Math modeling is a novel course as it does not follow the traditional high school curriculum and introduces the students to the concepts of putting real world events into a mathematical model. Furthermore, the course also teaches advanced math concepts such as number theory. The purpose of the course is to emphasize critical thinking and problem solving of the student.
The MTFC competition is where students would create mathematical models to simulate real world risks and find a way to mitigate it through behavior change, insurance, and/or modifying outcomes. The model would serve to argue one’s strategy to minimize the damages caused by the risk that one’s examining. This competition requires an understanding in statistics, and mastery in finding information, as well as using Excel/Google Sheets to compile the data.
The is a challenging problem where the student would learn to create a mathematical writeup, which is a rigorous explanation to their solution. This problem is about finding out an algorithm to assist someone to find the day of the week of their birthday. The problem requires the student to have a strong understanding of the concepts taught in class, and to synthesize said knowledge in the context of this problem.