The Berkeley Math Circle

Calendar

Regarding the Fall 2023 semester:

  • The Fall 2023 semester will offer different modes of instruction depending on the group your student is enrolled in.
  • All BMC-Upper sessions for the Beginners I and Advanced groups will be held online during Fall 2023, except for the Bay Area Math Olympiad and possibly an end-of-the-semester event (optional, in-person).
  • Beginners II and Intermediate I-II sessions are planned in-person, except for possibly a few sessions.

BMC sessions are held on Wednesdays at UC Berkeley (or online):

Session

Time

Room

Beginners I

5:00 PM to 6:20 PM

Online

Beginners II

6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Evans 1015

Intermediate I

6:10 PM to 7:55 PM

Cheit C230 (To Be Confirmed)

Intermediate II

6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Cheit C220 (To Be Confirmed)

Advanced

6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Online

Please NOTE:

  • The starting times are sharp and parking is limited, so please plan on arriving 10 to 15 minutes prior in order to be situated and ready for the session.
  • Late arrivals cause disturbance and distraction and therefore are strongly discouraged.
  • Regarding the Monthly Contest schedule, you'll find little symbols in the left hand column:
  1.      dist_icon.png   -  when a Monthly Contest will be distributed.
  2.     due_icon.png   -  when a Monthly Contest is due.
  3.      awards_icon.png  - when the awards for that Monthly Contest will be held.
  • Please go to the BMC Elementary  tab for its information and schedule.

Calendar for 2023 - 2024 Academic Year

MC1
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - The Math of Chemistry: The Make-up of Atoms I
PDF
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - The Math of Chemistry: The Make-up of Atoms I
PDF
Evans 1015
Cody Strouse Intermediate I - Graph Theory
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Sebastian Weinberger Intermediate II - Introduction to Group Theory
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - Similarities
PDF, PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - The Math of Chemistry: The Make-up of Atoms II
PDF
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - The Math of Chemistry: The Make-up of Atoms II
PDF
Evans 1015
Cody Strouse Intermediate I - Graph Theory
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Sebastian Weinberger Intermediate II - Group Theory Part II
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - Similarities II
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Selena Ding Beginners I - Exponentials in Biology
Online
Aaron Agulnick Beginners II - Logic Games
PDF
Evans 1015
Roy Zhao Intermediate I - Modular Arithmetic I
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Graph Theory
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Olga Holtz Advanced - Markov Chains
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Selena Ding Beginners I - Laws of Genetics
Online
Bernt Wahl Beginners II - Chaos
Evans 1015
Roy Zhao Intermediate I - Modular Arithmetic II
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Graph Theory
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Laura Pierson Advanced - Goodstein Sequences, Hydras, and Infinity
Online
MC2 MC1
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - Mathematical Scissors Part 1
Online
Harry Main-Luu Beginners II - Catching the Butterfly Part 1
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - The Importance of "Zero" in Math
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - TBA
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Espen Slettnes Advanced - TBA
Online
MC1
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - Mathematical Scissors Part 2
Online
Harry Main-Luu Beginners II - Catching the Butterfly Part 2
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - The Importance of "Invariance" in Math

Note: Back to usual time

Cheit C230 (TBC)
Noah Mart Intermediate II - Introduction to Topology
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Aaron Agulnick Advanced - Fourier Series
PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - Mathematical Scissors Part 3
Online
Harry Main-Luu Beginners II - Catching the Butterfly Part 3
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - The Importance of "Patterns" in Math Problem Solving
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Noah Mart Intermediate II - Introduction to Topology
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Milo Moses Advanced - Matrices with non-negative integer coefficients
PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Roy Zhao Beginners I - Combinatorial Games I
PDF
Online
Ethan Dlugie Beginners II - The Game of Sprouts
Evans 1015
Bernt Wahl Intermediate I - Chaos
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Aaron Agulnick Intermediate II - The Discrete Fourier Transform
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Kyle Devereaux Advanced - Harmonic Oscillators
PDF, PDF, PDF
Online
MC3 MC2
Instructor Topic Room
Roy Zhao Beginners I - Combinatorial Games II
PDF
Online
Ethan Dlugie Beginners II - Mathematical Paper Crafts
Evans 1015
Elysee Wilson-Egolf Intermediate I - Cuts and Folds
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Aaron Agulnick Intermediate II - The Discrete Fourier Transform
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Harry Main-Luu Advanced - Catching the Butterfly
PDF
Online
MC2
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - Problem Solving Techniques: Various Math Kangaroo & Math Olympiad Selections
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - Problem Solving Techniques: Various Math Kangaroo & Math Olympiad Selections
Evans 1015
Aaron Agulnick Intermediate I - Systems of Linear Equations
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Random Walks and Electrical Circuits
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Harry Main-Luu Advanced - Catching the Butterfly
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - Plane Tessellation Part 1
Online
Felicia Lim Beginners II - Modular Arithmetic
PDF
Evans 1015
Sarah Firestone Intermediate I - Trigonometry and Vector Applications
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Intermediate II - AMC10A/12A
In Person - Room TBA
Advanced - AMC10A/12A
In Person - Room TBA
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - Plane Tessellation Part 2
Online
Elysee Wilson-Egolf Beginners II - Cuts and Folds
Evans 1015
Sarah Firestone Intermediate I - Trigonometry and Vector Applications
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Random Walks and Electrical Circuits
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Chris Overton Advanced - Groups as symmetries, and how their 'asymmetry' shows their structure
PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Thanksgiving Break - No Sessions
N/A
MC4 MC3
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - The Math of Chemistry: Moles & Molecules I
PDF
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - The Math of Chemistry: Moles & Molecules I
PDF
Evans 1015
Sebastian Weinberger Intermediate I - Introduction to Formal Logic
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Pratima Karpe Intermediate II - Factoradics and Modification
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - p-adic numbers
PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - The Math of Chemistry: Moles & Molecules II
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - The Math of Chemistry: Moles & Molecules II
Evans 1015
Sebastian Weinberger Intermediate I - Introduction to Formal Logic
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Pratima Karpe Intermediate II - Factoradics and Modification
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - p-adic numbers
Online
MC3
Instructor Topic Room
Paul Zeitz End of Semester Colloquium: A Revamp of the Second Meanest Math Question in the 20th Century
  • Abstract: In 1999, a couple of mean-spirited math contest creators came up with a problem designed to trip up everyone. But it has a really fun solution that combines geometry, probability, combinatorics, and science fiction.
Dwinelle 155
Instructor Topic Room
Ryan Quan Beginners I - Assortment of Mathematical Applications to Medicine/Biology
Online
Beginners II - AMC8

Students in Intermediate II and Advanced who are in grades 8 or below will also have an opportunity to take AMC8 on this date.

Evans 1015
Intermediate I - AMC8

Students in Intermediate II and Advanced who are in grades 8 or below will also have an opportunity to take AMC8 on this date.

In Person - Room TBA
Erik Herrera Intermediate II - Mathematical Paper Folding
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - Trees
PDF
Online
MC5 MC4
Instructor Topic Room
Ryan Quan Beginners I - Assortment of Mathematical Applications to Medicine/Biology
Online
Aaron Agulnick Beginners II - What is a Proof?
Evans 1015
Bernt Wahl Intermediate I - Applications of Fractals and Chaos to AI
PDF
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Erik Herrera Intermediate II - Mathematical Paper Folding
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Arkady Vaintrob Advanced - Trees
PDF
Online
MC4
Instructor Topic Room
Selena Ding Beginners I - Linear Regressions
Online
Aaron Agulnick Beginners II - What is a Proof?
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - Meaning and Operation of Infinities
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Eugene Veklerov Intermediate II - Spherical Geometry with Applications to Astronomy
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Olga Holtz Advanced - Generating Functions
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Selena Ding Beginners I - Linear Regressions
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - Problem Solving Techniques: Math Kangaroo & Olympiad Selections I
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - Meaning and Operation of Infinities
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Aaron Agulnick Intermediate II - Induction and Recursion
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Olga Holtz Advanced - Generating Functions
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - Problem Solving Techniques: Math Kangaroo & Olympiad Selections I
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - Problem Solving Techniques: Math Kangaroo & Olympiad Selections II
Evans 1015
Quan Lam Intermediate I - Meaning and Operation of Infinities
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Combinatorial Games
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Chris Overton Advanced - Ramsey Theory
Online
MC6 MC5
Instructor Topic Room
Patricio Angulo Beginners I - Problem Solving Techniques: Math Kangaroo & Olympiad Selections II
Online
Patricio Angulo Beginners II - Problem Solving Techniques: Math Kangaroo & Olympiad Selections III
Evans 1015
Zvezda Stankova Intermediate I - Freedom for the Clones

Pebbling a Chess Board - Numberphile

Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Combinatorial Games
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Noah Mart Advanced - Percolation and Game Theory
Online
MC5
Instructor Topic Room
Beginners I - Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) - No Regular Sessions
In Person - Room TBA
Beginners II - Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) - No Regular Sessions
In Person - Room TBA
Intermediate I - Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) - No Regular Sessions
In Person - Room TBA
Intermediate II - Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) - No Regular Sessions
In Person - Room TBA
Advanced - Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) - No Regular Sessions
In Person - Room TBA
Instructor Topic Room
Bernt Wahl Beginners I - Fractals
Online
Frank Sottile Beginners II - The Shape of Space
Evans 1015
Ethan Dlugie Intermediate I - Lights Out!
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Kyle Devereaux Intermediate II - Statistics and Physics
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Roy Zhao Advanced - Billiards, Checkers, and Number Theory I
PDF
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Sarah Firestone Beginners I - Sequences and Series
Online
Bernt Wahl Beginners II - Fractals
Evans 1015
Ethan Dlugie Intermediate I - Lights Out!
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Kyle Devereaux Intermediate II - Statistics and Physics
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Roy Zhao Advanced - Billiards, Checkers, and Number Theory II
Online
MC7 MC6
Instructor Topic Room
Spring Break - No Sessions
N/A
MC6
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - The Math Behind Transformers I
Online
Sarah Firestone Beginners II - Sequences and Series
PDF
Evans 1015
Peter Koroteev Intermediate I - Plane Partitions
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Combinatorial Games
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Laura Pierson Advanced - Probability and Expected Value
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - The Math Behind Transformers II
Online
Sarah Firestone Beginners II - Sequences and Series
Evans 1015
Peter Koroteev Intermediate I - Plane Partitions
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Paul Zeitz Intermediate II - Combinatorial Games
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Laura Pierson Advanced - Probability and Expected Value
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Harry Main-Luu Beginners I - The Math Behind Transformers III
Online
Arun Sharma Beginners II - Counting and Probability
Evans 1015
Erik Herrera Intermediate I - Mathematical Paper Folding
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Amy Fire Intermediate II - Bayesian Statistics with Applications to Computer Vision
PDF
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Sebastian Weinberger Advanced - First-Order Logic
PDF
Online
MC7
Instructor Topic Room
Arun Sharma Beginners I - Counting and Probability

Time shift: 5:15-6:35pm

Online
Arun Sharma Beginners II - Counting and Probability

Time shift: 6:45-8:15pm

Evans 1015
Erik Herrera Intermediate I - Mathematical Paper Folding
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Peter Koroteev Intermediate II - Plane Partitions
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Pratima Karpe Advanced - Inversion Formula for Multiplicative Functions
Online
Instructor Topic Room
Arun Sharma Beginners I - TBA
Online
Arun Sharma Beginners II - TBA
Evans 1015
Sarah Firestone Intermediate I - TBA
Cheit C230 (TBC)
Peter Koroteev Intermediate II - TBA
Cheit C220 (TBC)
Lingfu Zhang Advanced - TBA
Online
MC7
Instructor Topic Room
Frank Sottile End of Semester Colloquium

Title: Cardano and the cubic 

Abstract: You all know the quadratic formula for the solutions to a quadratic equation. What you may not know is that there is a formula for the solutions to a cubic equation (and also for a quartic equation), due to the Italian mathematicians Tartaglia, Cardano, and Ferraro. I will talk about these formulas, as well as the amazing human story of professional jealousy and intrigue. We will also learn how and why mathematicians became comfortable with 'imaginary' numbers.

Dwinelle 145