Aerial view of campus with Williamsport, the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain as a backdrop

Math and Logic Olympiad: an alternative way to teach and learn

By Christopher Reed, Math Center Director

To challenge students to learn in creative ways, the Math Center at Lycoming College hosted the second annual Math & Logic Olympiad at the end of March. Open to all students, the Olympiad pitted student teams of two or three against each other in a 25-question logic competition that spanned more than two hours.

The competition was fierce with six teams battling for first place. Amazingly, the difference between first and fourth place came down to a single question. This year’s winning team consisted of juniors Reid Groder, a mathematics major from Cliffwood, N.J.; Crystal Riebe, a mathematics major with secondary education certification from Forksville, Pa.; and Andrew Canavan, a junior mathematics major from Caldwell, N.J. Second place went to seniors Rachel Duncan, an actuarial mathematics major from York Haven, Pa.; Coral Chiaretti, a mathematics major from Ashland, Pa.; and Jason Coles, an actuarial math and mathematics major from Logan Township, N.J.

All participants got to enjoy “brain food” (pizza, chips and assorted snacks) while they worked, and the top two teams walked away with prizes, which included assorted board and card games.

Christopher Reed, director of the Math Center, and Jason Misfud, mathematics faculty, developed the math and logic problems for the event. Academic Services sponsored the event.

The Math Center offers daily tutorial support in math to students throughout the semester. Student tutors guide their peers through the learning process from basic concepts to more abstract thinking.