Lighting Calculator, Mathemagician” to Draw High School, Middle Students to UMaine
Contact: George Manlove at (207) 581-3756
ORONO — What do you get when you cross a mathematician with a magician?
Dr. Arthur Benjamin — “Mathemagician.”
A mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd College, one of the world’s fastest “lightning calculators,” a magician and frequent performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, Professor Benjamin is bringing his dynamic “mathemagician” show to the University of Maine.
He will perform on campus for more than 1,200 Maine students and teachers on Nov. 3, 4 and 5. A show for the general public is scheduled Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the 300-seat Room 100 at Donald P. Corbett Hall. The performance is free.
Benjamin will demonstrate and explain the secrets of rapid mental calculation and explain how he trained his mind to perform enormous mental calculations and remember long lists of numbers. He also will perform other feats of “mathematical magic.”
The event is sponsored by the Maine Mathematics and Science Teaching Excellence Collaborative (MMSTEC) as part of its support of mathematics and science education in Maine.
Benjamin’s show, says UMaine math Lecturer Amie Gellen, “is truly educational and inspiring. He’s a distinguished mathematician and a fascinating person.”
Gellen says response from schools has been overwhelming.
“We are tremendously excited about this outreach effort,” Gellen says. “UMaine and MMSTEC are pleased to provide this exceptional educational opportunity for so many young people and the community.”
Benjamin’s calculating abilities are so quick that he goes beyond mere multiplication problems ending in seven-digit answers. He can square three-digit numbers in one second and four-digit numbers in about 15. In one calculator-racing performance, just to “test the accuracy” of the audience’s calculators, he asked members of the audience for two numbers to multiply. Hearing 68 and 92, he asked the audience to be sure their calculators read 6,256 — before the numbers could be punched in, according to an article in the Mathematics Association of America journal “Math Horizons.”
“MMSTEC wants to show students how enjoyable, even amazing, math can be. Dr. Benjamin will give people a new perspective on mathematics,” Gellen says, “and hopefully inspire them to attend the University of Maine and consider a career in mathematics education.”
Benjamin has appeared on The Today Show and National Pubic Radio and has been featured, in The Los Angeles Times, Scientific American and Discover Magazine. He is the author of several books and has presented his mixture of math and magic to audiences all over the world.
MMSTEC (http://www.EducateMe.info) activities at UMaine are coordinated by Robert Franzosa and Amie Gellen of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, John Donovan, who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the College of Education and Human Development, and Herman Weller of the College of Education and Human Development.
Under the direction of University of Southern Maine Prof. Richard Stebbins, MMSTEC began as a collaborative effort involving educators at UMaine, USM, the University of Maine at Farmington and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. It has grown to include participation from University of Maine System campuses in Machias, Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Augusta, and Maine’s community colleges.
The collaborative operates on a $4 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation with an overall goal of reducing the shortage of math and science teachers in Maine through better recruitment, preparation and support.