Topeka, Kansas City area students compete in KU math competition

LAWRENCE (04/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Problem solving and critical thinking were what more than 277 third- through 12th-grade students from 80 Lawrence, Leawood, Olathe, Overland Park, Topeka and Kansas City area schools were graded on at the Mathematics Competition held April 7 at the University of Kansas. The competition is divided up into four age groups: third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, junior high and senior high school (10th, 11th and 12th). Cash prizes totaling in the amount of $925 are given to the top three places in each age group. The prizes will be awarded at the Math Competition Award Ceremony, which will be at 5 p.m. May 2 in Snow Hall. Sponsors are the Department of Mathematics and Information & Telecommunication Technology Center. The exams consisted of five questions that took 40 minutes to complete. Jack Porter, professor of mathematics, coordinated the competition.

This competition is held in conjunction with the mathematics department's Mathematics Awareness Month (MAM) activities. The theme for this year's celebration is Mathematics, Statistics, and the Data Deluge. Bozenna Pasik- Duncan, professor of mathematics, coordinates the MAM/Outreach activities.

2012 KU Math Competition Winners:

Third and Fourth Grade

1st Place: Dylan Stanley, Bentwood Elementary, Overland Park

2nd Place Tie: Jay Lewis, Cottonwood Point Elementary, Overland Park

2nd Place Tie: Irene Caracioni, Topeka Collegiate School, Topeka

2nd Place Tie: Rishit Pathak, Regency Place Elementary, Olathe

3rd Place Tie: Sophie Huang, Cottonwood Point Elementary, Overland Park

3rd Place Tie: Shomik Chatterjee, Heartland Elementary, Overland Park

Fifth and Sixth Grade

1st Place Tie: Janet Stefanov, Southwest Middle School, Lawrence

1st Place Tie: William Wang, Harmony Elementary, Overland Park

3rd Place: Andrew Liu, Bentwood Elementary, Overland Park

Junior High (7th, 8th and 9th Grade)

1st Place Tie: Jenny Huang, Leawood Middle School, Leawood

1st Place Tie: Arvind Subramanian, Frontier Trail Middle School, Olathe

2nd Place: Grace Brentano, Leawood Middle School, Leawood

3rd Place Tie: Gavin Zhu, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park

3rd Place Tie: Yifeng Ding, Overland Trail Middle School, Overland Park

3rd Place Tie: Riya Rana, Harmony Middle School, Overland Park

Senior High (10th, 11th and 12th)

1st Place: Shyam Narayanan, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park