Real Problems, Real Math

Explore mathematics beyond the boundaries of high school in the Dirt Under the Fingernails Mathematics course at the Virginia Summer Residential Governer's School for STEM.

What we do

Analyze Problems

Explore various topics in mathematics, from theory to automata, in order to hone your critical and creative thinking skills. Together, you will tackle a wide variety of problems with confidence.

Explore and Create

Delve into fields of mathematics you've never even heard of. You'll work together to make connections and find patterns in the mysterious world of mathematics.

Prove and Justify

Back up your conjectures with rigorous proofs. Learn to write proofs that are concise and correct. Use logic to justify your claims.
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About Us

Through hard problems and tireless collaboration, we've grown to create unbreakable bonds with each other. Out of every mathematics course our class has taken, each one of us believes that this course has been the most rewarding of all. With Dr. Marc as our excellent instructor, we've been able to explore mathematics in a way that we've never been able to before.

A student looking distraught while working on a graph theory problem
A student excited that they finished a game tree
A student working on a convuluted game tree.
A student throwing a frisbee to their friend in the field
A student looking pensive while working on a problem
A big combinatorial tree on the whiteboard
A group of students at their desks, arranged in a circle, staring at the camera..
Multiple students outside, some walking towards the field and others sitting on benches.
A student posing in front of a class-joke about singularities
Multiple students working together on the collaborative whiteboard
A student working on a problem of a game grid
A student working on a problem of a game grid
Dr. Marc receiving a bobblehead of himself
A student looking distraught while working on a graph theory problem
A student excited that they finished a game tree
A student working on a convuluted game tree.
A student throwing a frisbee to their friend in the field
A student looking pensive while working on a problem
A big combinatorial tree on the whiteboard
A group of students at their desks, arranged in a circle, staring at the camera..
Multiple students outside, some walking towards the field and others sitting on benches.
A student posing in front of a class-joke about singularities
Multiple students working together on the collaborative whiteboard
A student working on a problem of a game grid
A student working on a problem of a game grid
Dr. Marc receiving a bobblehead of himself

Testimonials

Vishu S.

“This class has been challenging, but in a good way. I've learnt a lot of math and worked with a bunch of really smart people, and I'm very thankful for that.”

- Vishu S.

Jack C.

“My episodes in this class have made my friends genuinely question my sanity and moral standing.”

- Jack C.

Aaron K.

“Math is fun :)”

- Aaron K.

Chase L.

“Now I am become math, the destroyer of brains.”

- Chase L.

(Class President)

Lisa H.

“My brain been cooked longer than the potatoes at breakfast bc oh lawd is it BURNT.”

- Lisa H.

Tristan F.

“Completing problems in this course has been way more fun than a normal mathematics course.”

- Tristan F.

(Webmaster)

Daniel O.

“In no other class can you learn so much while not knowing any of the material at all.”

- Daniel O.

Taran S.

“This class made me love math. I love math”

- Taran S.

Nico G.

“I’ve grown my brain but lost my mind.”

- Nico G.

Violet W.

“Some of us have taken Calculus BC, some of us have only just finished precalc, but we all suffer together.”

- Violet W.

James S.

“This class has shown me new realms of the subject I love.”

- James S.