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The Calculus Workshop, July 3-7, 2023, CIMAT, Guanajuato, Mexico
Home | Program | Application | Additional information Additional informationThe Calculus Workshop has been organized and hosted by CIMAT (Math Research Center in Guanajuato, Mexico) for the past 15 years, inviting some of the most promising beginning undergarduate Mexican students for an intensive problem solving workshop in a uniquely challenging and stimulating eviromenment. In the 2023 edition of the workshop some US students will be admitted also.How it works The admited students (see below for the admission process) are grouped in teams of 4 with similar abilities. There are usually 8 teams. Each team picks a problem from a list of about 20 suggested problems (each team picks a different problem) The problems are long, challenging and highly instructive. If time permits, a team can start working on another problem. In the past all teams have been able to solve at least one problem. Each team is assigned a tutor, selected among CIMAT's best students. The tutors orient the participants, remind them of results they have seen before and suggest bibliography. Each day of the workshop is divided into distinct phases. There are about 3-3.5 hours of team work guided by the tutor. This is where students make most progress, solving the various steps of their problem. Not only do they solve the problem but they also need to find the best way to present their results to the rest of the teams in the "problem sessions." There are two such sessions daily, lead by the workshop coordinators (some of CIMAT senior faculty). The academic level is high and the pace is intense throughout the week. The way the teams are organized enables all students, in spite of coming from different backgrounds and levels, to learn something new. A detailed program is available. The mini-course In addition to problem solving, all students attend a daily 1.5 hour lecture of a mini-course Calculus without calculations, given by Mark Levi from Penn State University. This course serves two purposes: it opens for the students a window to new and interesting math, and also provides a pause from the intensity of problem solving. Guest lecture Participants are also offered a panoramic lecture with some interesting applications of calculus, given by one of CIMAT's faculty (eg Víctor Rivero, Adolfo Sánchez, Víctor Pérez Abreu, Gonzalo Contreras, Jimmy Petean, Gil Bor, Hector Chang have participated in recent years). Admission process CIMAT anounces the workshop each year in practically all institutions in Mexico offering a math undegraduate degree (in 2023 also in Penn State Univ). Interested students apply directly (ie universities are not asked to send candidate lists; they are only asked to announce the event among their students). The main ingredient in the application are a few problems the applicants are asked to try to solve. The main selection criterion is the candidate's academic strength. There is also an attempt to bring together students from a diversity of regions and backgrounds. The number of accepted students is limited at the present to 32 students (8 teams). Fees Accepted students are not charged any fee for participating in the workshop. The CIMAT covers all expenses of room and board during the workshop. Students pay their own transportation to and from the CIMAT. Organizing commitee: CIMAT: Gil Bor, Mariana Carnalla Cortés, Luis Hernández Lamoneda, Herbert Kanarek Blando PSU: Mark Levi, Sergei Tabachnikov OSU: Luis Casián Contact: taller.calculo@cimat.mx |