Department Of Mathematics, Kansas State University
| April 2005 : | Students shine in prestigious intercollegiate competition |
| K-State undergraduates in the Department of Mathematics finished first and
second in the Big 12 in the prestigious William Lowell Putnam Mathematical
Competition that pits mind versus mind in a battle of numbers.
Matthew Burkemper, a senior mathematics major from Derby, had the best performance by a student in the Big 12 Conference and one of the best performances ever by a K-Stater. Jeffrey Amos, a junior in mathematics and statistics major from Olathe, had the second best performance by a student in the Big 12. They were given six hours to answer 12 questions. Are you ready to compete? Here's an example from their test: Basketball star Shanille O'Keal's team statistician keeps track of the number, S(N), of successful free throws she has made in her first N attempts of the season. Early in the season, S(N) was less than 80 percent of N, but by the end of the season, S(N) was more than 80 percent of N. Was there necessarily a moment in between when S(N) was exactly 80 percent of N? |