ISMB at King’s, winter 2022

On Saturday November, 26 2022 we had our biggest Maths Battle. It summoned over 70 kids from very different schools and backgrounds in the London area.

Inter-School Maths Battle was open for teams of 6-8 pupils in one of the two age groups: school years 7-8 and school years 9-11. The WSP Maths Circles at KCL and UCL were represented by four teams, two team came from London School of Mathematics and Programming. Teams of The Charter School East Dulwich and Harris Academy St John’s Wood were also taking part.

Each team participated in two battles. During the lunch break the well known British mathematics communicator and writer Alexander Bellos presented a short public lecture. Dr Bellos also signed the books for the prize-giving ceremony.

Some of the problems used for battling made their way to The Guardian Monday puzzle, ‘Battle like a wizard’, although Mr Potter hasn’t been spotted on the site.

Winter Inter-School Maths Battle schedule was:

12:00 Gathering
12:30 First Battle Start
14:30 Lunch Break and Public Lecture
15:30 Second Battle Start
17:30 Prize Giving Ceremony
18:00 Kids Collection

A lunch snack was provided at the interval.

About Maths Circles and Maths Battles

Maths Circles are weekly extracurricular maths sessions for students in school years 7–11. The sessions are led by students of Mathematics from some of the leading UK universities. Maths Circles delve into topics that promote the art of problem-solving, nurture structured thinking, and cultivate a passion for mathematics. Participation is free of charge.

Maths Battles are debate competitions between two opposing teams. Students are not only required to solve a given set of mathematical problems, but also to present their solutions clearly and defend them under the scrutiny of the opponents.

Learn more about Maths Circles and Maths Battles.