02/08/2021

Carneiro proposes a problem to spread 'mathematical joy'

Flickr/ Lucio Araujo

Motivating elementary school students to tackle a mathematical challenge is not usually an easy task. In a popular science article, IMPA researcher Emanuel Carneiro provides a guide for teachers to apply a problem in the classroom that promises to spread "mathematical joy" in Brazilian schools. "For me, if this math problem were a movie, it would be 'The Godfather', if it were a race car driver, it would be Ayrton Senna, if it were a basketball player, it would be Michael Jordan," the researcher explains.

Named by Carneiro as "There's an Infinite Left," the problem can be taught to children of all ages, but for them to understand and appreciate the solution, it's ideal that they have basic knowledge of geometric progressions and quadratic equations. The supporting materials are simple: just a blackboard, chalk, pencils, paper, an eraser, and some small treat to stimulate the students, such as a couple of boxes of chocolates, suggests the researcher.

Intrigued? Check out the article " My favorite math problem: the remainder one " and try the challenge with your students!