Through a careful treatment of number theory and geometry, Number, Shape, & Symmetry: An Introduction to Number Theory, Geometry, and Group Theory helps readers understand serious mathematical ideas and proofs. Classroom-tested, the book draws on the authors' successful work with undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, seventh to tenth grade mathematically talented students in the University of Chicago's Young Scholars Program, and elementary public school teachers in the Seminars for Endorsement in Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME). The first half of the book focuses on number theory, beginning with the rules of arithmetic (axioms for the integers). The authors then present all the basic ideas and applications of divisibility, primes, and modular arithmetic. They also introduce the abstract notion of a group and include numerous examples. The final topics on number theory consist of rational numbers, real numbers, and ideas about infinity. Moving on to geometry, the text covers polygons and polyhedra, including the construction of regular polygons and regular polyhedra. It studies tessellation by looking at patterns in the plane, especially those made by regular polygons or sets of regular polygons. The text also determines the symmetry groups of these figures and patterns, demonstrating how groups arise in both geometry and number theory. The book is suitable for pre-service or in-service training for elementary school teachers, general education mathematics or math for liberal arts undergraduate-level courses, and enrichment activities for high school students or math clubs.

This book, which consists of twelve interactive seminars, is a comprehensive and careful study of the fundamental topics of K-8 arithmetic. The guide aims to help teachers understand the mathematical foundations of number theory in order to strengthen and enrich their mathematics classes. Five seminars are dedicated to fractions and decimals because of their importance in the classroom curriculum. The standard topics are covered in detail, but are arranged in an order that is slightly different from the usual one. Multiplication is treated first, and with that in hand, common denominators and equivalent fractions are more readily understood and are available for use when discussing addition. The book is intended for the professional development of teachers. It is appropriate for teacher education programs as well as for enrichment programs such as Mathematical Circles for Teachers. There are numerous activities in each seminar that teachers can bring into their classrooms. In the interest of fostering a greater awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and everyday life, MSRI and the AMS are publishing books in the Mathematical Circles Library series as a service to young people, their parents and teachers, and the mathematics profession.

This geometry book is written foremost for future and current middle school teachers, but is also designed for elementary and high school teachers. The book consists of ten seminars covering in a rigourous way the fundamental topics in school geometry, including all of the significant topics in high school geometry. The seminars are crafted to clarify and enhance understanding of the subject. Concepts in plane and solid geometry are carefully explained, and activities that teachers can use in their classrooms are emphasised. The book draws on the pictorial nature of geometry since that is what attracts students at every level to the subject. The book should give teachers a firm foundation on which to base their instruction in the elementary and middle grades. In addition, it should help teachers give their students a solid basis for the geometry that they will study in high school. The book is also intended to be a source for problems in geometry for enrichment programmes such as Math Circles and Young Scholars.