The Mass Academy math class, taught by Mr. Regele, is very different from a normal, routine math class. This is because it does not teach a specific part of math like an Algebra or Calculus course. It was a large change for me at first, but I like how the class presents a new, different way of analyzing and breaking down problems.
Mathematica is a software system that we have been learning. It is a very powerful tool that has many different uses. In this example, the assignment was to calculate a linear regression line of best fit using only simple mathematical operations and formulas. We started with a data set of random points, sorted and plotted them, and found a line of best fit based on those points.
This paper is the final product from my team's HiMCM experience. The High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling is a multi-day math competition, usually done in teams of 4 students. Teams are given two modeling problems from which they can choose one. These problems usually involve some sort of optimization of a process, or finding the ‘best’ solution to an issue, where the designation of ‘best’ is up to your team to decide. My team, which included Stephen Cooley, Cameron Whiting, Liam Morrison, and I selected problem A, titled “Storing the Sun”. This problem asked us to investigate the optimal configuration of a solar energy collection system for an off-the-grid home, including solar panels and solar storage batteries. We decided to approach the problem from a coding perspective, and created a java program which took user inputs and output the optimal number and type of solar panels and batteries for that person's specific needs. The factors we took into consideration included the number of family members living in the home, the location of the person's home, and the weather and climate based on the location given.