Short Wave Choose Your Own Adventure — But Make It Math
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Oct 9, 2023 Pamela Harris, a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, shares her unique perspective on combinatorics and creativity. She dives into how her childhood fascination with Choose Your Own Adventure books parallels the complexities of mathematical decision-making. Topics include the whimsical blend of parking functions with storytelling, the thrill of mathematical discovery, and how engaging narratives can demystify math. Harris’s passion for making math accessible and fun shines through as she illustrates its relevance in everyday life.
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Childhood Fascination
- Pamela Harris, a math professor, loved "Choose Your Own Adventure" books as a child.
- She was hooked by the interactive storytelling where her choices determined the character's fate.
Math and Branching Possibilities
- Dr. Harris specializes in combinatorics, a math field focused on counting and possibilities.
- She connects this field to the branching narratives of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.
Parking Functions Project
- Dr. Harris worked with students on "parking functions," problems about sorting cars into parking spots.
- The students' "what if" questions about different scenarios sparked the idea for a choose-your-own-adventure-style paper.
