This book provides an overview of how to run a Mathematical "Circle," i.e., an organization that discovers and nurtures young mathematical talents through meaningful extra-curricular activities. This is the first volume in a trilogy describing in particular the S.M.A.R.T. Circle project, which was founded in Edmonton, Canada in 1981. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for Saturday Mathematical Activities, Recreations & Tutorials.

This book, Volume I, offers a sampling of many aspects, including projects and mini-courses. Volume II, which consists of student projects, addresses the purpose of the Circle, and Volume III, consisting of mini-courses, explains what actually takes place in the Circle. All three volumes provide a wealth of resources (mathematical problems, quizzes and games, together with their solutions). The books will be of interest to self-motivated students who want to conduct independent research, teachers who work with these students,and teachers who are currently running or planning to run Mathematical Circles of their own.

Andy Liu's profile page

Andy Liu is an established author with eleven books to his credit. He is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has won numerous international awards in Mathematics teaching and outreach, as have several of his former students. He was the leader of the Canadian team to the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2000 (South Korea) and in 2003 (Japan), acts as Vice President of the Tournament of Towns and ran the S.M.A.R.T. Circle for over 30 years.