MegaMath - Workshops

Workshop Titles 2026

1. How Lucky is a Bowl of Lucky Charms? by Dr. Jay Kerns.
2. It’s Golden! by Ms. Alayne Leone.
3. Instant Insanity by Dr. Tom Smotzer.
4. The Slide Rule: Outdated and Nerdy! by Dr. Thomas Madsen.
5. Why Should We Hire You? by Dr. Paddy Taylor.
6. Fun with Fractals by Dr. Jozsi Jalics.
7. How Much Should I Ask for an Allowance? by Mr. Mason Martuccio.
8. Secret Codes by Dr. Moon Nguyen, Youngstown State University.
9. How do we get there? by Dr. Marie Kramer.

How Lucky is a Bowl of Lucky Charms? by Dr. Jay Kerns

A bowl of this popular breakfast cereal, with its multi-colored marshmallows and tasty toasted oats, truly lives up to its tagline: "Magically Delicious!" However, it seems like, as the box gets emptier, the later bowls somehow don't seem quite as magical as the earlier ones. Using mathematics and statistics, we'd like to investigate this phenomenon. Just how lucky is a bowl of Lucky Charms? Come to this workshop to find out!

It’s Golden! by Ms. Alayne Leone

The golden ratio. What is it? Where do we see it? Where does it come from? In this workshop, we will explore the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence that is seen in nature, art, architecture, and human hand bones!

Instant Insanity, by Dr. Tom Smotzer

Instant Insanity is the name given by Parker Brothers to their 1967 version of a puzzle that has existed since antiquity. We will explore the mathematical world of graph theory and use tools of graph theory to find a solution to the puzzle.

The Slide Rule: Outdated and Nerdy! by Dr. Thomas Madsen

It had a long life from the 17th century up until the mid-20th century. It was made completely obsolete by electricity and cheap electronics. It was used by astronauts and was as common as the pocket calculator is today. In this workshop we will introduce the basics of the slide rule. We will learn what makes the slide rule a great device for completing quick computations. This workshop is restricted to 5 students. This will be nerdy and fun!

Why Should We Hire You? by Dr. Paddy Taylor

Abstract: Regardless of the job, employers want to hire a candidate who can make sense out of problems, both expected and unexpected, that may arise. In their attempt to find problem solvers, many employers pose challenging questions during job interviews to test the reasoning abilities of applicants.

In this workshop, students will be presented with questions (from actual companies including Google) that have been asked during job interviews or used in the applicant screening process.

An example of one such question is: 10 machines produce gold coins of a uniform weight. Unfortunately, one of the machines is broken and producing coins that are x grams too heavy. Assuming we know what the correct weight of the coins should be, can we locate the broken machine if the only tool at our disposal is a scale with a digital read-out, and we are only allowed to use the scale once?

Fun with Fractals, by Dr. Jozsi Jalics

Explore the fun and beautiful geometry of fractals by constructing some of your own fractals.

How Much Should I Ask for an Allowance? by Mr. Mason Martuccio

Abstract: What if you asked your parents for a penny on the first day of the month and asked them to double that on the second day, double that amount on the third day, and so on? How much money would you make in a month? In 6 months? In a year? To give you a hint, it’s going to be a lot of money! In this workshop, we will explore this scenario and the wonders of exponential behavior.

Secret Codes, by Dr. Moon Nguyen, Youngstown State University

Are you curious about how the ancient Greeks and Romans used secret codes to send messages? In this workshop, you will learn how to write a secret message to a friend, teacher, or relative using a Caesar cipher. You will also learn how to decode a mystery message!

How do we get there? by Dr. Marie Kramer

Have you ever wondered how your phone always seems to know the quickest way to get to your destination? In this workshop, we will use graphs (not the ones you know from calculus) to model your towns in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. We will then explore ways to determine the shortest or quickest way to get to your newfound friend's town so you can stay in touch.