LACC IS FIRST IN THE NATION IN 2004!

The LACC Mathematics Club was formed in 2000 by a faculty advisor Prof. Anatoliy Nikolaychuk. About 30 math students have been meeting in the Math Department every Friday for two and a half hours to discuss unusually tricky math puzzles. Math skills required to solve these puzzles frequently involves concepts that are beyond four–year college curriculum.

The Math Club students participated in the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC) competition. The Student Mathematics League was founded in 1970 by Nassau Community College in New York. In 1981, AMATYC assumed sponsorship with Terry Shell of Santa Rosa Junior College as its first director. The League has grown to more than 150 colleges in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda involving over 7000 students this year.

The Mathematics National Contest has 2 rounds during each academic year (scheduled in November and April) and consists of 20 multiple-choice questions covering topics from algebra, geometry, trigonometry and general mathematical reasoning. In this nationwide competition the LACC team placed 38th in 2001, 9th in 2002, 3rd in 2003 and 1st in 2004.

Congratulations to the top five team members:

Jeong Min Seong

Jinsun Kim

Luana Raduca

Ji-Seop Song

Dongwook Kim

Jeong Min Seong, two years Math Club President, placed third among over 7000 participants, and Jinsun Kim finished 6th overall.

Team plaques were presented to the top five schools at the annual AMATYC conference at the end of this year. First place in the individual competition gets a $3,000 scholarship award (Charles Miller Memorial Scholarship). In 2002, LACC Math Club member Dmitri Nedelchev won the $3,000 Grand Prize. He has applied this to his education at the University of Southern California where he transferred Fall 2002. In 2003, the LACC Math Club member Luana Raduca was qualified to get a $3,000 Scholarship. At the 30th Annual AMATYC Conference in Orlando (Florida) on November 17-21, 2004, Jeong Min Seong received the Contest Grand Prize. The Grand Prize comes to LACC for the third year!

If you are interested in participating in LACC Math Club, please contact Dr. Anatoliy Nikolaychuk at (323) 953–4000 ext. 2822 or by email: nikolaam@lacitycollege.edu