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In this years contest the participants had to choose from two very
interesting problems. One problem asked students to come up with a model
to use the ambient noise field (due to background seismic activity, surface
shipping, sea life etc.) of the ocean to detect the presence of a large
silently moving object, like a submarine, by measuring changes in the field
caused by deflections off the object's mass. The second problem, which
Team C.O.W. chose to work on, was designed to provide the contest organizers
with some free consulting. They asked for an algorithm for determining
the best paper among a large number of entries to a contest. Since each
judge for the contest will only be able to read a small number of the papers,
an absolute ranking is impossible. Instead the students had to find some
method in which the winning paper is assured of being from among the absolute
best. "At first we couldn't decide [on which problem to work on]", commented
Indradeep (Indy). "The first problem seemed riskier, but more interesting.
We hoped for some inspiration on it, but eventually settled on the second
problem."
Under-manned due to illness, and dragged down by lack of sleep
over the weekend, the team still produced a very intricate model as a solution
to the problem. Their paper, which was 16 pages long, including a 7 page
Appendix of C++ code, was rewarded as "successful" by the contest judges.
When he turned in the paper to the group's advisor, Matt Brahm, on Monday
afternoon, a bleary eyed Gayan could only offer, "I'm going to sleep",
as an assessment of their chances. Later, in a more reflective mood he
commented that "It was intense, but fun. I think we could do much better
next year, now that we've been through it once". In preparation for the
contest the students met late in the afternoon for several weeks prior
to the contest to go over winning papers from previous years. Vikas Malhorta
reflected on the experience, "When Professor Brahm made the announcement
about the modeling competition, at first I thought it was about working
with clay or wearing a swimsuit, or something like that. Later, when we
saw how simple some of the winning papers were, we thought, hey this is
something we can do".
The contest is held in mid-February each year. Around 400 teams
including some high school teams) from 9 different countries competed in
the contest this year. Each school can
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field up to two different teams. There are no mathematical prerequisites
for taking part. If you are interested in participating next year, listen
for announcements, or contact Professor Brahm for more information.
Math Retains Slide Rule in Taylor Bowl VII
by Pamela Pierce
The math department will keep the prized slide rule for another
year! That's right, the mathematical sciences team defeated the physics
team in the annual bowling tournament held on Saturday, April 27, 1996.
Average scores for the teams were Mathematical Sciences 104.3 and Physics
102.0. Senior Chris Guciardo turned in a high score of 171 for the Math
team, while the high score overall went to junior Noah Johnston of the
Physics team, who bowled a 173. The prize is proudly displayed in the lounge
area of the third floor of Taylor Hall.
The Budapest Semester in Mathematics Program
by Joe Zimmerman
Hungary is famed for paprika, gypsies, its national symphony, and
for providing the backdrop for the filming of Madonna's new movie, "Evita".
But Hungary is also renowned for its mathematics. Many of this century's
prominent mathematicians are Hungarian. Hence, when I first learned of
the "Budapest Semester in Mathematics" Program, I was drawn to the opportunity
to study mathematics from a different educational perspective as well as
the chance to live in Europe for the semester. But when my plane first
touched down, Budapest greeted me with cold gray skies and pollution, along
with spray paint and litter in the streets. Welcome to winter in Eastern
Europe.
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