The Bishop's Mathematical Society
The Bishop’s Mathematical Society was founded to address the limited exposure to advanced mathematics in Indian schools. It provides a space for students to explore mathematics beyond the standard curriculum through regular meetings and collaborative problem-solving.
The Bishop's School
The Bishop’s Mathematical Society was established in response to the limited exposure to advanced mathematics I encountered in school. While the standard curriculum offered a solid foundation, it left little room to explore mathematical ideas in depth. I wanted to create a space where students interested in mathematics could engage seriously with topics beyond the classroom. That idea became the Bishop’s Mathematical Society, founded on Pi Day in 2022.
Over the academic year, I organised around fifteen meetings held twice a week, covering a broad range of topics including logic, number theory, combinatorics, and geometry. For each meeting, I prepared handouts containing problems and short expository material. These were designed to extend the discussion beyond the session itself and to encourage independent problem-solving and proof writing.
The initial meetings focused on fundamentals such as notation, proof techniques, and basic logic. We then moved on to Diophantine equations, modular arithmetic, and classical problems like the Josephus Problem.
An Illustration of the Josephus Problem.
The 6th and 7th Meets explored the cyclicity of remainders and Bertrand’s Postulate. I remember repeating a memorable phrase to our club members:
"Chebyshev said it, and I'll say it again: There's always a prime between n and 2n!"
During the 8th, 9th, and 10th Meets, we delved deeper into combinatorics, tackling advanced problems using the Pigeonhole Principle.
An Illustration of the Pigeonhole Principle
As we transitioned to the 11th and 12th Meets, we embarked on a journey into geometry. We Learned about all the different centres of a triangle and also studied from Book I of the Elements By Euclid.
This is the cover of my copy of the elements by Euclid.
I also planned many "Mini-courses" on topics like the History of Mathematics, the Life and Work of Leonhard Euler, and the Life and Work of Carl Friedrich Gauss, to name a few.
Leonhard Euler Carl Friedrich Gauss
Beyond regular meetings and problem sets, the Society also organised special events, including guest lectures from university professors, maths competitions, and collaborative projects. I encouraged other members to present their insights, fostering a well-rounded learning environment that promoted constructive critique and personal growth.
Beyond the school, I organised two outreach meetings at a local orphanage, Tayyabia, in collaboration with the Students for Mathematics Foundation, an organisation I preside over. These sessions focused on introducing younger students to mathematical thinking through guided problem-solving.
The Front Gate of the Orphanage.
The society’s motto, Mathematica Porta Veritatis (“Mathematics is the gateway to truth”), reflects the principle that guided the club’s work: treating mathematics as a way of thinking rather than a collection of techniques..
I have shared a few select Handouts and other documents relating to the club below. Feel free to give them a look.