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K-State Today Student Edition

April 6, 2012

Mathematical role models: Students score highly in international competition

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

Six Kansas State University students have placed highly in an international mathematics competition.

The Mathematical Association of America recently announced the results of the 72nd annual Putnam Mathematical Competition, the most prestigious mathematics contest for undergraduates at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

The Kansas State University team finished in the top 18 percent among the 572 colleges and universities and nearly 4,500 students participating in the competition. The university team also had one member who placed in the top 14 percent of the competition: Hui Cao, senior in mathematics, Beijing, China.

The team also has one member who finished in the top 30 percent and four members in the top 43 percent.

Along with Cao, team members and their individual placements include:

Shane Scott, senior in mathematics and physics, Dodge City, top 30 percent; Brian Moore, senior in electrical engineering and mathematics, Hutchinson, top 43 percent; James Bailey, senior in industrial engineering and mathematics, Leavenworth, top 43 percent; and Max Goering, junior in mathematics and physics, McPherson, top 43 percent.

From out of country: Guanting Liu, junior in electrical engineering, Guangdong, China, top 43 percent.

Coaches for the university's Putnam competition team include department of mathematics faculty members David Auckly, Ivan Blank, Ricardo Castano-Bernard, Todd Cochrane, Louis Crane, Xiang Fang, Roman Fedorov, Zongzhu Lin, Diego Maldonado, Tom Muenzenberger, Gabriel Nagy, Virginia Naibo, Christopher Pinner, Pietro Poggi-Corradini, Craig Spencer, Victor Turchin, Dan Volok and Ilia Zharkov.