After a long hour of solving a series of complex math problems earlier this spring, the EC Math team has placed fifth nationally in the 2012-2013 American Math Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC) student math league contest.
They placed fifth out of 198 schools. This is the best they have ever done, Greg Fry, professor of mathematics said.
The test consisted of 20 multiple choice math questions that participants had to finish within an hour, Fry said. The sum of the top five winners make up the team score, he said.
“Don’t expect to answer all of them,” Fry said.
Each question has five choices and there is a penalty for just guessing, Fry said. If you get one wrong, you lose a half a point, if you don’t answer it then you lose nothing, and if you get it right, you get two points.
“Our teachers cannot solve them all, and you only get one hour,” Xun Zhou, 20, undecided major, said. “The math questions are really challenging. It depends on your personal condition and if you rested for the last few days,” he said.
Faculty can’t finish it in an hour to their satisfaction, Fry said.
Usually math, engineering, computer science, or physics and chemistry majors participate in the contest, Fry said. We had a business major a while back get second place, he said. This was her first contest, but she came to the practices and they help, he said.
It helps to have practice beforehand and sometimes people surprise themselves, Fry said. They should always have practice instead just of walking in, he said.
“We really need to have all the guys come to a special class and trainings together,” Zhou said.
The students do this for enjoyment and there are prizes as well, Fry said. There is a pool of $1,000 that gets distributed among the winners, and the individual winners can win from $50 to $300.
“The person who gets the highest score nationally gets $3,000,” Fry said, “There is always someone that gets a perfect score. It amazes me. I have to respect that.”
There will be a Math and Science Awards ceremony in the Activities Center on May 31 at noon, where the contest winners will be given certificates and special prizes.
Everyone is encouraged to bring friends and family. Vice President Dr. Francisco Arce often attends and President Thomas Fallo may also be there. The event will also be catered, Fry said.
