Math contest encourages students to "Go Figure"

Contact: Steve Sandoval, steves@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9206 (02-117)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Oct. 15, 2002 -- Budding mathematicians are invited to compete in the fourth annual "Go Figure" math contest in Santa Fe, Farmington, Los Alamos and Espanola on Oct. 19, sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and California.

The contest is open to students in grades 7 through 12 and any interested students are welcome to participate on their own initiative, regardless of sponsorship. Parents are especially encouraged to have students participate.

The contest will take place at San Juan College Community College’s Computer Science Building, Room 7103 in Farmington; Los Alamos Middle School Room 112; Española Middle School Main Library; and Santa Fe Indian School’s Lecture Hall. The Laboratory, San Juan Community College, Los Alamos Middle School, Española Middle School and Santa Fe Indian School sponsor the “Go Figure” contest. The contest is from 9 a.m. to noon.

Although formal pre-registration is not required, teachers are encouraged to register students by writing to Joe Vigil of Los Alamos’ Education Programs Office at jlv@lanl.gov by electronic mail. Participants should bring sharpened pencils but not calculators.

“The goal of the ‘Go Figure’ competition is to identify young people with talent in mathematics," said Vigil,. "Many of these students may not demonstrate a latent talent in math in the usual ways and their talent goes unrecognized. Mathematics and algebra are the building blocks for all the scientific disciplines.

Without the foundation that includes mathematics, a student's opportunities are limited."

Problems for the contest will range from easy to challenging, but most will require only basic arithmetic. Some problems are designed to test the contestants' ingenuity and ability to apply what they have learned. A prize will be awarded in each grade, and the top ten percent will receive individual letters of congratulations. Winners' names also will be posted on the World Wide Web.

A sample test is available online at http://education.lanl.gov/newEPO/k12/GoFigure/math.htm online. For more information, contact Joe Vigil at 505-665-7917.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, developing technical solutions to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.