This page is will no longer be updated -- This is the 2003 contest

It is time to invigorate the mathematical interests and encourage the development of the mathematical talents of those going on to careers in mathematics, teaching, information technology, engineering, science, medicine, skilled trades, commerce, banking, and business, among others. With these objectives firmly in mind, we are designing a new kind of mathematics contest which, along with testing individual problem solving abilities will equally evaluate teams working together on more challenging problems. For the academic year 2002-2003 we have obtained financial support from our community for a low cost approach to this project which we believe will more than repay its cost in attracting and retaining our talent in order to build a sophisticated advanced technology.

ClickHERE for the CONTEST PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS, and PICTURES from both the contest and award ceremony.

Thanks to all the students and their teachers for making this contest a success!

University parking regulations will be in effect on May 14, but we will be able to provide parking passes for a limited number of vehicles at the Parking Kiosk, provided we are notified of the number needed before May 5, 2003 by calling the Mathematics Department Secretary at 343-8469.

Registration Information to March 28, 2003. We have received pre-registration from Churchill and St. Ignatius High Schools. We have asked for names of contestants so that some of the necessary paper work with names spelled correctly, can be done before May 14. We do realize that last minute substitutions may have to be made due to illness or unforeseen circumstances. As we have stated before, we must have contestant numbers (at least) to be able to allocate our funds over lunch costs, awards and prizes. This requires lead time, WE WILL NOT ADMIT ANY CONTESTANTS WHO HAVE NOT PRE-REGISTERED BEFORE APRIL 4, 2003.

URGENT: E-MAIL YOUR REGISTRATIONS ON OR BEFORE APRIL 4, 2003 TO mathcontest@lakeheadu.ca if you are not already on the list below.

Further contributions, to add contest prizes, and to support the important pre-season activities described below will be welcomed, and will receive tax receipts from Lakehead University, together with appropriate notice on this site.

Donations should be sent to

Each month solutions will be posted to the previous month's problems and the Committee hopes that most of these will be provided by interested students, who will be credited for their efforts. The neatest solution of the month for both Junior and Senior sections will be chosen and highlighted.

Tutorial problem posting is planned for the end of September and further details together with solution deadlines are provided below.

If you submit solutions, the judges will assume you given your permission for your name and grade to be published on the web site if you are a prize winner, or if you are one of a number of people who correctly solve a problem.

The next set of problems, named 2-2003, is posted below. The due date for solutions is April 25, 2003. Solutions can be submitted through individual schools, or by other means, provided that 'other means' insure receipt by April 25 to:

• Problems: 2-2003 (Due April 25, 2003)
  • Junior and Senior Problems

• Problems: 1-2003 (Due March 7, 2003)
  • Junior Problems
  • Senior Problems

  Again, the prize for neatest solution goes to Jenny Liu, who turns in the best and most mathematically complete answers. Other solvers are submitting correct answers but the care they take in writing up does not match Jenny's.

  Congratulations again Jenny, and you will receive a cheque for $50.00

• Problems: 2-2002 (Due Jan. 10, 2003)
  • Junior Problems (for Grades 9 and 10)
  • Senior Problems (for Grades 11 and 12)

  This prize for the "neatest solution" for Problems 2-2002 goes to Jenny Liu, a grade 8 student at Sir John A. Macdonald school. Jenny's winning solution is to problem 3 of set 2-2002, grade 9/10. Several people gave the correct answer, which is $99.98, but Jenny gave a METHOD for finding the answer and her method also shows that there is no other possible answer. Very neat!

  Congratulations Jenny, a cheque for $50 is going to you!

• Problems: 1-2002

  • Junior Problems (for Grades 9 and 10)
  • Senior Problems (for Grades 11 and 12)

  The "neatest solution" prize for an individual problem in our first set is a $50.00 cheque to Nick Dang in Grade 10 at Sir Winston Churchill High School.

  Nick solved 12 of the 14 grade 9/10 problems correctly and his winning solution to problem 8 consists of the observation that if one adds 423135 to each bracketed expression, they are obviously equal. Hence the fraction has value 1. Congratulations Nick.

The problems Committee has decided not to post solutions to any of the other problems at this time in the hope that some people are still working and we believe that furnishing solutions will ruin the value of those problems.

Also, because our website posting of the first set of problems has revealed difficulties in getting clear diagrams and their labels, we are sending clear hard copy to all Math Heads. We will mail clear hard copies to others who request it by sending their names and addresses to the Math Secretary at the address above, or by doing the same by e-mail to the contest e-mail address mathcontest@lakeheadu.ca.

Teachers have suggested that problem solvers would like to get marker feedback on their solutions. We cannot promise always to do so, but if marker time permits we will try. To receive marker's comments, you must do the following.

1. State at the top of your paper, along with your name, grade, and school, the words COMMENTS REQUESTED.
2. Express your solutions with care, so that the marker can understand what you are saying.
3. Write only on ONE SIDE of your papers, and leave space BETWEEN your solutions for comments.