OSU hosts 17th annual High School Math Day
Monday, October 14, 2024
Media Contact: Elizabeth Gosney | CAS Marketing and Communications Manager | 405-744-7497 | egosney@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University hosted its 17th annual High School Math Day on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Student Union in Stillwater.
The event, led by the OSU Department of Mathematics within the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed 200 teenage participants, making it the largest High School Math Day to date.
High School Math Day is a yearly fall tradition that brings together math enthusiasts from across the region. The daylong event offers high school students a unique opportunity to engage with mathematical concepts beyond their regular classes.
“Almost all of the problems in the competition are from outside the typical high school curriculum, and many of them are quite challenging,” said Dr. Jay Schweig, associate professor and math department head.
High School Math Day is structured in two parts: it first begins with an individual contest featuring 25 multiple-choice questions. Following this, attendees can participate in breakout sessions, including talks by OSU faculty, a team competition and activities organized by the OSU Math Club.
The event also had two public lectures by Drs. Lisa Mantini and Henry Segerman. Mantini discussed Latin Squares and Sudoku, while Segerman discussed mathematical dice design.
“Not only do students see novel topics in the subject and work on interesting problems, they also see the robust community supporting mathematics students and, more broadly, STEM students,” Schweig said. “Plus, tackling nuanced or complicated problems gives participants a taste of advanced mathematics; one of our aims is to further encourage students who respond well to this sort of challenge to pursue a math or science major.”
The event provides a platform for students to test their mathematical abilities while also offering a glimpse into the world of higher mathematics and the vibrant academic community at OSU.
“I think it's a pretty unique and memorable experience for the students,” Schweig said. “Not only do they get to participate in some pretty interesting competitions and attend some faculty talks, but they get to visit our beautiful campus and get a feel for OSU.”
For more information about High School Math Day, contact the OSU Department of Mathematics.
Story By: Allie Putman, CAS graduate assistant | allie.putman@okstate.edu