Central Academy Mathletes Earn Fifth Place in National Competition

Central Academy math competitors maintained their reputation among the nation’s elite by earning fifth place in the nation on the prestigious Mandelbrot Team Play competition. Central’s eight team members surpassed teams from traditional math powerhouses such as Stuyvesant, Lynbrook, and Palo Alto.

Two teams of Central Academy math students participated in the competition. Team One members were Edel Aron (Roosevelt), Eric Chen (WDM Valley), Patrick Hiatt (Roosevelt), and Luke Sheeley (Roosevelt). Team Two members were Granger Carty (Roosevelt), Harry Crane (Roosevelt), Max Pilcher (Roosevelt), and Ryan Utke (Hoover) formed the other squad.

The Mandelbrot Team Play contest emphasizes mathematical writing skills and effective group work. This contest is held in three rounds during the winter months to help advanced students prepare for events such as the USAMO (United States of America Mathematical Olympiad). On this contest, groups of four students work together on a series of proof-style questions. The students write out their explanations to the successive parts, which build upon one another to develop a mathematical result thereby broadening their understanding of mathematics and sharpening their analytic writing skills. The Team Play lasts one hour and student responses are mailed to a panel of graders for evaluation. Final team standings and sample contest questions may be found at www.mandelbrot.org.