Math Team Visits Yale for Tournament

The Math Team prepares for the DMI competition at Stuyvesant. Photo: Sharon Li

By KELLY LI and TASHFA UMAIR

The Math Team traveled to Yale University on October 26 to participate in the MMATHS competition, an event featuring team and individual challenges that tested students’ problem-solving skills against competitors from other schools.

The Math Team used their knowledge of the topics they learned in class, like Vieta's formula, probability, combinations and permutations, and stars and bars, and faced questions ranging from algebra to geometry to statistics. The problems varied from real-life application word problems to equations.  

It was a major event for the team as they were competing against several other schools from around the U.S.  

“We wanted to expand our influence outside of New York City,” said President Whaley Lin ‘25. “Initially we were committed to citywide competitions like DMI (Downtown Mathematics Invitational) at Stuyvesant and the South African Invitational at FDR. But we wanted something more challenging, so that’s why we went to MMATHS.”

In order to prepare for the competition and uphold Midwood’s name, the team held lessons in every meeting. They went over important concepts and split into teams for group practice sessions, solving problems that might be seen in the tournament. 

Mr. David Lee, the team's coach, conducted online meetings and went over important topics with students during their free periods. Mr. Lee would also record these lessons and upload them for other members to refer to. 

The team was divided into three groups for the competition: A (advanced), B (intermediate), and C (beginner). The groups then worked together in a classroom to solve a set of ten math problems in a limited amount of time. 

The trip was an eye opening experience for the team. 

“We learned teamwork and how to come together to solve problems and try out new strategies,” said Wan Wu '25, the co-president of the team. “We learned how to be more creative and combine the skill sets of each member.”

The tournament not only showed members how to compete but also how to apply math in the future to different careers. 

“The trip was really nice, especially for students who want to explore colleges more,” Vice President Jenny Chen ‘25 said. “Visiting Yale and seeing what their academics are like was a small glimpse into the institution.”

Chen said that she saw a “different version of the world” there.

Unfortunately, the team was not able to attend the Yale admission officer’s panel discussion as they needed to get back to New York and the bus ride was about four hours long.

The team also faced the challenge of working with a new team, as many members from last year did not continue on.

“We had to compensate for experience as a lot of members were new," said Lin. ”

“It was the first competition of the year, and it gave me insight on what I really need to work on,” said Raymond Gong ‘27. “We came in not expecting much, but we still tried our best.” 

The team was established four years ago, and through the consistent practices in their meetings, and help from Mr. Lee, the squad has improved its performance in competitions. 

“It was really surprising that one of our teams even managed to beat one of Brooklyn Tech's,” Lin said. “I just really love seeing the progression of the team.”

While the team thrives on competitions, it also maintains a welcoming club aspect, encouraging students of all skill levels to join in a non-intimidating environment. 

“We're more inclusive and open to people who just want to learn and expand their skills,” Wu said.

The leadership sees the Math Team as a community where students who are passionate about math can collaborate, gain confidence, and grow together. 

“It's not about your math capabilities,” Lin said. “It's about how you're progressing and guiding yourself through the process.” 

The club organizes game nights, movie nights, parties on holidays, as well as team dinners, allowing members to connect with each other better.

“Without this club, I would not have had such a close social group,” Chen said. 

If you’re interested in dropping by, the Math Team meets every Wednesday, periods 8 to 11 in room 473. You can also follow them on Instagram at @midwoodmathteam.