National Mathematics Summer School
Image 2 (far left): Gloria Liao (Year 12)
2+2=1. Parallel lines do intersect.
‘How?’ I hear you protest, ‘doesn’t this contradict everything we’ve been taught?’
Perhaps I should clarify, 2+2=1 (modulo 3), and in the realm of projective geometry, parallel lines will intersect at infinity.
Want to learn more? Go to the National Mathematics Summer School (NMSS)!
Earlier this year, I embarked upon the four hour coach ride to Canberra to go to the NMSS at the Australian National University. Each morning, we'd get up and have breakfast in the dining hall and walk across the campus grounds to the lecture hall.
During the tutorials, we were challenged with problems that made us ‘think deeply of simple things’, which happens to be the motto of NMSS. Here we participated in Number Theory lectures where we explored modular arithmetic (there’s much more to it than remainders of division), Euclid's algorithm and gained brief insight into the life and works of notable Mathematicians.
Our free time was mainly spent in the common room, testing our hand at pool, learning new card games or playing foosball and badminton with newfound friends from all over Australia. We were taught all sorts of games and secret NMSS traditions by Experienced Group members (affectionately known as EGgs) who were part of the previous NMSS group. On the weekend, we journeyed into the city to visit Questacon, the National Art Gallery and a karaoke place.
Thank you to the PLC Sydney Foundation who were generous in their financial support. The NMSS was such a fun and interesting experience. I met so many brilliant people there and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be interested
Gloria Liao (Year 12)