INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

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NEARLY 200 LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPETE IN UNIQUE MATH CONTEST WITH "MATHEMATICS AND MEDICINE" THEME

Sixteen local high school students did more than just answer correctly five math questions to earn prizes totaling $3,500 in the IUPUI/Roche Diagnostics 2001 Mathematics Contest.

Their answers also were judged to be the most elegant to questions such as: you are given two marbles and the task of determining the highest story of a 100 story building from which you can drop a marble without breaking it. Find a scheme that is guaranteed to give the answer in the fewest number of drops.

The students are winners of a unique math contest in central Indiana that is sponsored by Roche Diagnostics Corp. and presented by the IUPUI Department of Mathematical Sciences.

It's a contest aimed at demonstrating there is a lot more to math than regurgitating memorized facts.

Many math contests are timed, closed book affairs, a far cry from the six weeks students competing in the IUPUI math contest are given, said Dr. Ben Boukai, chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at IUPUI.

"Instead of students coming to one site and being timed on how quickly they do mathematics, they are given ample time," said Jeff Watt, Associate Chairman of Mathematics. "The way mathematicians work is to take time to reflect on a problem and find the unique and most elegant solution."

"The contest demonstrates that math is interesting and relevant," Boukai said. To underscore the relevancy of mathematics, one of the five questions students were asked to answer was to write an essay on an application of mathematics to medicine.

"In the medical field, the ability to think logically and analytically is critical to success whether one is a research scientist, a lab technician or a physician," said Martin Madaus, president and CEO of Roche Diagnostics Corporation. "Roche Diagnostics is committed to the development of solid mathematical and engineering skills in the next generation of industry professionals."

"This math contest encourages critical thinking and creative solutions. Participation in such events helps to illustrate the nature of real-life problems encountered routinely in research and development."

The overall winner of the contest received a $500 cash prize. Fifteen second place winners each received a $200 cash prizes. Among the second place winners, five contestants were singled out as having the most elegant answer to one of the five math questions. Six students were cited as honorable mention winners.

Prizes will be awarded at an awards ceremony at IUPUI from 4 to 6:30 p.m. May 11. The ceremony will include catered refreshments and a talk on the applications of mathematics in science.

Contest winners are:

First Prize Winner:
Jonathan Landy, Warren Central High School

Second Prize Winners:
Problem 1 - Sandy Ottensmann, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Problem 2 - Matthew Fisher, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Problem 3 - Irene Sun, Ben Davis High School
Problem 4 - Michael Chang, Hamilton Southeastern High School
Problem 5 - Kathleen Wolter, Avon High School
Patrick Mihelich, Park Tudor High School
Aileen Chen, Carmel High School
Jerry Wu, Carmel High School
Caitlin Pauckner, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Matt Willsey, Roncalli High School
Chris Merryman, Carmel High School
Michael Star, Carmel High School
Feng Tu, Hamilton Southeastern High School
Karen Lai, Carmel High School
Ivan Dremov, North Central High School

Honorable Mention Winners:
Chong Yan, Carmel High School
Henry Jung, Ben Davis High School
Lisa Schaus, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
John Durham, Warren Central High School
Nicholas Hoover, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Scott Dial, Ben Davis High School
Greg Hasty, Warren Central High School
Steven Linville, Franklin Community High School
Gregory Martens, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
David Bauman, Roncalli High School
Erika Dantzig, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Amy Hoffman, Carmel High School
Bhumi Rajkotia, North Central High School
Ryan Tobin, Warren Central High School
Alex Emerson, Hamilton Southeastern High School
Alexander Toumey, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Barbara Brill, Roncalli High School

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