The 2022 NMF @ NCSciFest is free and open to the public, with activities designed for all ages, from very young children to teens and adults.

We invite you to celebrate the fun, beauty, and power of math through games, puzzles, uplifting and intriguing talks, book readings, and hands-on activities, taking place online via Zoom.

All are welcome to register for these events, with residents of North Carolina particularly encouraged to celebrate with us!

** Zoom links will be shared with registered attendees 72 hours before the event start time.

New to Zoom? Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer or mobile device, you can download the free Zoom app from the Zoom Download Center at https://zoom.us/download. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link on the day of the event. (This may take a few minutes to complete, so it is advisable to do this before the event start time.)

You can also join a test meeting anytime to familiarize yourself with Zoom at: https://zoom.us/test.

For assistance the day of the event, please contact mathfestival@msri.org.

The National Math Festival is organized by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) and the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath).

The Spring 2022 National Math Festival is a program of the North Carolina Science Festival (NCSciFest). Our Spring 2022 activities are presented in cooperation with North Carolina Central University.

NMF Live Online @ NCSciFest

Saturday, April 23, 2022 Schedule of Events

All events take place in US Eastern Time and will be held live online.

Event Accessibility Information: All events will feature live closed captioning and moderated chat enabled. For additional questions, contact us at mathfestival@msri.org.

10-11:30 am ET on Zoom: Natural Math: Snowflakes & Fractals: Fun for PreK and Beyond

Ages 2-7. Young children are warmly invited to make… snowflakes in April? Yes, they’re fractals. Come have fun with this paper-cutting activity with your new friends from Natural Math.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED: Paper, safety scissors.

SOLD OUT: 1-2:15 pm on Zoom: Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Presents: Prime Cubes

Ages 8-13. Armed with only your understanding of prime numbers, play against your friends to to find the best way to fill in our colorful cube. Sign up to play Prime Cubes, a fun brain teaser puzzle, with groups of fellow kids to match your wits together in team-based, cooperative creative problem-solving! ** This event has limited seating and tickets have now sold out.

On event day, come early to get a "seat" — and plan to stay the whole time. Attendance is limited for better group facilitation.

** Attendees can only hold a place in one JRMF event, not both, as they take place at the same time. Duplicate registrations will be asked to choose which event they are registering for.

1-2:15 pm on Zoom: Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Presents: River Crossings

Ages 8-13. What do a goat, a cabbage, and a wolf have in common? Hint: if you are playing River Crossings, you cannot leave them alone in pairs on the riverbank, or… what might happen? Sign up to play River Crossings with groups of fellow kids to match your wits together in team-based, cooperative creative problem-solving!

On event day, come early to get a "seat" — and plan to stay the whole time. Attendance is limited for better group facilitation.

** Attendees can only hold a place in one JRMF event, not both, as they take place at the same time. Duplicate registrations will be asked to choose which event they are registering for.

2:30-3:30 pm on Zoom: Mathical Live Author Reading: Shelley Pearsall, ALL OF THE ABOVE

Ages 8-13. Bring your tetrahedron-building supplies… and join us live for a reading from this multiple award-winning middle-grade novel about a group of kids who set out to break the world’s tetrahedron-building record! Based on a true story.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED: To make a tetrahedron, bring paper, scissors, scotch tape, colored pencils, and print a few of the tetrahedron shapes that we'll share with you before the event day.

4-5 pm on Zoom: Happy Numbers — with Dr. Pamela E. Harris (Williams College)

Ages 14 through adults. When she was a child, Dr. Pamela E. Harris used to ride city buses in Mexico. Whenever you ride a bus and pay the fare, you get a small paper ticket. The tickets have a serial number on them. As a kid she would add the digits together. This was the start of her interest in a deep mathematical subject — happy numbers. Join her as she brings us up to date in her math research on this (happy) subject!

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED: Paper, pencil, calculator.

Related Events in Spring 2022

Thursday, February 10, 2022 (1:00 – 2:00 pm ET): Mathical Book Prize 2022 Winners Announcement.

Note: This event requires a separate Eventbrite registration. A link to register for this event will be included in your confirmation email.

2021-2022 National Math Festival Sponsors

We are grateful for the support of our 2021-2022 Festival Sponsors:

Simons Foundation · Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

National Science Foundation (NSF) · Schmidt Futures

The Kavli Foundation · American Mathematical Society (AMS)

About North Carolina Science Festival

Founded in 2010, the North Carolina Science Festival (NCSciFest) is the first statewide science festival in the United States. Through a series of community-based events each April (hosted by schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, businesses, and other local organizations), the Festival celebrates the economic, educational, and cultural impacts of science in North Carolina. It is an initiative of Morehead Planetarium & Science Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. www.ncscifest.org.

About the National Math Festival

The National Math Festival is organized by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) and the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath). The 2022 NMF is generously supported by the Simons Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Science Foundation, Schmidt Futures, the Kavli Foundation, and the American Mathematical Society (AMS). www.nationalmathfestival.org

About the Mathical Book Prize

The Mathical Book Prize is awarded by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). The prize is awarded in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and in coordination with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). www.mathicalbooks.org

About the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute

The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) is one of the world’s preeminent centers for collaborative research in mathematics. Located in Berkeley, California, MSRI’s mission is to advance mathematical research, foster talent, and further the appreciation of mathematics. MSRI strives to make mathematics accessible and exciting to those outside the field through the National Math Festival, sponsorship of Numberphile (YouTube’s most popular informal mathematics channel, with over 4 million subscribers), film production for public television, and the Mathical Book Prize. www.msri.org