S.M.A.R.T. Circle Overview

This book is the first volume of a trilogy describing the S.M.A.R.T. Circle, which was founded in Edmonton, Canada, in 1981. Mathematical Circles are organizations that discover and nurture young mathematical talents through meaningful extra-curricular activities.  (The acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for Saturday Mathematical Activities, Recreations & Tutorials.) This Volume I provides an overview how to run a Circle, and it is a sampling of many things, including projects and mini-courses. Volume II, which consists of student-projects, outlines why the Circle is run, and Volume III, consisting of mini-courses, explaines what is done in the Circle. All three volumes contain substantial amounts of resources (mathematical problems, quizzes and games as well as their solution). The books will be of interest to self-motivated students who want to conduct independent research, teachers who supervise such students, and teachers who are running or planning to run Mathematical Circles.