Our mission
Mathateca is a movement based in Christchurch, New Zealand, which aims to create a public space dedicated to mathematics so that everyone has the opportunity to engage with maths recreationally.
Just as art galleries do for art, museums for history, and libraries for stories, Mathateca strives for informed, creative maths curation in order to celebrate mathematical ideas and learn in the community.
FAQ
Even though looking at the world through a mathematical lens can be both fun and useful, outside of structured environments like work and school, it doesn’t often happen.
Worse, there aren’t many chances to stumble across or play with maths in the wild - for a lot of people, the first and only time they’ve encountered it is serving as preparation for numeracy tests. That’s like learning language by doing spelling tests and grammar drills, instead of by reading stories and poetry, and talking to people.
We believe the best of human endeavour comes from collaboration, shared excitement, and the serendipity that comes from problem solving, so the natural answer is to make spaces where this can happen.
Yes. Not every event will be for everyone, but our mission is for everyone to have the opportunity to engage with maths, no matter where they’re at. We put on events designed for all ages and abilities - check out our events page to see what’s coming up.
Pronounciation: MATH • ah • TEK • ah
Our name is patterned on similar words like polytechnic and biblioteca (library). Adding "math" to the root tekhnē meaning "art, skill, craft," the name Mathateca literally references the craft and study of mathematics.
Our logo features a Sierpiński Triangle.
