Mathematics and Statistics Competition

Students in Years 7 to 9 were invited to participate in The University of Melbourne Mathematics and Statistics Competition. 

They selected one of eight questions to work on, either individually or in a team of up to 3 people. Once they finished their research, they presented their findings in a written report.

The questions varied in their level of difficulty and context. Students investigated varied situations including modelling disease spread, patterns in coordinates and life cycles of insects.

The participants were:

Thomas Galan, Fin Hanley and James Grabowsky (9 Arrupe), Owen McCoughtry (7 Lewis), Curtis McCoughtry and Erin Robertson (9 Thomas), Alana Clark (9 Bandler), Will Hanley (9 Regis), Drew Magtaka and Stephanie Reynolds (8 Campion), Will Devine (7 Borgia), Max Creati (7 Licona), Ryan Thompson and Riley Peters (7 Carroll), Ryan Merriman (8 Realino) and Olivia Richardson (8 Aikenhead).

Brothers, Owen and Curtis McCoughtry tackled the following scenario;

‘A freight truck driver Alice has an electric truck. Each month she drives from Adelaide to Cairns via Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. She wants to install a solar panel on the roof of her truck to recharge the battery as she drives. The solar panel is square, and will be mounted facing directly forward at an angle θ from horizontal. The power received by the solar panel depends on the angle that the sun makes to the solar panel. What angle θ should she mount the solar panel to collect the most solar energy over her year’s trips from Adelaide to Cairns?’

Their high quality and in depth submission was awarded a ‘high commendation’ in a very competitive field. Congratulations to Curtis, Owen and all students who worked so hard on their chosen investigation.

Karen Perkins Learning Enhancement Coordinator