Thanks to NYSML for coming to Albany

Thanks to all the teams that came to UAlbany last weekend for the New York State Math League (NYSML) last weekend: Bergen County AAST Mu A, B, & C, Dutchess-Ulster-Sullivan-Orange (DUSO) Math League A and B, Genesee Valley BOCES, Ithaca High School, Monroe County Math League A and B, Nassau County Math League, New York City Brooklyn/Staten Island, New York City Clio, New York City Manhattan, New York City Queens/Bronx, New York City Leo & Louie, Onondaga County Math League A and B, Rockland County Math League, Southern Tier Math League A and B, and Westchester-Putnam County Math League A and B.

From Albany Area Math Circle's perspective, your coming was the most exciting visit to Albany since Henry Hudson sailed up the river in 1609.

Top Team Results are listed here. Top individual results are listed listed here. Full results for all teams and individuals will be available on the NYSML website soon.

Thanks to Professor Leo Schneider for writing yet another great set of problems for NYSML 2010. It was a pleasure for us to meet him, and to learn that his motto is "There's a Power Question in everything," as he discovers possible topics for future power rounds in a wide variety of everyday situations.

This year's Power Question was inspired by the mathematics used in computer-controlled steel milling machines. Professor Schneider is shown here with his wife Susan and Albany Area Math Circle advisor Professor Mukkai Krishnamoorthy, who enjoyed working with a group under Professor Schneider's direction to grade the Power Question, a one-hour essay-like component of the contest, "in which the teams work collaboratively to answer a multi-part set of problems calling for creative thinking, elegance of presentation, and accuracy of solutions," according to the NYSML website.

There are few if any other state-level contests that offer anything like the NYSML Power Question to their students, and its inclusion in NYSML for the past four decades is a testament to the distinguished tradition of problem solving in New York State, a tradition celebrated and encouraged by Professor Nura Turner of UAlbany, who was on the first USA Math Olympiad Committee at the same time that NYSML started up in the early 1970s.

Thanks to all the wonderful NYSML officials who volunteered their time to make this competition possible, especially NYSML President Jason Mutford, NYSML VP/Meet Leader and President-elect George Reuter, NYSML Treasurer and Executive Officer-elect Mike Curry, and NYSML Secretary and Treasurer-elect Toni-Lynn Swanson.

Thanks as well to the outstanding coaches from all over the state who also give up countless hours of their time each year to prepare their teams and make arrangements to travel with them to NYSML.

We'd especially like to thank Anchala Sobrin, NYSML Vice-President-elect and President of the DUSO Math League (the 2009 Host Site), for all the advice, encouragement, and assistance she provided to us throughout our planning process.

Finally, we'd also to recognize the leadership of the New York City Math Team and NYC Head Coach Jim Cocoros for continuing a grand tradition that has inspired and challenged the rest of the state for four decades.

Albany Area Math Circle

host team NYSML 2010