Penn State Brandywine Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics Samantha Pezzimenti and students Aditya Kommoju and Dhanush Rajesh recently attended the Mathematical Association of America’s Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware section spring meeting, where the students gave a presentation.
MEDIA, Pa. — Penn State Brandywine students Aditya Kommoju and Dhanush Rajesh recently impressed attendees at a math conference with their talk titled “Exploring and Extending the Impossible Card Location Trick.” The first-year students presented at the Mathematical Association of America’s Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware section spring meeting, held March 23-24 at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre.
Kommoju and Giovanni DiCicco, also a first-year Brandywine student, developed a mathematically based card trick working with their adviser, Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics Samantha Pezzimenti. DiCicco was unable to attend the presentation.
Kommoju and Rajesh had the opportunity to perform their trick personally for Spelman College Mathemetics Professor Colm Mulcahy, a keynote speaker at the conference and a well-known “mathemagician.” The students also spoke with Davidson College Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Tim Chartier, a specialist in sports analytics and “bracketology,” who said he was impressed with their talk and tweeted about it.
“Their talk was a big hit with everyone at the conference,” Pezzimenti said. “All three of the keynote speakers attended their presentation and they packed the room! They did a great job and I’m incredibly proud of them.”