Welcome to the Twin Cities Math Circle

The Twin Cities Math Circle was founded in 2011 for middle- and high-school students from throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area who enjoy math and want the challenge of exploring exciting topics that lie beyond the standard school curriculum.  The Twin Cities Math Circle enables students to experience the beauty of mathematics and to become passionate about doing mathematics.

What is a Math Circle?

The math circle philosophy requires that mathematically knowledgeable teachers, often college professors, guide students in their discovery of complex mathematics by posing a foundational question to a small group of students and then guiding the discussion down paths “propelled by the fun of the chase.”  According to Robert and Ellen Kaplan, founders of the first math circle in the United States, the drudgery of school math education often fails to instill confidence and a sense of play that invites exploration in mathematics.  Math circle meetings, on the other hand, are designed in such a way that students are challenged to joyfully find their way through a chosen mathematical topic.  Simple-sounding questions such as “What’s a geometry like with no parallel lines?" or " Can you tile a square with squares all of different sizes?” lead to a discussion of deep mathematics.  Students are encouraged to ask key questions; tangential investigations, known as “going down the rabbit hole,” are an important part of the process and an exploration of ideas is welcomed.  Although math circle meetings are mathematically rigorous, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

Please click the links at left for more information.

Contact Information

Questions? Please contact us at:

Twin Cities Math Circle
The Blake School
110 Blake Road South
Hopkins, MN 55343

or

Ina Loobeek
iloobeek@blakeschool.org
952-988-3847

Map & Directions

Click here for a map and directions to The Blake School's Hopkins campus.