WISCONSIN MATHEMATICS, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH
- WISCONSIN MATHEMATICS TALENT SEARCH:
-
Professor Laurence
Chisholm Young (1905-2000), whose picture at age 90 appears at the
left, began the Wisconsin Mathematics, Engineering and Science Talent
Search in 1963.
Early Talent Search directors include
Professors Michael Bleicher, Lawrence Levy and Rod Smart, with contributions
from many other members
of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mathematics Department.
Each school year, the Talent Search creates five sets of five problems each
and distributes them to
high school and middle school students in the state of Wisconsin and
throughout the world. These
problems are unusual, challenging, and we hope, enjoyable. They are not easy,
but their solutions
do not require advanced mathematical
knowledge--just talent in problem solving.
- THE COMMITTEE:
- WHAT IS MATHEMATICAL TALENT?
- Mathematical talent is a combination of ingenuity, insight, creativity,
the willingness
to experiment, and persistence;
it is not merely a skill in manipulation. By working on problems, you can
develop your
talent for mathematical thinking
and problem solving.
- MATHEMATICAL TALENT NEEDED:
- Mathematical talent and problem-solving ability is needed in engineering,
physics,
chemistry and other sciences.
In fact, with the application of mathematics in business and the social
sciences, there
is hardly a field that you can
enter that does not need a good background in mathematics.
- WHY ME?
- You can discover how enjoyable being creative can be. You can experience
the thrill
of solving hard problems. You
can learn some new mathematics which is not usually covered in class.
You can discover
what your own talents in
mathematics are if you really give these problems a try.
- HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- Send in your solutions to the address given on each problem set or
submit them by
email to talent@math.wisc.edu. Be
sure to include your name, postal address, the name
of your school, and your grade level.
You do not have to solve all five problems in each
set; submit any number that you can do. Do not be surprised if you cannot
get them all;
some of them are very
difficult. You are doing well if you can do any of them. The problem sets
are graded;
partial credit is given.
Solutions and coded lists of
solvers will be sent out later. Coded lists of solvers and schools participating
can also
be found on the Solvers Page.
Remember that solutions usually require a proof or justification.
Please do not write your solutions on the problem set page.
- VAN VLECK SCHOLARSHIP:
- Each year, top Wisconsin performers in the Talent Search will be eligible
to compete
for the Van Vleck Scholarship at the
University of Wisconsin in Madison. The scholarship will pay $6,000 per
year for four
years. Details of the scholarship
and of the competition will be mailed to the high scorers.
- HONORS DAY IN MADISON:
- The top Wisconsin entrants and their teachers are recognized by the
University of
Wisconsin at the
Honors Day celebration. Here
the students talk to professors, attend some mathematics and science lectures,
visit a
research facility on campus, attend an Honors Luncheon and receive some
simple prizes too.
The awarding of honors is based on the total number of points, the total number of
completely correct problems, the originality of solutions, and the year of the
participant in school.
- HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE PROBLEM SETS:
- Ask your mathematics teacher, write to: Talent Search, University of
Wisconsin,
Department of Mathematics, 480
Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI 53706, find them on the
Problem Page
in PDF format, or email talent@math.wisc.edu.
Students in California (and ONLY students in California) should write to:
Pomona Talent Search, Pomona College, Department of Mathematics, 610 N. College Avenue,
Claremont, CA 91711, or email Pomtalsrch@pomona.edu.
Mathematics Department | University of Wisconsin | College of Engineering
Honors Day |
Problems |
Scholarship |
Solvers
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