After completing the fifth round of tests this Wednesday, Phillips Academy still retains its lead in the New England Mathematics League Competition. Andover scored 30 points in the latest round and is now tied for first place in the nation, with a perfect score of 90. The math competition is a nationwide contest to distinguish the strongest math students in different regions of the country. Students are challenged with a set of six questions in 30 minutes. The questions, which require a strong understanding of algebra and geometry, range in difficulty and are designed to lead the test takers into traps. Once the tests are collected, the top five scores determine the school score. Andover leads the New England Region, while rival Lexington High School is second with a score of 87. Instructor in Mathematics Donald Barry explained, “[The competitions] are a lot of fun. The problems are interesting, you get to be creative, you get to work together as a team, and it is fun to lead.” Constance Chao ’04 currently leads the school in personal scores over five rounds with a perfect 30, while Brian Buce ’05 is in second with 28. Hao Wang ’03, Peter Whalen ’04, and Di Wu ’04 are tied for third with scores of 26 each. Currently, over 70 Andover students have participated in the contest.
