Keynote Address (Friday dinner)

James Tanton • Mathematical Association of America

What are those strange dots-and-boxes diagrams scattered throughout the conference program? What has 4.5 million teachers and students all across the globe abuzz with excitement? What piece of genuine mathematics can be so exciting and so engaging so as to cause adults and kids alike to leap out of their seats and yell out “KAPOW”? Why it is Exploding Dots, of course! Experience the joy and awe that comes from pushing a simple mathematical idea to the max. See the math you know like you’ve never seen it before, and see math you’ve likely never seen. Warning: It is best to come to this experience with an extra pair of socks — your first pair will be knocked right off!

Dr. James Tanton is an ambassador for the Mathematical Association of America currently serving as their mathematician-at-large. He has taught mathematics at both university and high-school institutions, works with students of all ages and backgrounds to experience the wonder of mathematics, has authored many books about math puzzles and problem-solving, and co-founded the Global Mathematics Project, which in its first year helped more than 1,000,000 students from over 100 countries explore Tanton’s world-famous “Exploding Dots” during Global Math Week 2017.

• gdaymath.com including courses on Exploding Dots(with videos and class materials)
• jamestanton.com
• explodingdots.org
• theglobalmathproject.org
• @jamestanton