Australian Mathmatics Trust: Once A Year Day for Maths in NZ

Australian Mathmatics Trust: Once A Year Day for Maths in NZ

AUCKLAND, Aug. 2 /Medianet International-AsiaNet/ --

- Competition date: Thursday 4 August 2011 -

Primary and secondary school students from all over New Zealand will join hundreds of thousands of students from more than 40 countries to participate in the 34th annual Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) on Thursday 4 August.

With all levels of ability, from all types of schools in vastly different locations around the country, students will sit either a 75-minute secondary paper or a 60-minute primary paper, which contains quirky questions with an emphasis on fun and problem solving.

The AMC is also the first and believed to be one of the largest competitions of its kind in the world, with more than 1100 prizes and 60 medals awarded annually. Since it began in 1978, it has become a truly international event, attracting approximately 14 million entries.

Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the not-for-profit Australian Mathematics Trust which administers the Competition, said, 'The AMC is its best known activity but the Trust is also responsible for a range of mathematics and informatics enrichment programs. The AMC and the Australian Informatics Competition lead to the more talented students participating in these programs'.

'Many leading mathematicians under the age of about 40 were identified through the AMC and are products of the Trust's programs. They are serving their countries in science in areas such as climate change and defence', he added.

Students who are outstanding both within their state or country and overall in the Competition are awarded medals at annual ceremonies. Awards will be presented to the New Zealand medallists at Old Government House in Auckland on 4 November this year.

The Trust is under the Trusteeship of the University of Canberra. Support for the AMC also comes from the Canberra Mathematical Association.

The following sample question appeared in the 2010 Middle Primary paper (NZ Years 6 and 7):

Problem:
Harold wrote down his Personal Identification Number (PIN) but it got smudged and all he can see on his note is 35*2. He remembers that the PIN was divisible by 2 but not by 4. Which of the following could be the missing digit?
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 5 (E) 7

Answer: (B) 2

Method:
To test for divisibility by 2 we just check that the last digit is even. To test for divisibility by 4, we need to check that the number formed by the last two digits is divisible by 4, as 100 and multiples of it are divisible by 4. So, we need to check 12, 22, 32, 52 and 72. All are divisible by 4 except 22.

ENDS

© Scoop Media