How Fair Is Fair? A Mathematical Look at Sharing Workload

- Yathirajsharma M. V.

Introduction: When Mathematics Meets Real Life Mathematics is often introduced to students as a collection of formulas, theorems, and techniques. However, its real strength lies elsewhere — in the way it trains us to think clearly, define problems precisely, and compare different solutions objectively.

This article grew out of a very ordinary, non-mathematical situation: fairly distributing translation work among a group of people. There was no formula given, no textbook method suggested. Instead, there was a practical concern — how do we share work so that nobody feels overloaded?

What makes this situation mathematically interesting is not the final answer, but the journey:

• How do we convert a vague idea of “fairness” into a precise quantity?
• How do we systematically explore all possible solutions?
• When brute force fails, how do we think more intelligently?

These questions reflect the true spirit of mathematics. In what follows, we will see how a real-world problem naturally leads us to ideas from set theory, combinatorics, algorithms, and computational thinking.

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Good mathematics is not about doing more work, but about knowing where not to work.

Rediscovering the Joy of Mathematics: My MTTS Camp Experience at IIT Dharwad

-Chaya M S

About In this small write up, Chaya M S shares her experience of the initiation into MTTS program which was held from 26, January 2026 to 31, January 2026 at IIT Dharwad.

This is a a bilingual article. For the Kannada version, click here: ಗಣಿತಾನಂದದ ಮರುಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆ: ಐಐಟಿ ಧಾರವಾಡದಲ್ಲಿಯ ನನ್ನ MTTS ಶಿಬಿರದ ಅನುಭವ

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Mathematics is a game played according to certain rules with meaningless marks on paper." — David Hilbert

From 26th to 31st January, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the MTTS (Mathematics Training and Talent Search) camp at IIT Dharwad. Our journey began on 25th January when we left Mysore, and we returned on 1st February carrying not just notes, but a completely new perspective on mathematics.

I was selected after simply applying, without knowing how transformative the experience would become. The camp focused on the fundamentals of mathematics and introduced a refreshing way of teaching that could make anyone fall in love with the subject again. Not justthatthe teachers who come to MTTS are from reputed institutions of the country, they are also the ones who love to teah Mathematics. Instead of asking us to rely on textbooks, the instructors encouraged us to close our books, listen carefully, and truly understand what was happening. We were constantly prompted to ask questions such as: Why does this work? Is it an axiom, or can it be proven? This approach made topics like linear algebra, sets, functions, and mathematical statements feel alive and meaningful.

Congratulations - Chaya M S

Ms. Chaya M S, currently a 4th semester student of B.Sc (PCM) of Sarada Vilas College has been selected for MTTS Initmath program. She is one among three students from Mysore who have been selected for this program across Karnataka and nearby states. Chaya is going to attend the training for 6 days at IIT Dharwad from Jan 26, 2026 to Jan 31st, 2026. 

MTTS Initmath is an initiation into MTTS - Mathematics Training and Talent Search program, which is very popular program in India which identifies the interested and motivated students and nurtures their interest by building strong foundation in Mathematics. The selection is quite rigorous based on the merit.

The department of Mathematics congratulates Chaya M S for getting selected to MTTS Initmath.

               

 

A proud moment

Bhargav M of B.Sc. (2022-2025)  has secured admission to the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar for M.Sc. in Mathematics after successfully clearing the prestigious IIT JAM examination.

Let this achievement inspire & develop confidence in our students that national-level examinations like IIT JAM are not unattainable goals—anyone with determination and consistent effort can clear them.

Sarada Vilas College and the Department of Mathematics wholeheartedly congratulate Bhargav M and wish him great success in all his future endeavors.

Academic Achievers

The Department of Mathematics is happy to see the success of the students in their academic journey. Congratulations to the students who have scored good marks in their even semester examinations of 2023-24. Keep up the same spirit.

A big donation by the son of Prof. M. K. Ramachandra Shastri

CP Plus Interactive Panel

The department of Mathematics of Sarada Vilas College received as donation of an 86 inche CP Plus Interactive Panel worth Rs. 1,72,980/- (One Lakh Seventy Two Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty) from Mr. Srikrishna M. R., Director, Engineering, Honewell. 

Alice in wrong land!

- Yathirajsharma M. V.

Introduction to the article: This article presents a viewpoint where the author expresses regrets regarding the systemic failures in achieving educational goals, using an example from undergraduate mathematics classrooms. The opinion is not general in the sense it addresses all the targeted audience but general in the sense that it addresses most of them.

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Alice was once told to find a cat which was born to a dog. Alice ran in search of it!

My journey began in a Non-Government Organization (NGO) dedicated to support public education system. Rather than working directly with students, our focus was on supporting government school teachers in their professional growth. Regular visits to schools allowed me to interact with children, giving me valuable insights into teaching methods (pedagogy). I often found myself amazed by the different ways children thought and wondered why they responded the way they did. Personally, I was curious to know how they understood mathematical concepts and how they perceived mathematical objects. It became clear that there was a problem with how math was taught. Children were taught algorithms without emphasizing the logic behind them. For example, they were taught to add numbers using carrying over without the idea of why. Additionally, children were getting tired before they even got to real-life math problems. This tiredness made it difficult for them to apply algorithms correctly, i.e. to choose a proper operation for the given scenario, even though they had a correct intution of what could have been done. The focus on getting a single-line answer, like for the sum of 18 and 24, showed a lack of emphasis on true mathematical understanding.