The contest is open to students in grades 7 through 12 and any interested students are welcome to participate on their own initiative, regardless of sponsorship. Parents are especially encouraged to have students participate. The contest is from 9 a.m. to noon, at Los Alamos Middle School, Rooms 111 and 112; Española Middle School's Main Library; and Santa Fe Indian School's Lecture Hall. Registration begins at 9 a.m.; the challenge starts at 9:30 a.m., and ends at noon. Participants should bring sharpened pencils but not calculators.
"The goal of the 'Go Figure' competition is to identify young people with talent in mathematics," said Rick Alexander of Los Alamos' Education Programs Office. "Many of these students may not demonstrate a latent talent in math in the usual ways and their talent goes unrecognized. Mathematics and algebra are the building blocks for all the scientific disciplines. Without a solid foundation that includes mathematics, a students' opportunities are limited."
Problems for the contest will range from easy to challenging, but most will require only basic arithmetic. Some problems are designed to test the contestants' ingenuity and ability to apply what they have learned. The test results are used to identify talented students who-along with their parents and teacher/advisor-will be invited to a recognition banquet to be held at Cities of Gold Hotel Conference Center on Nov. 13. At least one prize will be awarded in each grade level category. High achievers may also receive recognition via Web postings and in local media.
A sample test is available at http://stb.lanl.gov:8080/wosaserver/web?pg=/education/skills/math/index.xml online. For more information, contact Rick Alexander at 505-665-4373.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.