Charlotte Mathematics Club
Newsletter, Winter 2002-2003

It's mid-year and time to remind ourselves of the many mathematical opportunities coming up. Thanks to all for a great Fall; we look forward to seeing you, first-timers and veterans, in the new year!


Outline:
  • CMC Spring Schedule
  • Meeting Format & Location
  • Charleston Trip
  • Mandelbrot
  • Service Opportunities
  • Math Contest News
  • Summer Math Experiences
  • Calendar of Related Events
  • Ponder this
  • Contacts

  • Spring 2003 CMC Schedule:
    Meeting dates for Spring 2003 are:
    January 11 March 15 (Tournament of Towns)
    February 8 April 26
    February 21-23 (Charleston trip) May 17 (picnic; time/place TBA).

    Format, Time & Place:
    Under our current format, students work in two separate groups: a junior group generally consisting of students in Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, and in some cases Geometry, and a senior group consisting of students in Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. We encourage participants to choose the group that best fits their mathematical level.

    Math club meetings are organized in two parts: a "problem set" time for students to work on a collection of problems, both individually and collectively, and a "team" time, usually combined with a presentation on a more advanced mathematical topic. The problem set portion of the meeting is open to all CMC members, but we recommend the team time portion for motivated students in Geometry or a higher level mathematics course.

    Meetings start at 9:30 and end promptly at 11:15 (junior group) or at 12:30 pm (senior group.) Parents, please arrange to pick up your student no later than 10 minutes following the end of their portion of the meeting. Unless otherwise noted, our meetings are at Providence Day School (PDS), located at the corner of Rama Rd. and Sardis Rd.

    College of Charleston Math & Science Weekend:

    Note: The CMC policy with respect to all competitions is...

    If your school is attending, you must participate with your school.

    Each year, for the past 11 years or so, CMC has taken a group of students to Charleston to participate in the College of Charleston Math and Science Weekend. The 2003 "C of C" Weekend is February 21--22. We welcome CMC members currently enrolled in high school level (Algebra I and above) mathematics courses to participate with us in this adventure. We drive to Charleston on Friday afternoon to arrive in time to check into our accommodations (the Hampton Inn Riverview in Charleston) and make our way over to the Friday evening computer programming contest. The math and science competition begins at 9 am Saturday with the "Level" tests (there are three levels for students from Algebra through Pre-Calculus and beyond) and continues into mid-afternoon with various team and individual events. Lunch at the college cafeteria is included in the registration. The contest concludes with an awards ceremony at about three o'clock. Following the close of the contest, our group usually explores the Market area of Charleston, and then we go to a good local restaurant for dinner. The evening activity has traditionally been bowling at a local bowling alley. Sunday morning we get up and eat breakfast and then leave for home.

    The club organizes lodging and transportation (by van and/or cars) for members who decide to participate, and pre-pays the registration fees for the contest. Your leaders enforce a nighttime curfew, and participants agree to abide by CMC and hotel rules for personal conduct.

    Most rooms at the Hampton Inn have a king-sized bed and a sleep-sofa. (To keep costs down, we plan on assigning three students to each room.) Also, the hotel has a complimentary breakfast buffet. Each member who attends the C of C is responsible for paying for his or her own food and incidental expenses, as well as for lodging and a contribution towards gas and other costs that are paid by the club. The expenses for the student will be $75 to cover two nights lodging and a small contribution for gas/other costs. This amount will be due before departure. Also, factor in additional expenses for the cost of meals (about $25), and $10 for bowling and/or snacks.

    Signing up: Space is limited and you must pre-register by January 25. Pre-registering means

    When we know who is coming we will follow up with details on transportation and the necessary release and personal information forms.

    Mandelbrot Competition:
    The Charlotte Mathematics Club is currently participating in the 2002-2003 Mandelbrot Competition. Rounds one and two were in October and December; dates for rounds three and four will be January 27 and March 3. Vicky Kaseorg (704-544-9597) is organizing our participation this year. If you are interested in participating, or just want to know more about the Mandelbrot competition, call Mrs. Kaseorg.

    Service Opportunities:
    The annual MathCounts Chapter Competition at UNCC will be held on February 15, 2003. The state competition will be held in Durham, NC, on March 1, 2003. These contests are sponsored by the Professional Engineers of NC, and they are always delighted to have student volunteers to help them out on contest days. If you are in at least the 9th grade and are interested in helping out with an upcoming contest, please let Mrs. Schaeffer know as soon as possible.

    The past few years CMC members have helped out at Discovery Place's Pi Day celebration (March 14, or a weekend nearby). If you are interested in volunteering, please contact one of our leaders (see the contact list below).

    Math Contest News:
    Congratulations to our Mandelbrot teams on their excellent work on Round 2 in December!

    AMC->8 NC results will be posted soon at the American Math Competitions NC website.

    Don't forget the AMC->10 and AMC->12 contest on February 11 or February 26, 2003.

    The preliminary rounds for the Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Comprehensive levels of the NC State Mathematics contest will be held at various sites in NC during March and April. Locations and dates can be found at the NC State High School Math Contest website.

    Summer Math Experiences:
    What do you have planned for the summer months? There are a number of math and science summer programs for high school students. Many CMC members have attended these programs in past years, and the feedback they have given is very positive, with respect to both the learning experience and the opportunities to meet students with like interests. The deadline for applying for most of these is fast approaching, so don't hesitate to check them out! For an index to summer programs, see the "Summer Opportunities for Pre-College Students" section of Harold Reiter's web page (http://www.math.uncc.edu/~hbreiter/). (Dr. Reiter promises to trace and repair dated links by mid-January, so check again later if a link doesn't work now.)

    Calendar of Related Events:
        Jan 11    CMC meeting
        Feb  8    CMC meeting
        Feb 11    AMC->10 & AMC->12
        Feb 15    MathCounts South Piedmont Chapter Competition at UNCC
        Feb 15    Wylie Mathematics Tournament at Furman
        Feb 21-23 College of Charleston Math & Science Weekend
        Feb 26    AMC->10 & AMC->12
        Mar  1    MathCounts State competition
        Mar 10    UNCC Math Contest (State Regional: Alg. 2 & Comprehensive)
        Mar 15    CMC meeting 
        Mar 29    Wake Forest Math Contest (State Regional: Alg. 1, Geom., Alg. 2; email)
        Apr  3    Catawba College Math Contest (State Regional: Alg. 1, Geom.; email)
        Apr 10    Wingate Math Contest (State Regional: Alg. 1, Geom., Alg. 2, & Comprehensive; email)
        Apr 24    NC State Contest Comprehensive Finals (NCSSM)
        Apr 26    CMC meeting
        May  1    NC State Contest Alg. 1, Geom., Alg. 2 Regional Finals (UNC-A, UNC-G)
    
        May 17    CMC picnic (place, time TBA)
    
    
    The Mecklenburg Math Club (MMC) is a group for students of grades 4 through 6. The MMC meets monthly at two sites: MMC-South at Providence Day School and MMC-North at the Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, 9100 Olmstead Drive (UNCC area). For more information, contact Cara Jokell (MMC-South) (704) 814-9276, cjokell@post.com, or Chuck Nusinov (MMC-North) (704) 503-1112, tnusinov@hotmail.com. Meeting dates for the MMC during Spring 2003 are: Jan. 11, Feb. 8, Mar. 15, Apr. 26 and May Picnic (TBA). Meeting time is 9:30-noon on these dates. If you have younger siblings, tell them about the MMC. The MMC web site is http://www.math.uncc.edu/~hbreiter/clubs/mmc.htm.

    Ponder this...
    A relay question (adapted from the 1985 College of Charleston Math Meet). No calculators allowed!
    TNYWR = The Number You Will Receive (a.k.a., the previous answer).
    1. Evaluate cot 22.5°     Hint: 1/tan(45°/2)
    2. Let a denote TNYWR. Simplify a2 - (2 + sqrt(2))
    3. Let b denote TNYWR. Find the area of a circle of radius b-1 centered at (b,2b).
    4. Let c denote TNYWR. Find the positive value of x that solves:    xc = (c/π)4
    5. Let d denote TNYWR. If k > 0, then the line y = kx + d cuts a corner out of one of the four quadrants. Find the value of k if this triangle has area d.

    Contacts:
    The CMC Coordinating Committee (CMC3?)...
    Stephen Davis: 704-894-2343 (w)
    704-894-2005 (fax)
    704-892-1394 (h)
    email: stdavis@davidson.edu
    Harold Reiter: 704-687-4561 (w)
    704-687-6415 (fax)
    704-364-5699 (h)
    email: hbreiter@email.uncc.edu
    Susan Schaeffer: 704-552-2869 (h) email: susans@conninc.com
    Arvo Kaseorg: 704-544-9597 (h) email: arvo@carolina.rr.com
    CMC homepage: http://www.davidson.edu/math/cmc


    Go back to...

  • CMC Spring Schedule
  • Meeting Format & Location
  • Charleston Trip
  • Mandelbrot
  • Service Opportunities
  • Math Contest News
  • Summer Math Experiences
  • Calendar of Related Events
  • Ponder this
  • Contacts