High School Math Students to Compete on Campus; Students with Highest Scores Receive Scholarships to the University

About 400 students from high schools throughout Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska will be at Colorado State University on Nov. 3 for the 29th annual Math Day competition.

The event, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, pits students in grades 9 through 12 against their peers in several categories including written examinations and a college-bowl tournament with three-member teams.

Each school can bring up to 15 students to take the written exam, known as Problems Requiring Original and Brilliant Efforts, or PROBE. Students with the highest PROBE scores compete for HP computers and math scholarships to Colorado State. Those who choose to attend Colorado State must major in mathematics and maintain a 3.25 grade-point average to continue receiving the scholarship.

Schools can enter one three-member team in the bowl competition.

"Math Day is one of the most important and enjoyable events in our calendar for many reasons," said Simon Tavener, chairman of the Department of Mathematics within the College of Natural Sciences. "It provides an opportunity for students to have some competitive fun in a college environment. It is also an opportunity for the university to reach out to the brightest young mathematical minds in the region, to stimulate their mathematical curiosity and to encourage them to come to Colorado State. It provides an excellent forum for our faculty to meet with some of the most energetic mathematics teachers in the geographic region."

Trophies are awarded to each of the small- and large-school winning teams in the bowl tournament. Students with some free time during the day’s events are able to learn more about programs offered at Colorado State and tour campus.

Teachers are invited to attend a forum called "A Look at Careers in the Mathematical Sciences" presented by Dan Rudolph, holder of the Yates Chair in Mathematics, from 9:45-11:10 a.m. in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. The forum will help teachers explore careers available to students who pursue higher degrees in mathematics.

Registration is closed for the event, which will be at the Lory Student Center. For more information, go to http://www.math.colostate.edu/~franklin/mathday/.

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