MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge
Two teams of GLHS students recently competed in this year’s prestigious MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge) where they leveraged math to respond to this year’s challenge question. Drawing inspiration from the 2020 global pandemic and the shift in academics and employment to a remote-based model, this year’s challenge asked participants to use data to predict the future of remote work. Participants examined data to model remote-readiness, remote work choices, and to make predictions for future remote workers. Over 600 teams competed and the GLHS senior team was in the top 28 of valid papers that were submitted and received 1 of only 22 Honorable Mention Awards and a $1000 award.
The M3 Challenge is entirely internet based and completed by students remotely within a time limit. “Students used mathematical skills, research and brainstorming to evaluate data and propose answers to the questions about the future of remote work. Teams had to submit their solutions within the strict 14 consecutive hour time limit, akin to the way things often happen in the real world,” according to MathWorks. “M3 Challenge spotlights applied mathematics as a powerful problem-solving tool and as a viable and exciting profession. Participating students are encouraged to explore and bolster their mathematical modeling know-how to position themselves for success.”
The Math Modeling Challenge is open to high schools in the U.S. (including U.S. territories and DoDEA schools), as well as students in the UK and Wales. This year, GLHS had two teams advised by GLHS math teachers Steven Hess and Steven Ciarrocca. The team of five senior students that won honorable mention included: Brandon Lim, Chris Marinko, Jacob Quisumbing, Charles Santore, and Drew Schiller. This impressive group of students received recognition last year because their paper was in the top 50 out of 535 papers placing them in the top 7% in the US & the 9% internationally.
The second GLHS team consisted of one senior and four juniors and included: David Andrews, Sophia Judicke, Nate Laposky, Daniel Long, and Katherine Zhou. While this team did not earn any scholarships, they made it into the second round of competition and were among the top 18% of teams that competed.
Students from GLHS have participated in the contest for the past 17 years. The Math Modeling Club officially formed six years ago with the specific intent to bring together interested students and help prepare teams for the M3 Challenge. While not a traditional club, in that only those participating in the contest are a part of it (and each school is limited to two teams of 5), the group enjoys a terrific level of camaraderie as they prepare for the challenge.
According to GLHS Math Teacher and team advisor Steven Hess, “This is a particularly impressive group of seniors. They are competing against the top 5 or 10 math students from hundreds of schools across the US and UK, including many specialized STEM schools and prestigious private schools. Some of these schools teach entire year long courses in mathematical modeling. I am thrilled that our GL students won recognition and scholarships two years in a row. In addition, I think the experience of working furiously and creatively with several peers for a time-pressured 14 hour day is the greatest reward of this contest. It is a completely unique experience and they are rightfully proud of the sophisticated 20 page paper that they produced. No one would guess that it was written by 17 and 18 year olds. I am eager to watch their careers unfold in the years ahead.”
Photo by Kendall Torres, GLHS
