Finalists gather for maths contest

Press, 28 October 1977, Page 8

Finalists gather for maths contest

Twenty of New Zealand's' top senior secondary school mathmetics students will he in Christchurch today toi sit the final examination in a | national mathematics competition. The competition has been organised by the Canterbury Mathematical Association.) and more than 1700 students sat a preliminary examina-i tion on September 19. The 20 finalists include six students from Christchurch. Prize-winners will be announced at a special function at St Andrew’s College this evening. Prizes worth almost 82000. and including cash, books, and calculators, wij be presented. A lecture on “Man. machine, and mathematics" will also be given by Dr J. Andreae of the University of Canterbury. Each school sent their five! best preliminary scripts to their local mathematicali association. These were re-1 marked within each area and the 10 best from each region sent to the Canterbury■ Mathematical Association, who marked them again and selected the top 20.

The Canterbury Mathemati-j cal Association has organised a local competition for' senior mathematics students] since 1967. It was expanded ; to include the South Island j last year, and was so sue-!, cessful the whole of New Zealand was included this i year. Prizes have been given bv 1.8. M. (N.Z.), Ltd. Whitcoulls. Ltd, Novus Calculators. L td. and the Canterbury Mathematical Association. 1.8. M. has also contributed to the running costs of the competition. and the National Airway Corporation has provided half of the fares of i finalists travelling to Christ- [ church. The six finalists from i Christchurch area are: Roger: Armstrong (Christchurch! Boy's High School), Ruth Knowles (Hillmorton High School), Brian Murray i (Middleton Grange School). Mark van Voorthuisen i (Middleton Grange School), i lan Viney (Christchurch Boy’s ■ High School), and Keith Wignall (Christchurch Boy's High School).