Math Team Visits Yale for Competition
The math team at the Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools at Yale University on October 28. Photo: Catherine Gao
By DIMITRA TSIRIAS and TIFFANY TAN
Suppose that three prime numbers p, q, and r satisfy the equations pq + qr + rp = 191 and p + q = r - 1. Find p + q + r. To some of us, this may seem like an alien language, but for Midwood’s math team, it’s as easy as English.
On October 28, Midwood’s math team attended the Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools (MMATHS) at Yale University. The tournament featured a wide variety of questions that ranged from algebra and geometry to combinatorics and statistics, with a 12-question, 75 minute individual round and a 10-question, 45 minute team round.
The math team has been preparing for this tournament since the summer through virtual meetings held by the club’s advisor, Mr. David Lee. At every meeting, they practiced questions from other competitions like the American Mathematics Competition (AMC).
“Our strategy lies in teamwork, so our training usually involves collaborating on past competition questions,” said junior Wan Yin Wu, the club’s community liaison. “We also dedicate some time in practice sessions to the individual round and lessons from our coaches or team leaders.”
The team faced a bump in the road at MMATHS due to bus issues.
“We practically missed half of the individual round,” said junior Whaley Lin, the club’s vice president and the captain of team A. “But I am really proud of the team for pulling through, trying their best, and staying optimistic from start to finish.”
At Yale, the team also had the amazing opportunity to sit in on a college lecture by mathematics professor Richard Kenyon.
Social media representative Joanne Zhu ‘24 described the lecture as “insightful” and “engaging.”
Kenyon discussed theories and concepts behind the function f(x)=x^x^x^x^x…, which led to finding patterns and unexpected ideas using notions that ranged from algebra to beginner calculus.
“Even though the content could be difficult to understand and involved higher levels of math, it was intriguing to see how the function started to unfold and it was quite fascinating to experience what a college lecture would feel like,” said Weiyee Mock ‘25, the club’s secretary.
Lin said, “The Yale professor had a very intriguing attitude and was very professional. It just felt that he really knew the topic to the core, and the way that he was breaking things down to the specific parts felt like a huge discovery.”
Members of the team also highlighted the opportunity to listen in on a panel of Yale students who shared their background and experience at the college.
“Many of the values and hardships they shared resonated with me,” said Wu. “It gave me hope after hearing how they overcame those challenges to arrive at where they currently are.”
On December 16, the team also took part in the Downtown Manhattan Invitational (DMI) at Stuyvesant High School.
The invitational featured a team round where each six-student team had 40 minutes to answer ten questions, a power round where each team had 60 minutes to complete a series of calculations and proofs, an individual session with five 10 minute rounds consisting of two questions each, and a marathon round where each team worked on two questions at a time, with scores constantly updated live.
“All parts of the competition were pretty tense, and it’s just a day full of problem-solving,” said Mock. “Overall, I think that we improved a lot from the previous year, and we all tried our best and did great.”
“DMI at Stuyvesant was really good,” said Mr. Lee. “The three teams did pretty well. I was really proud of the fact that our second team beat one of Brooklyn Tech’s teams.”
The club is now focused on preparing for the South Brooklyn Invitational Mathematics Competition (SBIMC), which will take place at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in March.
“We are making progress in regard to competitions,” said Lin. “While we are not exactly placing high, we are slowly trying to approach that goal.”
“We just hope to improve every time, and I think that after being in multiple competitions, we’ve definitely been improving,” said Mock. “In future years though, we hope to be able to make it to the top.”
The team has created a special bond within a few months of competition.
“My favorite part is the friendliness of everyone,” said senior Rachelle Zaltsman, the club’s president. “Over a short time, we’ve grown into a family.”
“During the way to and back from Yale, they were all such a close team,” said Zhu. “It was literally like seeing a huge friend group, and I think that’s the sweetest aspect of the math team that stuck with me since.”
“People on the team have great personalities and are very funny,” said Mock. “I also love our advisors Mr. Lee and Ms. Sandy Wu who support and care about us at every step in the process.”
The team continuously embraces new additions to build its close-knit dynamic.
“Newcomers are always welcome, and we can’t wait to keep growing our little family at Midwood over the years to come,” Zaltsman said.
For students who want to take a crack at the math team, meetings take place every Tuesday, periods 10 and 11, in room 2N.