James Tanton
James Stuart Tanton (born August 1, 1966) is an Australian-American mathematician and math educator. He is a winner of the Kidder Faculty Prize for his teaching at The St. Mark’s Math Institute, scholar at the Mathematical Association of America,{{cite web|url=http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/article/MAA%E2%80%99s+Visiting+Scholars/1261948/0/article.html|title=MAA's Visiting Scholars|first1=Lois|last1=Baron|date=December 2012|publisher=Walsworth Print Group|accessdate=December 31, 2012}} author of over ten books on mathematics, curriculum, and education, and creator of videos on mathematics on YouTube. As of August 2024 his approximately 360 videos had earned over 2,100,000 views.{{cite web |author=DrJamesTanton |date=August 26, 2024 |title=James Tanton |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCib_J32VI8rQI_LCFXn1XAA |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=YouTube |format=YouTube}}
Education and professional work
Tanton received his B.A. in mathematics from the University of Adelaide, and he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University in 1994, with a thesis in algebraic topology titled A Homological Fibration for Gl [infinity]. He taught at the New College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Merrimack College{{cite web |url=http://www.jamestanton.com/?page_id=55|title=James Tanton vita|accessdate=December 31, 2012}} before deciding that, to gain credibility with the high school teachers he hoped to work with, he had to teach high school himself. Tanton taught at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, from 2002 to 2011.
As a presenter working with Maths Week Ireland, Tanton has worked to create interest in mathematics in schools in both parts of Ireland.[https://www.sfi.ie/research-news/news/maths-week-2020/ Maths Week 2020 launches with bumper programme of activity to help people ‘Rethink Maths’] Science Foundation Ireland Currently he is a visiting scholar at the Mathematical Association of America in Washington, DC.
Personal life
Since graduating from the University of Adelaide in 1988, Tanton has been living in the US.{{cite web | title=Earth, by Jeffrey Cohen and Lindy Elkins-Tanton (Object Lessons) | website=Steve Mentz | date=2017-06-08 | url=https://stevementz.com/earth-by-jeffrey-cohen-and-lindy-elkins-tanton-object-lessons/ | access-date=2025-06-21}} He is settled there with his family; his spouse is planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton,{{cite web | last=Sanders | first=Robert | title=Planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton to head Space Sciences Laboratory | website=Berkeley News | date=2025-05-06 | url=https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/05/06/planetary-scientist-lindy-elkins-tanton-to-head-space-sciences-laboratory/ | access-date=2025-06-21}} who was born in Ithaca, New York.
Selected awards and honors
- MathMovesU Math Hero Award for mathematics middle and high school teaching, sponsored by Raytheon Company, 2010{{cite web |url=http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x2125114903/Southborough-teachers-accolades-add-up|title=Southborough teacher's accolades add up|first1=Evan|last1=Lips|date=Aug 19, 2010|publisher=The MetroWest Daily News|accessdate=December 31, 2012}}
- The Kidder Faculty Prize for teaching at St. Mark’s School, 2006
- The Mathematical Association of America's Beckenback Book Prize for Solve This: Mathematical Activities for Students and Clubs, 2005 {{cite web|url=http://www.maa.org/awards/beckenbach.html|title=The Mathematical Association of America's Beckenbach Book Prize|accessdate=December 31, 2012|archive-date=January 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126130253/http://www.maa.org/awards/beckenbach.html|url-status=dead}}
- The Mathematical Association of America's Trevor Evans Award for distinguished writing in both 2001 and 2002{{cite web|url=https://maa.org/trevor-evans-awards/|title=Trevor Evans Awards|publisher=Mathematical Association of America|accessdate=June 21, 2025}}
- Homer L. Dodge Award for college teaching excellence at The St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 1999
- Princeton University Engineering Council Teaching Award, for teaching excellence, 1994
Selected books by Tanton
Mathematics Galore: The First Five Years of the St. Mark’s Institute of Mathematics, Mathematical Association of America, 2012
The Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Facts on File.2005.
Solve This: Mathematical Activities for Students and Clubs, Mathematical Association of America, 2001.
Self-published texts and curricular material
THINKING MATHEMATICS! series:
- Volume 1: Arithmetic = Gateway to All
- Volume 2: Advanced Counting and Advanced Algebra Systems
- Volume 3: Lines, Circles, Trigonometry and Conics
- Volume 4: Functions and their Graphs
- Volume 5: e, i, pi and all that!
- Volume 6: Calculus
GEOMETRY: Volume I and GEOMETRY: Volume 2
MATH WITHOUT WORDS
MATHEMATICAL THINKING: Numbers and their Algebra (An advanced course for middle-school students and their teachers.)
References
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External links
- [http://www.jamestanton.com Thinking Mathematics!] James Tanton's Personal Website
- "[http://www.maa.org/meetings/2012ch_tanton.html Weird Ways to Work with Pi]" article and presentation by James Tanton
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Category:Australian mathematics educators
Category:Mathematics popularizers
Category:Princeton University alumni