Archimedes Prize: Playing by the Numbers

Archimedes lived from 287 B.C. to 212 B.C. in Syracuse, Sicily. He is known as the father of integral calculus, the inventor of the planetarium and for coining the phrase “Eureka!” (I have found it!) when, upon solving a mathematical problem in the bath, he was so excited that he ran home without bothering to get dressed.

Matthew Jones, assistant professor of mathematics, hoped that this level of enthusiasm would be matched with his game show format competition for The Archimedes Prize, held on April 28. Students were teamed in pairs to vie for a first place prize of $100 from an anonymous donor.

“The math department discussed several possible formats,” says Jones. “I volunteered to chair the competition if I could choose to run it as a game show.”

A spirited contest between the students consisted of two rounds, with the potential to earn 10-50 points per question. The first round consisted of 25 questions in five categories: mathematicians and history; algebra; geometry and trigonometry, calculus and wild card. The Lightning Round gave the teams a longer time format to answer written questions worth 50 points each. The first place winners were seniors Belinda Vargas and Erika Rey, both mathematics majors.

“All of the students in the contest have classes with me, Professor (Serban) Raianu, and Professor (John) Wilkins, and so all of them spend considerable time doing math. I was pleased to see a competitive game,” notes Jones. “I was surprised by the fact that the lead changed among several, if not all, of the teams. I expected that once a team got a lead, it would hold on to it.”

Brahim Karam, senior, mathematics and Sharmaine Alexander, mathematics, took second place; the team of Maria Rivas, senior, mathematics and Martha Rojas, senior, mathematics, placed third. Bringing up the rear were Juan Castillo, junior, mathematics and Keith Whitson, senior, computer science and mathematics.

The pervading atmosphere of academic support and engagement proves to be the best prize of all for mathematics students.

“Math department faculty members take a strong interest in their students,” emphasized Jones. “Professor Raianu heads the Alliance for Minority Participation program. We also encourage student attendance at department colloquia. There is a camaraderie among the students and faculty that builds up through all of this informal contact.”

-Joanie Harmon

Top photo: Friendly competition among peers: (L to R) Juan Castillo, junior, mathematics;
Keith Whitson, senior, computer science and mathematics; Belinda Vargas, senior, mathematics; Erika Rey, senior, mathematics

Bottom photo: Serban Raianu (left), professor of mathematics and Matthew Jones, assistant professor of mathematics evaluate the teams' performance