The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, held Sunday at Google Inc. headquarters in Mountain View, tested the math skills of more than 300 children in grades six through 12 with puzzles, games and contests. The festival - founded a year ago by educator and philanthropist Nancy Blachman, and named after one of the Bay Area's foremost mathematicians - is designed to introduce students to types of mathematics they might not encounter at school. Below at the top: Jing Jing Li, 14, puts together a many-sided three-dimensional figure so she can investigate its mathematical properties. Middle photo below: Arissa Wongpanich, 11, works on solving a problem using an assortment of cubes in different sizes. Bottom photo: William Weber, 9, gets some assistance from his father, Thomas Weber, on a tricky math challenge.

[This article appeared in the Bay Area and California section, on page B - 2, of the SF Chronicle]

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