Zvezdelina Stankova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zvezdelina Entcheva Stankova
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Stankova in 2012
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| Born | 15 September 1969 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bryn Mawr College Harvard University |
| Known for | Skew-merged permutation Studying permutations with forbidden subsequences Establishing math circles |
| Awards | Alice T. Schafer Prize (1992) Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Mills College University of California, Berkeley |
| Doctoral advisor | Joe Harris |
Zvezdelina Entcheva Stankova (born September 15, 1969) is a famous American mathematician. She teaches math at the University of California, Berkeley and Mills College. She is well-known for starting the Berkeley Math Circle. This program helps young students learn and love mathematics. She is also an expert in studying patterns in numbers, called permutations.
Contents
Early Life and Love for Math
Zvezdelina Stankova was born in Ruse, Bulgaria. When she was in fifth grade, she joined the Ruse math circle. This was a special club where kids learned extra math. In the same year, she learned to solve the Rubik's Cube. She also started winning math competitions in her area.
Stankova later said that being part of the Ruse Math Circle helped her achieve great things in math. She went to an excellent English-language high school. She represented Bulgaria in the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1987 and 1988. She won silver medals both times.
Moving to the United States
Stankova started studying at Sofia University in Bulgaria. In 1989, the "Iron Curtain" was ending. This was a time when countries in Eastern Europe became more open. Zvezdelina was one of 15 Bulgarian students chosen to study in the United States.
She went to Bryn Mawr College and earned two degrees there in 1992. Her teacher, Rhonda Hughes, was a great help to her. While in college, she worked on a summer research project. This project sparked her interest in number patterns.
After Bryn Mawr, she went to Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics in 1997. Her main teacher there was Joe Harris.
Teaching and Contributions
After finishing her studies, Stankova worked at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1999, she joined the faculty at Mills College. She still teaches one course each year at Berkeley as a visiting professor. She also helps guide the Proof School in San Francisco.
Discovering Permutation Patterns
In mathematics, Stankova is known for her work on "permutation patterns." A permutation is a way to arrange things in order. For example, the numbers 1, 2, 3 can be arranged as 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321. Stankova proved that certain types of these patterns are equal in number. This was an important step in understanding how many ways numbers can be arranged with specific rules.
Founding the Berkeley Math Circle
In 1998, Zvezdelina Stankova started the Berkeley Math Circle. This is a program after school that helps students learn more about math. She based it on her own experiences in the math circle in Bulgaria.
The Berkeley Math Circle was only the second one in the United States. It became very successful. Because of its success, more than 100 other math circles have started across the country. Stankova has helped many of these new circles get started.
Other Math Activities
Also in 1998, she started the Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad. This is a competition for students who love math. For six years, she was a coach for the U.S. team in the International Mathematical Olympiad.
Since 2013, she has appeared in several videos on the YouTube channel "Numberphile". This channel shares interesting math topics with a wide audience.
Awards and Honors
Zvezdelina Stankova has received many awards for her work.
- In 1992, she won the Alice T. Schafer Prize. This award is for undergraduate research in math.
- In 2004, she was one of the first winners of the Henry L. Alder Award. This award recognizes excellent teaching by new college math professors.
- In 2011, she won the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award. This award is for outstanding college math teaching. She received it for inspiring students and helping to create math circles.
- From 2009 to 2012, she was the Frederick A. Rice Professor of Mathematics at Mills College.
See also
In Spanish: Zvezdelina Stankova para niños
