Recreational Mathematics Colloquium III
“Recreational Mathematics” is a problematic expression. For some people, like most professional mathematicians, Mathematics is lots of fun; but for others, like some students, Mathematics can be a nightmare.
Historically, we know that some mathematical research areas are deeply linked to puzzles and games — probability and chance games, graph theory and the Brigdes of Königsberg come to mind.
The University of Azores and the Ludus Association will organize the Recreational Mathematics Colloquium III.
This initiative is accredited by the Scientific and Pedagogical Council for Continuing Education (CCPFC/ACC-73251/13) and by the Regional Directorate of Education of the Government of THEçores (Order No. 1567/2012), in teaching groups 230, of the 2nd cycle of Basic Education, and 500, of the 3rd cycle of Basic and Secondary Education.
Scientific committee
- Alda Carvalho, Portugal
- Carlos Pereira dos Santos, Portugal
- Colin Wright, UK
- David Singmaster, UK
- Ilda Perez, Portugal
- João Pedro Neto, Portugal
- Jorge Nuno Silva, Portugal
- Ricardo Cunha Teixeira, Portugal
- Richard Nowakowski, Canada
- Robin Wilson, UK
Organizing committee
- Alda Carvalho, Portugal
- Ana Paula Garrao, Portugal
- Carlos Pereira dos Santos, Portugal
- Jorge Nuno Silva, Portugal
- Margaret Dias, Portugal
- Ricardo Cunha Teixeira, Portugal
Invited speakers
- Antonio Machiavell, Portugal
- Carlota Simoes, Portugal
- Colin Wright, UK
- David Singmaster, UK
- Lennart Green, Sweden
- Oliver Labs, Germany
- Pedro J. Freitas, Portugal
- Richard Nowakowski, Canada
- Robin Wilson, UK
- Thane Plambeck, USA
Wednesday, 3rd April
8:30 – Welcome and registration
9:15 – Opening Session
9:30 – Writing systems and games: a curious marriage in the western Pacific (BGS+RM)
_ Alex Voogt, American Museum of Natural History
10:30 – Counting with counters: Gerbert's abacus (BGS+RM)
_ Jorge Nuno Silva, University of Lisbon
11:00 – Coffee Break
11:30 – An update to the multilated chessboard (BGS+RM)
_ Colin Wright, Liverpool Mathematical Society (Invited Speaker)
12:30 – Quadratum (BGS+RM)
_ Helena Melo, University of Azores & CMATI
13:00 – Break for lunch
14:30 – Solving dotty problems – an introduction to graph theory
_Robin Wilson, Open University (Invited Speaker)
15:30 – Mathematics of soccer
_ Alda Carvalho, ISEL & CEMAPRE/ISEG
16:00 – Coffee Break
16:30 – The Humble-Ehrhends triangle mystery
_ Jorge Buescu, University of Lisbon
17:00 – Symmetry groups: identifying patterns in Azorean heritage
_ Vera Moniz, University of Azores
17:30 – The Golden Ratio – from Euclid to Almada Negreiros
_ Charlotte Simoes (Invited Speaker)
18:30 – Break Time
19:00 – 20:00 Welcome Cocktail
Thursday, 4th April
9:30 – Piet Hein & the murder of NIM (BGS+RM)
_ Thane Plambeck (Invited Speaker)
10:30 – What is a «good» board game? (BGS+RM)
_ Carlos Pereira dos Santos, ISEC
11:00 – Coffee Break
11:30 – Three new math-games for experiencing the interplay between algebra,
_ geometry, and symmetry (BGS+RM)
_ Oliver Labs, Universität des Saarlandes (Invited Speaker)
12:30 – Ancient Egyptian boardgames: an historical account (BGS+RM)
_ Joaquim Eurico Nogueira, New University of Lisbon
13:00 – Break for lunch
15:00 – Social
Friday, 5th April
09:00 – Order in the ranks (BGS+RM)
_ Pedro J. Freitas, University of Lisbon (Invited Speaker)
10:00 – Coffee Break
10:30 – Mathematical Circus (Open to All)
_ Ludus Association
11:10 – Presentation of Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 (Open to All)
_ Carlota Simões, University of Coimbra, Ana Paula Garrão, University of Azores
11:20 – Presentation of Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 (Open to All)
_ Jorge Nuno Silva, José Francisco Rodrigues, University of Lisbon
11:40 – Presentation of Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013 (Open to All)
_ Ricardo Teixeira, University of Azores
12:00 – Magic Show (Open to All)
_ Lennart Green, World Champion close-up/card Magician (Invited)
13:00 – Break for lunch
14:30 – Lewis Carroll in Numberland
_Robin Wilson, Open University (Invited Speaker)
15:30 – Problem solving through crafts and challenges
_ Marie Stephanie Cabral, University of Azores
16:00 – Coffee Break
16:30 – Treason strategies
_João Cabral, University of Azores
17:00 – Parallel Game
_ Raquel Faria, University of Azores
17:30 – Can mathematical exhibitions be recreational?
_ José Francisco Rodrigues, University of Lisbon
18:00 – Contest «A story you tell»
_ Helena Melo, University of Azores & CMATI
18:30 – Interesting Announcements
_ Jorge Nuno Silva, Carlos Santos, Ludus Association
19:30 – Conference Dinner
Saturday, 6th April
09:30 – Game profiling (BGS+RM)
_ Richard Nowakowski, Dalhaousie University (Invited Speaker)
10:30 – “Zermelo's Theorem” is called “Zermelo's Theorem” ? (BGS+RM)
_ Lisa Rougetet, University of Science and Technology of Lille
11:00 – Coffee Break
11:30 – Vanishing area puzzles (BGS+RM)
_ David Singmaster, Retired from London South Bank University (Invited Speaker)
12:30 – Lasker and mathematics (BGS+RM)
_Jurgen Stigter, TWA
13:00 – Break for lunch
14:30 – Turning the lights out on graphs
_Antonio Machiavelo, University of Porto (Invited Speaker)
15:30 – Counting the number of sudoku's by importance sampling simulation
_Ad Ridder, University of Amsterdam
16:00 – Combinatorial games and Computability
_Urban Larsson, University of Gothenburg
16:30 – Closing Session