Mastering the Mathematics Olympiad
Throughout the year, the Year 7 and Year 8 students in the Newman Mathematics classes competed in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad which consisted of four tests.
The tests involved complex problem solving questions such as the following:
A wooden cube is painted white and then cut into unit cubes.
Each unit cube measures 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm.
There are forty-eight unit cubes with exactly two faces painted white.
How many of the unit cubes have exactly one face painted white?
The following students placed in the following percentiles of all applicants nationwide:
- Edith (Year 7) placed in the top 10%
- Ji Won (Year 8) placed in the top 25%
- Madeleine (Year 7) placed in the top 30%
Here is an insightful reflection from Edith regarding her thoughts during the competition:
“Solving intricate problems through Maths Olympiad was an enjoyable, memorable experience. Even though some questions were extremely challenging, it enabled me to learn multiple useful strategies and enhanced my problem solving skills. I have learnt the most during revision of Maths Olympiad questions, when I was able to find the solutions to problems that I was unable to solve on my first attempt. Overall, it was a valuable learning experience for me to contribute to acquiring knowledge of mathematical skills.” ~Edith, Year 7.
Congratulations to Edith, Ji Won and Madeleine for their great achievement. Well done to all the Year 7 and 8 participants who competed with enthusiasm and we look forward to next year’s competition.
Mr Mark Pangilinan, Mathematics Coordinator
