Pi Day 2024 high school workshops

SMRI hosted two after-school workshops for high school students at the University of Sydney on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 March to celebrate the International Day of Mathematics (aka “Pi Day”). 

Fold and cut theorem workshop: Tuesday 12 March, 16:00–18:00, Law Annex Seminar Room 342

Who doesn’t enjoy the relaxing feeling that comes with cutting out intricate shapes and designs from coloured paper for arts and crafts class? Sometimes, we might even find ourselves folding up our paper in clever ways such that one cut can do the work of many.

However, this poses an interesting question for mathematicians: given any shape, can we fold a rectangular sheet of paper in such a way that we can produce this shape with a single, straight cut?

We will answer this question by exploring the mathematics behind these folds and cuts in a combination of hands-on activities and discussions.This event will be presented by University of Sydney mathematicians, Thomas Zheng and Andy Tran.

The workshop is for high-school students in Sydney who are studying maths. Considering taking higher level mathematics next year or at University? Come along!

Ruler-and-compass vs origami workshop: Wednesday 13 March, 16:00–18:00, Law Annex Seminar Room 342

In this workshop we’ll explore the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid’s ruler-and-compass constructions, and their mysteries that stumped mathematicians for millennia: trisecting angles and squaring circles.

We’ll compare the ruler and compass method of construction to the Japanese art of paper folding—also known as origami—and see which one can achieve more! Can you origami-trisect an angle? Can you origami-square a circle? The answers are rooted in the concept of “field extensions”, discovered by 19th century mathematician Evariste Galois.

This event will be presented by University of Sydney mathematician Associate Professor Zsuzsanna Dancso from the School of Mathematics and Statistic’s Algebra Group.

The workshop is for high-school students in Sydney who are studying maths. Considering taking higher level mathematics next year or at University? Come along!