Karachi, The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Math Circle, in collaboration with STEAM Pakistan and the Syed Babar Ali Foundation, has embarked on an ambitious mission to enhance the study of mathematics in Pakistan. This initiative recently took a significant step forward with its successful outreach in Sukkur, where LUMS faculty members, Dr. Adnan Khan and Dr. Saad Qadeer, conducted a series of engaging and educational Math Circle sessions.
According to Lahore University of Management Sciences, the LUMS Math Circle aimed to ignite a passion for mathematics among students in Sukkur. The outreach covered schools in Rohri and Jani Buriro, introducing young minds to complex mathematical concepts through interactive sessions.
The faculty’s visit on December 9, 2023, to the Government Girls High School in Jani Buriro, marked a notable moment in this journey. They engaged with around 30 students from grades 6 to 8, introducing them to knot theory, algebra, binary numbers, and greatest common divisors. A coin flipping exercise challenged the students’ problem-solving skills and left them with a mathematical puzzle to ponder.
The team’s visit to the Loco Shed Government Girls Elementary Lower Secondary School in Rohri continued this educational endeavor. The students there were introduced to a summation trick, the Collatz problem, Nim’s game, and were given the Three Fishermen problem as a takeaway challenge.
The outreach’s highlight was the Math Circle session at Sukkur IBA University (SIBAU), attended by over 80 participants. This session, enhanced by collaboration with Dr. Fazeel Anwar from SIBAU, covered topics such as the Collatz conjecture, the coin rotation paradox, and Nim’s game. The Three Fishermen problem, presented to the participants, sparked notable enthusiasm and intellectual engagement.
Additionally, Dr. Saad Qadeer gave an insightful public talk at IBA Sukkur, titled ‘Normal modes and resonance: Chaldni waves and Faraday waves’, contributing further to the mathematical discourse in the region.
The LUMS Math Circle’s activities in Sukkur have significantly influenced the local educational landscape, fostering a love for mathematics and encouraging the next generation of Pakistani students to become problem solvers and critical thinkers.