageRank by Dr. Paddy Taylor.
7. Clock Arithmetic by Dr. Thomas Madsen.
8. It’s Golden! by Ms. Alayne Leone.
9. Fun with Fractals by Dr. Jozsi Jalics.
10. Apple Picking by YSU Students.
11. The Game of Sprigs by YSU Students.
12. Instant Insanity by Dr. Tom Smotzer.

Not Your Usual Multiplication, by Dr. Eric Wingler

This workshop will consider operations performed on geometrical objects such as triangles, rectangles, etc. and how these operations can be "multiplied."

Network of Friends, by YSU Students

Want to find out who has similar interests as you? Want to see if your friends are as connected to you as you think? Maybe there’s someone else that you have a lot of common with?

Learn about network graphs and create a visual representation of how connected you are with your peers.

Math Mystery, by YSU Students

At every station, match each equation/question to the correct solutions. Once the entire table is complete, record each “Riddle Letter” according to the “Riddle Word” it has been assigned to. Once you have completed all stations, unscramble the letters and reveal the answer to the riddle.

Equation Shootout Three in a Row, by YSU Students

In this engaging, hands-on game, students will be able to practice a variety of math concepts while going head-to-head against another team! Students will be facing off in a combined game of basketball and the simple game of tic-tac-toe. Which team will reign victorious?

Rules:

At the start of the workshop, all students will be split into two teams. They will make a lineup in what order they all want to shoot. Then they will go head-to-head in solving a problem based off what grade they are in. If they get the answer correct, they will get a chance to shoot the ball for 3, 2, or 1 point. If they get it wrong, they will get a second chance to correct it and if they get it right, they will place penny (practice jersey) on a tic-tac-toe board. Once they get three in a row, they will get a chance to shoot the basketball. The first one to ten points will be the winner!

How Lucky is a Bowl of Lucky Charms? by Dr. Jay Kerns

A bowl of this popular breakfast cereal, with its multi-colored marshmallows and tasty toasted oats, truly lives up to its tagline: "Magically Delicious!" However, it seems like, as the box gets emptier, the later bowls somehow don't seem quite as magical as the earlier ones. Using mathematics and statistics, we'd like to investigate this phenomenon. Just how lucky is a bowl of Lucky Charms? Come to this workshop to find out!

The Mathematics Behind Google's PageRank, by Dr. Paddy Taylor

In 1998 Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders of Google, changed the landscape of internet search by introducing their PageRank algorithm for improving how web-searches are performed. The PageRank algorithm applies numerical linear algebraic techniques and exploits the link structure of the internet to rank web pages based on order of importance and relevance. We will explore the mathematics behind their algorithm and provide a simple example illustrating the process. We will also hold a competition during the workshop and rank the participants using PageRank. Students attending this workshop will learn how to multiply matrices; no prior experience is necessary. Graphing calculators or cell phones are encouraged to help students with calculations.

Clock Arithmetic, by Dr. Thomas Madsen

A clock only has 12 hours, and yet we can add hours and minutes and stay within the 12 hours. If it is 11, then 2 hours later it is 1. In this workshop we will consider clock arithmetic, also known as modular arithmetic. Here, some of the basic properties of the real numbers don’t hold. We see how, for example, 2 + 2 could equal 0.

It’s Golden! by Ms. Alayne Leone

The golden ratio. What is it? Where do we see it? Where does it come from? In this workshop, we will explore the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence that is seen in nature, art, architecture, and human hand bones!

Fun with Fractals, by Dr. Jozsi Jalics

Explore the fun and beautiful geometry of fractals by constructing some of your own fractals.

Apple Picking, by YSU Students

Compete versus another player on who can be the last one to eat an apple. Outsmart your opponent with logic and a hungry stomach for victory. This game will start with a row or grid of apples. Opponents then take turns eating either one or two apples and the last player to eat an apple wins! After playing a few games can you figure out a strategy to always win? Learn logic and game theory to always have the upper hand on your opponent.

The Game of Sprigs, by YSU Students

Come learn how to play Sprigs: a game similar to dots and boxes. We will take time to learn the game as well as discovering strategies to play as best as possible. In trying to find strategies, we will experience an introduction to the mathematical fields of combinatorics and game theory.

Instant Insanity, by Dr. Tom Smotzer

Instant Insanity is the name given by Parker Brothers to their 1967 version of a puzzle that has existed since antiquity. We will explore the mathematical world of graph theory and use tools of graph theory to find a solution to the puzzle.