“Amazon Ants” and “Math Magicians” took second place statewide in Hesse

“Can you guys double-check if what we’ve checked off here is right?” “I’m on a hot lead for Problem 8 right now.” “How do you factor again?” “You cross out something at the top and something at the bottom.” “I know the p-q formula. Am I smart or am I not smart?”—Those were the actual words of Aliena, Paula, Joshua, and Konstantin from Class 9a as they worked on the problems for the Bolyai Team Math Competition.

What is not allowed in regular class exams or tests is, in fact, encouraged in this new math competition: Two to four students from the same grade form a team and work together to determine which of five given answers is correct for a math puzzle. Anything is possible, ranging from “none” to “all 5 answers.”

“The ability to work together is a core value in our lives”—that’s the motto of this competition, which originated in Hungary and has only been offered in Germany for the past five years. The two girls and two boys from class 9a agreed to participate in Bolyai without a moment’s hesitation. They spent more time discussing their team name. They ultimately competed as the Amazon Ants (“They’re the strongest animals in the world relative to their body weight,” Joshua had explained) and were very successful. Out of 61 participating teams in Hesse, they took second place and received certificates, T-shirts, and the 2019 Bolyai Competition yearbook containing all the problems and solutions.

Just like last year, Teresa Dinges (6b) and Sophia Rogosch (6c), along with two students from the Gymnasium Philippinum, competed in the Bolyai Competition as “Die Mathemagier.” They were just as successful as last year and took second place among 103 participating groups of sixth graders in Hesse.

Congratulations to both successful math teams!
Gisela Opper