Pi Day: Math Olympiad Feature
March 23, 2023
Just like the never-ending digits of Pi, math has numerous different levels of complexity to it. From simple digits to an infinite number of solutions, the possibilities are endless in the field of mathematics.
The attractiveness of mathematics is reflected in the laughter which resonates throughout the upstairs 900s pod as Northwood’s Math Olympians study together for the American Mathematical Competition, a notoriously rigorous math exam.
Math Olympiad has been a historical part of Northwood since the school’s founding in 1999, and over the course of 22 years, the club has prepared students for mathematical competitions and generated interest in competition-based mathematics through their weekly meetings.
“Math Olympiad has helped me develop creative problem-solving skills through resourceful presentations and guidance of experienced board members,” freshman Anthony Park said. “Now that we are done with the AMC, we do a lot of fun activities during our meetings like breakout rooms, friendly tournaments and Kahoots.”
answers to the quiz are at the bottom
Despite the seemingly intimidating title of “Olympiad,” club meetings offer guidance for mathematical competitions or fun brain exercises for various purposes whether it be studying for the upcoming merit tests or simply diving deeper into math in preparation for harder math courses.
“We welcome Northwood students from all different mathematical backgrounds to join,” Math Olympiad advisor and math teacher Chris DiAntonio said. “If there is a genuine interest in mathematics, students are more than welcome to come out to our club meetings.”
Math Olympiad also offers free tutoring for Northwood students struggling with math to receive extra help on confusing topics and have their questions answered by expert peers and math teachers during tutorial hours.
In the past year, 10 individual members from Math Olympiad have been deemed American Invitational Mathematics Examination qualifiers (top 5% in the nation), with one member scoring in the top 1%. The Northwood Math Olympiad team was deemed the regional champions for the 2022 California Mathematics League and is on track to do so again at this year’s final competition out of a series of six competitions, taking place on March 23, according to Math Olympiad vice president William Deng.
“If you are ever interested in math or have any math questions, join us at our meetings every Thursday during lunch,” Math Olympiad president senior Chris Song said.
the answer is “None of the above”