Paderborn University's Paderborn Maths Circle has been running for ten years now to bring the joy of maths closer to schoolchildren. To mark the anniversary and a record number of participants with more than 80 registrations in the summer semester 2025, the offer is being expanded: In addition to the popular Saturday dates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will also be digital evening events on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the winter semester 2025/26. Dr Kerstin Hesse from the Institute of Mathematics at Paderborn University heads up the Maths Circle and explains: "Interested students who are taking part in the Mathematical Olympiad and similar events are often unable to attend the Saturday sessions, and the duplication of the workshops is intended to remedy this situation." The new dates also make it possible for interested students from German-speaking schools abroad to take part despite the unfavourable time difference - as was recently the case for students from South America. The maths circle is primarily aimed at senior school students. However, only intermediate level maths skills are required, so younger participants are also very welcome. Those interested can register for free and find further information at: go.upb.de/mathezirkel.
The new workshop topics are "Pythagorean number patterns - from idea to proof" on Saturday, 15 November 2025, and Wednesday, 19 November 2025, "Tiling: Chessboards and Polyominos" on Saturday, 29 November 2025 and Wednesday, 3 December 2025 respectively, and "Catalan Numbers" on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 and Saturday, 24 January 2026 respectively. The online meetings do not build on each other in terms of content, so they can be attended individually. The same workshop will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The Paderborn Maths Circle is a STEM (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) support programme for young talent, where interested pupils can get to know exciting mathematics beyond the school curriculum. It is not only good preparation for those interested in studying maths, but also for those who want to study a related subject. "Students studying a STEM subject area need maths skills that go well beyond the school curriculum. It's less about concrete knowledge and more about logical thinking and the ability to think abstractly. The maths circle workshops deal with mathematical topics that are fun and train these skills. In this respect, the Paderborn Maths Circle is a good way for anyone interested in a STEM subject area to prepare for their studies," says Dr Hesse.
