Classical Mathematical Community: Forming Culture

Culture is built best in community (in the classroom and out). To that end, we can meet to engage in mathematical discussion together. Right now we're meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays every other week. Feel free to join any of these discussions. Also, the more voices we have forming our mathematical community the better! If you'd like to lead the group considering a problem or text (or doing something else), do let me know.

Our discussions take place via Zoom. To receive an e-mail with the Zoom invitations, please e-mail bcarey@adfontes.com.

Text-Centered Discussions

Studying the humanities means coming face to face with something powerful and outside ourselves: the great texts of our shared intellectual heritage. Those texts then work their way into our hearts and form us into the sorts of people we are meant to be. It’s the same in math.

Sometimes when we gather we'll examine a text that, borrowing an idea from Andrew Smith (Academic Dean at Veritas Academy), is apocalyptic. That is, the text should reveal some broader pattern or truth. Like the great classics, a great mathematical text will be replete with ideas, overflowing with opportunities to wrestle with important truths. And like the great texts of the classical tradition, it will have a stark and captivating beauty.

Problem-Centered Discussions

Many great mathematical texts are centered around problems - questions that allow us to construct mathematical arguments. Good problems need not be "real world" to be compelling. It matters much more that they be puzzling, afford some hope of solution, and be given at the kairos. Of course, applied math can work too. Just like a literature of history class the greatness of the problem matters more than the particular content of the problem.

There's a critical time for each good problem, a time when the folks thinking about it know enough mathematical grammar to solve it, but it's not yet trivial. The ideal time to discuss a problem is when the participants are good enough at mathematical problem solving to work their way through the swamp, but not so good that it’s a stroll in the park. That's what we aim for.

Debate Style Discussions

Upcoming and Previous Discussions

Here are the upcoming discussions:

Here are some past discussions we've had: