Set theory is often regarded as one of the most abstract parts of math, but in Catherine’s hands, it becomes tangible and vivid. The judges appreciated Catherine’s lucid explanations and accompanying graphics. This analogy wasn’t something I wanted to keep to myself, and so it became the basis of my entry to the Strogatz Prize competition!” And when all are absent, a subset of the class still exists since the class period still technically occurs. When some are absent, only a “subset” of the class exists.
As the elements of a mathematical set are numbers, the elements of a class are students. I realized that the sets on my page could be related to my classes at school. As she wrote in her essay for this contest, “I’ve never been one to accept or memorize a mathematical concept unless it makes complete sense to me, so I decided to go beyond sheer numbers and create an analogy. Apoorva’s uplifting message is that math is everywhere and approachable by anyone from any background.Ĭatherine’s video was inspired by her struggle to understand why the empty set is a subset of every set. They touch on history, etymology, and puzzles, and make connections to everything from art and architecture to science and nature. The judging panel loved the wide range of Apoorva’s blog posts. Combining clear explanations with an appealing layout and well-chosen graphics, Gems in STEM is itself a gem. The judges were very impressed with Apoorva’s joyful, elegantly written blog posts on a wide range of math topics, from the liar’s paradox and partitions to tessellations and fractals. For both my own fun and for readers, I weave in pop culture, pick-up lines, and over-the-top stories to let people into the fantastical world of math, and to show them that anyone can enjoy anything.” I assume no more than basic math knowledge and include fun tidbits for learners of all experience levels. She sees her blog as “a place to learn about math topics in an accessible, light-hearted manner. She writes a blog called “Gems in STEM” and frequently posts the essays on Cantor’s Paradise, the #1 math site on. The judges felt that their own words were inadequate to summarize Julia’s achievement in writing “Math Person.” Let us simply say, read her poem and experience it for yourself.Īpoorva Panidapu is a 16-year-old mathematics student, artist, and advocate for youth and gender minorities in STEAM. I want to go back into that auditorium and finish the exam and talk about it all night. I don’t want to be patted on the shoulder and misunderstood. Not seeing what it was all for, wishing – but never working up the guts to push – for more. I’m someone who sat through the slow-drip of middle school math, bored and daydreaming, Mom offers to stop by Panera as a treat for all the painful math that I’ve just endured. “Math Person” conveys – in ways both beautiful and haunting – the isolation Julia felt as one of the only girls in the American Math Competition 10th grade and, more profoundly, the intellectual isolation she still feels every day as someone who loves math deeply yet lacks a friend with whom to share it. Julia Schanan’s entry for the Strogatz Prize was a free-verse poem titled “Math Person.” The judges were moved by the poem’s artistry and emotional power, its depth and raw honesty, its brilliant use of language, and its eye for the unexpected but telling detail.
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