Inspiring Mathematics

The people of the Navajo Nation know mathematics education for their children is essential. They were joined by mathematicians familiar with ways to deliver problems and a pedagogy that, through exploration, shows the art, joy and beauty in mathematics. This combined effort produced a series of Navajo Math Circles--interactive mathematical explorations--across the Navajo Reservation. This book contains the mathematical details of that effort. Between its covers is a thematic rainbow of problem sets that were used in Math Circle sessions on the Reservation. The problem sets are good for puzzling over and exploring the mathematical ideas within. They will help nurture curiosity and confidence in students. The problems come with suggestions for pacing, for adjusting the problems to be more or less challenging, and for different approaches to solving them. This book is a wonderful resource for any teacher wanting to enrich the mathematical lives of students and for anyone curious about mathematical thinking outside the box. In the interest of fostering a greater awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and everyday life, MSRI and the AMS are publishing books in the Mathematical Circles Library series as a service to young people, their parents and teachers, and the mathematics profession.