YSU MathFest Essay Contest
2009 Essay Contest
The essay will involve the book:
Letters to a Young Mathematician
by Ian Stewart.
In the fifth letter "Surrounded by Math," Ian Stewart writes Meg
"As I walk along Braes Bayou, surrounded by wildlife, I realize that I am also surrounded by math. For instance...
Roads cross the bayou at regular intervals, and the phone lines cross there too, and birds perch on the phone lines.
From a distance they look like sheet music, fat little blobs on rows of horizontal lines. There seem to be special places
they like to perch, and it's not all clear to me why, but one thing stands out. If a lot of birds are perching on a wire, they end
up evenly spaced.
That's a mathematical pattern, and I think there is a mathematical explanation."
Mathematics is all around us and patterns are all around us. A lot of advances in mathematics
have been discovered by a researcher noticing a pattern. Write an essay (500 words or less) on this aspect of mathematics. Feel free to
include specific examples from your life and from this essay.
How to Enter
- There is no entry fee.
- Attendance at YSU MathFest is not mandatory to submit an entry.
- Multiple entries may be mailed together.
- Be sure your essay is postmarked (or hand delivered) by November 13, 2009.
and addressed as follows:
YSU MathFest Essay Contest
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44555
Rules
- Submit only one paper.
- Type or print your paper,
double-spaced on unlined white paper, or hand-write your
paper in ink on only one side of lined 8.5 x 11" white paper.
- Leave 1" margins on all sides, and number the pages.
- Limit your paper to 500-600 words.
Papers that are significantly shorter or longer are
disqualified.
- Use a title page with the following information:
- the title of your paper
- your name (no nicknames or shortened names)
- your full address
- your age and grade
- your teacher's first and last name
- the name of your school (no abbreviations)
Evaluation
Your essay will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- your establishment of a clear purpose for writing the essay
- evidence that you understand the book and story
- the effectiveness of your organization
- the clarity, conciseness, and freshness of your language
Prizes
PRIZES! will be awarded to the first, second, and third place entries at
at MathFest!
Permissions
Entries cannot be returned.
All entries become property of YSU.
The University reserves
the right to publish any of the entries submitted,
with credit given to the authors.
