By Hannah Haney | Echo
Not many students would choose to spend their Saturday morning solving complex math problems. But for the students in Taylor's Mathematics Club, the opportunity to participate in the Michigan Autumn Take-Home (MATH) Challenge was not to be missed.
The challenge took place on Nov. 2, 2013, but the results didn't come in until December. Taylor teams took second, third and seventh place.
"For a lot of us, I think it feels like there is something fun about the challenge of it, just to see how good you can do, because it's so hard," said junior Claire Spychalla, whose team took third place in the MATH Challenge. "So there's no shame in failing and getting a zero, but then it's super exciting if you get any points on these tests."
According to the team's co-coach and math professor Matt DeLong, the MATH challenge is a group competition. Students work in teams of three to solve 10 problems in just three hours, without the aid of any printed resources or technology. Each problem is worth 10 points, for a total of 100 possible points.
"I'm wondering if people are thinking we're cheating here, because we had teams in second and third and seventh," commented Phil Mummert, co-coach and assistant professor of mathematics. "It's pretty amazing."
Just like any team, the math team meets regularly to prepare for various competitions and tests.
"We have several evening practice sessions, during which we learn new problem solving techniques and practice problems similar to those that will be on the exam," DeLong said. "We call these nights 'Pizza and Problem Solving,' and obviously we provide pizza as well as the problems. These are open to any Taylor student, not just those that may be interested in competing in the actual competitions."
Students typically select their own teams, according to DeLong. This allows students to only participate in competitions they are interested in and compete alongside people they work well with.Along with the MATH Challenge, Taylor also participates in other math competitions, including the Virginia Tech Regional Mathematics Competition, the Indiana Collegiate Mathematics Competition and the Putnam Competition.
Taylor participates in these competition for several reasons, according to DeLong.
"(The competitions) give our students extra challenges outside the classroom, to give them an opportunity to solve problems that may be more 'interesting' and 'fun' than they sometimes find in their classes, to measure our students and program against other competing schools and to give our students an opportunity to work together in a setting that is both academic and social," DeLong said.
All the members of the math club are happy with Taylor's performance.
"We've just got really great students who have a lot of initiative," Mummert said. "This is not something they have to do, it's not a requirement for their major, it's not required by any classes. They want to learn more than that and get more than what they might learn in class."
DeLong was also very proud of his students.
"We are currently very thankful to be blessed with a bumper crop of mathematics majors who are sincere Christians, excellent mathematicians and joyful people to interact with," he said.
