Charlotte Mathematics Club
Newsletter, Fall 2001

Fall is almost here--we just about survived the uncommonly hot, sticky summer.... It's time, once again, to rustle up some mental muscle, sharpen our pencils and our wits, and pound some math problems into submission with the help of old and new Math Club friends.

Read on to find out how to join in on the fun....

Outline:
  • Background
  • Who
  • When
  • Time & Place
  • Who's in charge?
  • Acknowledgements
  • Where are they now?
  • Related Groups & Events
  • Ponder these
  • Contacts

    • Background:
    The Charlotte Mathematics Club was begun in 1987 by Dr. Harold Reiter for the purpose of providing enrichment and challenges for students who have a strong interest and ability in mathematics. The club meets approximately once a month from September to May. At club meetings, students work individually and in small groups to solve problems from various areas of mathematics. Occasionally there is a presentation of a special topic, as well.

    In February the club attends the College of Charleston Math-Science Weekend and participates in the Tournament of Towns ("T of T"), a Russian competition, in November and March. Depending on interest, we may also participate in the Mandelbrot Competition. The December meeting is a pizza & welcome-back-alumni event, and we gather in May for an end-of-year picnic; location for the picnic is TBA.

    For more information about the CMC, see our Beginner's Guide to the Charlotte Math Club.

    Who:
    We invite young people who are interested in joining together with other highly motivated students from Charlotte-Mecklenburg and surrounding areas. Our club members are typically in eighth grade or higher and are taking Algebra, Geometry, or higher level mathematics courses. Student backgrounds include public, private, parochial and home-school environments.

    When:
    Meeting dates for 2001-2002 are:

    September 29 February 9
    October 20 February 22-24 (C of C trip; tentative)
    November 17 March 23
    December 15 (10 am - 1 pm)April 27
    January 12 May 25 picnic (place & time TBA)

    Time & Place:
    Meetings start at 9:30 and end promptly at 11:15 am or at 12:30 pm, depending upon student level. (Generally, students in Geometry or a higher level mathematics course stay until 12:30.) Parents, please arrange to pick up your student no later than 12:40. Unless otherwise noted, our meetings are at Providence Day School (PDS), located at the corner of Rama Rd. and Sardis Rd.

    Who's in charge:
    The club is administered by the CMC Coordinating Committee (see "Contacts" below). Stephen Davis and Harold Reiter lead activities at our meetings, with able assistance from Susan Schaeffer and Arvo Kaseorg.

    Acknowledgements:
    There are no dues, although each student is asked to bring $1 to the December meeting to be used for a thank you gift for PDS. The CMC is indebted to those that have donated time, space and funds. PDS has been a gracious host for many years, and we have benefited in the past from the generous contributions of Pepsi Cola (the Halton Foundation), Okuma Machinery, Clariant Corporation and other, anonymous, benefactors. Thanks also to supportive parents and other friends of the club.

    Where are they now?
    Congratulations to club members who have recently matriculated on... Sarah Birdsong is at Mars Hill College; James Davis at Beloit College; K C Garrett and Elizabeth Kroboth are at UNC-Charlotte; Frances Schaeffer is now at UNC-Greensboro; Thea Sircar is at Duke University. Please share news of other club alumni! See the CMC web site for updates and more alumni news.

    Related Groups & Events:
    Since 1990, the Mecklenburg Math Club (MMC) has provided a mathematical enrichment for students in grades 4 through 6. The MMC meets monthly at the Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, 9100 Olmstead Drive (UNCC area). Contact Michelle Burgess at (704) 687-3507, 9am-5pm weekdays or by e-mail at Bmischvus@aol.com.)

    The American Mathematics Contest->8 (AMC->8) will be administered in schools on Tuesday, November 13. Remind your math teacher about the AMC->8; the deadline for registration is mid-October. (AMC->10 and AMC->12 day will be either Tuesday, February 12, 2002, or Wednesday, February 27, 2002.)

    MATHCOUNTS Piedmont Chapter competition at UNCC's Cone Center will be February 2, 2002.

    The USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS) is a free mathematics competition open to all United States high school students. Many CMC members have enjoyed this competition in the past; the problems are varied and interesting, and the contest organizers are responsive. Students may enter the competition at any time of the academic year; registration and instructions for how to participate are at the USAMTS website.

    Some of our members also compete in the (internet-based) USA Computing Olympiad (USACO). There are fall, winter, and spring programming contests; more information (including dates!) is available at the USACO website.

    Ponder these...
    The spiral at the far left is formed from an infinite sequence of equilateral triangles. The initial, largest, triangle, T0, has all sides of length 2. The next triangle, T1, is formed by taking the altitude of T0 as its side, and drawing T1 so that it extends out in a counterclockwise direction. In a similar fashion, triangle T2 is formed from the altitude of T1, triangle T3 is formed from the altitude of T2, and so on, each new triangle using the altitude of the previous triangle as its side.
    1. Find the areas of the three largest equilateral triangles, T0, T1, and T2.
    2. Find the area of the union of the triangles in the spiral (that is, the area of the solid figure on the right).
    3. Find the sum of the areas of the triangles in the spiral.

    Contacts:
    The CMC Coordinating Committee (CMC3?)...
    Stephen Davis: 704-894-2343 (w); 704-894-2005 (fax);
    704-892-1394 (h); stdavis@davidson.edu
    Harold Reiter: 704-687-4561 (w); 704-687-6415 (fax);
    704-364-5699 (h); hbreiter@email.uncc.edu
    Susan Schaeffer: 704-552-2869 (h); susans@conninc.com
    CMC homepage: http://www.davidson.edu/math/cmc
  • Background
  • Who
  • When
  • Time & Place
  • Who's in charge?
  • Acknowledgements
  • Where are they now?
  • Related Groups & Events
  • Ponder these
  • Contacts