Math students have best showing ever in national competition

Published: 4/6/2010

 

Schoolcraft College's Math Team has taken first place in Michigan, and fourth place in the Midwest region, in the 2010 Student Math League Contest. The annual national competition is organized by the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges. This is Schoolcraft's best showing ever.
 
The Student Math League Contest includes rounds in October and February, each consisting of a 60-minute, 20-question test. The maximum possible score for each contestant is 40 points in each round, and the top five eligible scores at each college are totaled to obtain that college’s team score. Only the best students compete, and most scores are in single digits.
 
A total of 60 Schoolcraft students chose to compete. Leading them was Josh Harper, whose 27.5 points was the highest two-round total among officially eligible Schoolcraft students. Harper is also slated to receive the $1,000 Pythagorean Prize, given annually to Schoolcraft College's top mathematics student. The awards reception is April 14.
 
"We can be very proud of our team’s performance," said Mathematics Professor Randy Schwartz in a written statement announcing the results. Despite the "gruelingly difficult" nature of the test, the statement said, "...an awesome total of 60 students at Schoolcraft stepped forward to compete this year. That suggests that a hunger for  mathematical excellence has taken root on our campus."
 
To provide a feel for the difficulty of the questions, here is a problem that was correctly solved by Schoolcraft contestant Kyle Worley:
 
A multiplicative magic square (MMS) is a square array of positive integers in which the product of each row, column, and long diagonal is the same. The 16 positive factors of 2010 can be formed into a 4x4 MMS. What is the common product of every row, column, and diagonal?
 
At Schoolcraft, participation in the Math League is hosted by the Math and Physics Club. Complete nationwide results are posted at http://sml.csmd.edu/reports.php.
For more information on the Schoolcraft College Mathematics Department, contact the Liberal Arts Office at 734-462-4435.
Click here for a listing of available mathematics courses for spring semester.
Click here for a listing of available mathematics courses for summer semester.
 Click here to read about the Math and Physics Club and other student clubs at Schoolcraft.

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