Huntington to host high school math competition

Huntington, Ind.-The annual Huntington University High School Mathematics Competition is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Zurcher Auditorium of the university's Merillat Centre for the Arts.

Seven area high school teams will meet to compete for individual and team awards for their demonstration of mathematical ability. The teams are comprised of Ayersville Local Schools of Defiance, Ohio; Hamilton Southeastern High and Fishers High School of Fishers, Ind.; Adams Central High School of Monroe, Ind.; West Noble High School of Ligonier, Ind.; Delta High School of Muncie, Ind.; South Bend Clay High School of South Bend, Ind.; and Twin Lakes High School of Monticello, Ind.

The mathematics competition is made up of three rounds. The first round is a 20 question written exam comprised of questions from algebra through calculus. Students can earn a total of 100 points for the exam. The individual round of the competition is made up of 10 questions. Students are given two minutes to complete each question. Questions answered correctly award the student with 10 points. The final round, the team round, provides additional points for the team score. Students are provided with a multi-task problem that is best solved through the cooperative efforts of the team. A total of 50 points is possible for the final round.

Dr. Yu Yan, assistant professor of mathematics, coordinates the competition. Joshua Fitzgerald, senior mathematics major of New Haven, Ind., is the student coordinator for the competition, assisted by sophomore Megan Verhasselt of Bartlett, Ill. The goal of the competition is to support and encourage the efforts of students seeking to achieve in mathematics.