Early registration has begun for the University of Tennessee-Pro2Serve Math Contest Oct. 28 in Knoxville.
The top 10 winners of the contest will each receive four-year scholarships to UT. The scholarships are funded by UT-Knoxville Chancellor Loren Crabtree’s office and can be used for any major.
Winners also will receive trophies, plaques, and certificates in recognition of excellence at different stages of the competition.
The contest is open to all Tennessee high school students. The UT mathematics department and Pro2Serve Professional Project Services are co-sponsors of the contest. This is the event’s sixth year and Pro2Serve’s fourth year as a sponsor.
Last year’s competition drew more than 970 students from 101 Tennessee high schools to campus for the daylong event. Organizers say 1,000 students may take part this year.
“The competition allows us to showcase our university to some of Tennessee’s most talented students,” said Dr. Robert Daverman, head of the UT mathematics department.
“We hope this competition and the scholarships will allow us to attract our state’s brightest minds to our university and this area.”
Pro2Serve, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Oak Ridge, provides critical technical and engineering services to government and private industry to help ensure national security. The company was ranked by Inc. 500 magazine as the 18th fastest growing defense company in 2003.
“We’re proud to co-sponsor this competition for the fourth year,” said Barry Goss, Pro2Serve president. “As a Tennessee-grown business, we think it’s important to develop and retain the intellectual talent of our state.
“These young men and women are majoring in math, science, and engineering, which are the types of skills Tennessee and the nation need for the future,” Goss said.
On the morning of the contest, each student takes a written, multiple-choice exam, which tests knowledge of algebra and geometry. Those with the top 50 scores then take a second, essay-type exam.
Scholarships are awarded to the top 10 scorers on the second exam.
The contest also features a Math Bowl, a double-elimination team competition similar to the old College Bowl.
Participation is limited to 1,000 students and 64 Math Bowl teams, each containing three students. Up to 30 students per school will be allowed to register for the contest, and each school may enter one Math Bowl team.
For teams traveling more than 100 miles, funding is available to help students and their teachers with travel expenses, and for teachers accompanying school teams.
Early registration ends Oct. 8 and costs $10 per person. Late registration is Oct. 9-25 and is $12 per person. No onsite registration will be allowed the day of the contest.
More information and registration forms are at
http://www.math.utk.edu/MathContest/ and also are available from the UT mathematics department at 865-974-2461.