Page 10 - PLP April 2023 Secondary

10 Mathematics April 2023 Secondary Mathematics
International Mathematics Competitions – ‘a genuine, collaborative, mathematical environment’
With the Covid years firmly behind us the
array of conversations with fellow Park Lane students and staff alike? We’d have it no other way.
Simon I. Y13 (Senior Maths Competition in Warsaw)
“Participating in the ISMTF Maths Chal- lenge was an exhilarating experience for me both as a mathematician and an individual. The competition gathered many brilliant mathematical minds from various countries, providing us with the opportunity to engage with the competitors and see their different approaches towards thought-provoking problems.”
David S. Y13 (Senior Maths Competition in Warsaw)
“I especially enjoyed the team rounds of the competition, as I got to work with my class- mates to solve complex problems. A highlight was the Sunday Chase, where I met students from Poland and the UK and could learn about how they tackled puzzling questions.” Charlotte C. Y13 (Senior Maths Competition in Warsaw)
Junior Maths Competition in Vienna:
Six students accompanied by Mr McCor- mick participated in the ISMTF Junior Competition on the 25th February. This international competition involved the highest caliber of secondary school math- ematicians. It was lovely to see our team of students collaborating and engaging
in meaningful mathematical discussion, to successfully solving some extremely challenging tasks. In the team round of 54 schools, Park Lane finished just outside the top 10, in 12th position (jointly with the International School of Amsterdam), an excellent achievement!
This is what our students thought:
‘During our weekend stay in Vienna, we encountered not only tough mathematics but also incredibly intelligent like-minded people from all around Europe. It was especially inspiring to be surrounded by young mathematicians coming from similar backgrounds as ours all trying their best
in a competition designed to be extremely challenging in all its aspects. It was truly a very rewarding experience.’
Daniela P. Y10 (Junior Maths Competition in Vienna)
ISMTF International Maths competitions are back. This year we had the privilege to represent our school in Warsaw at
a Senior ISMTF event for Y12 and Y13, in Vienna at a Junior event for Y10 and Y11 and finally the Y9 students faced some fierce competition in Munich at the Mid- dle Years competition at the end of March.
Senior Maths Competition in Warsaw
On the first Friday of March a small group of six maths enthusiasts from Y12 and Y13 boarded a plane to Warsaw and spent a weekend filled with calculus, geometry and number theory. Sounds fun? You’re not wrong. While the main competition was incredibly challenging, our students performed admirably, proving their sub- stantial maths skills. Yet the true high- light for many was the Sunday Chase. The participants were mixed up with peers from other schools and asked to solve
a number of problems. The Park Lane stu- dents turned out to be natural leaders, at ease working with others, allocating roles
and suggesting solutions. It was a pleas- ure to see them in action.
Read on to find out what they thought:
This year’s edition of the ISMTF, represent- ed, not only a means to challenge ourselves mathematically, but also a space to be surrounded by hundreds of like-minded stu- dents from across the continent — or in sev- eral rare cases, even from outside it. Wheth- er this manifested itself in the crowded auditorium ever-filled with frantic scribbling, early-morning breakfasts eaten to snippets of heated conversations on differential calculus, or even just experiences swapped with diverse other enthusiasts during the inter-school ‘Sunday Chase’ event (a person- al highlight!), ISMTF ’23 proved itself again and again to be a genuine, collaborative, mathematical environment. What’s more, even if the competition were to be set aside, the trip was still richly rewarding. Exploring one of Europe’s great cities, with a fantastic guide to boot? Visiting local friends and/
or family, and bringing back Polish sweets for the dorm? Of course. Having a dazzling