Outreach
I'm interested in communicating mathematics to a broad audience.
Public talks
- Mar 2022: Prime divisibility of binomial coefficients in lecture series "Izleti v matematično vesolje" ("Excursions into the mathematical universe") at the University of Primorska. (video; slides; notes)
- Nov 2016: Prime divisibility of binomial coefficients at event “The Talk: Promoting STEM In Youth”, aimed at students in grades 6-12, in Tupelo MS. (slides; a picture)
Expository lectures for graduate students
- Jan 2019: Commutative algebra via simplicial combinatorics. 3 lectures of 90 minutes each aimed at graduate students at the 15th Seminar on Commutative Algebra and Related Topics workshop (winter school) in the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences in Tehran.
- Aug 2014: Some topological combinatorics for combinatorial algebraists. 4 lectures of 60 minutes each aimed at graduate students at the Atlantic Association for Research in the Mathematical Sciences summer school in Dalhousie University.
Math club and similar talks
- Aug 2023: Computational techniques for binomial divisibility at the MaRS math camp, in Javorniški Rovt, Slovenia. (notes from camp booklet, in Slovenian)
- Apr 2017: The probability of generating a group at Rhodes College, in Memphis TN.
- May 2014: How to type Mathematics in LyX at the University of Primorska, in Koper, Slovenia.
- May 2014: A conjecture on divisibility of binomial coefficients at the University of Primorska, in Koper, Slovenia.
- Jan 2014: A conjecture on divisibility of binomial coefficients at Rhodes College, in Memphis TN.
- I've also given several Math Club talks at Mississippi State; and was indeed a co-organizer from 2013 until I moved away in 2017.
Math circles (older)
Previously, at Washington University in St. Louis (2008—2012), I was fairly active in the well-established Math Circles program there. I ran activities both at Washington University (on several occasions), and also at the Metamo4ic Math Center (in Ferguson, MO) and Ferguson Middle School.
For an audience of middle school or high school students who have come in on the weekend, I try not to do any lecturing. Instead, I hand students a sheet of paper as they come in, which tells them a new idea, gives an example of the idea, and asks a question about it. Answering the question gets a student the next sheet. Motivated students can work through about 6 to 10 sheets over a relaxed couple of hours. (I suppose this could be described as a “flipped classroom” type active-learning approach, if one likes buzzwords.)
Some of my Math Circles materials: