Problem-solving was the order of the day as 60 metro-area high school students gathered at Millsaps College on Saturday, November 2, for the inaugural Millsaps College High School Mathematics Competition, hosted by the Millsaps Department of Mathematics. Participants represented 11 different public and private high schools from Hinds, Rankin, and Madison counties.
The competition was free for all participating schools and supported through the Kinnaird Endowment in the Millsaps Department of Mathematics.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for Millsaps to host some of the best and brightest math minds from the local area and really put their skills to the test,” said Dr. Alex Rice, assistant professor of mathematics. “It was exciting to watch these students working, individually and collaboratively, and really pushing through the challenging problems put before them.”
The competition featured three different components, as students competed in ciphering, written, and team problems. No calculators, electronic devices, or reference materials were allowed during any portion of the competition.
Winners in the individual competition were Matthew Yin, Madison Central (first place); Eric Chen, Madison Central (second place); Sam Gaines, Madison Central (third place); John Kees, St. Andrew’s (fourth place); and Albert Xu, Madison Central (fifth place).
In the team competition, Madison Central’s “B” team took the overall spot, followed by St. Andrew’s “A” team in second place and Madison Central’s “A” team in third place.