COMAP Contest in Modeling

COMAP Contest in Modeling - 2009

On February 5 through February 9, 2009, two teams of Longwood University students competed in the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) annual contest in mathematical and interdisciplinary modeling (the MCM/ICM)! This was the fourth consecutive year LU has competed in this international contest (Click here for more detailed results from this year's contest and see below for pictures and results previous year's contests). The two teams for 2009 were:

Team Gamma: Problem A: Designing a Traffic Circle (MCM)

Final Designation: Successful Participant

Team Lambda: Problem A: Designing a Traffic Circle (MCM)

Final Designation: Honorable Mention (top 40%)

Daniel Honey, Junior Computer Science Major

Bobby Markey, Senior Mathematics Major with Secondary Education Licensure

Benjamin C. Ryan, Sophomore Physics/Pre-Engineering Major

Richard Hayden, Senior Mathematics Major

Tyler C. Newell, Senior Mathematics and Computer Science Double Major

Michael Souza, Senior Computer Science Major, Mathematics Minor

The advisor for both teams was Dr. M. Leigh Lunsford. Special thanks to the following folks:

Dr. Phillip Poplin for help with some of the training of the teams and making pizza night a tradition!
Contributors (from the LU Mathematics and Computer Science Department) to the COMAP Feeding Fund (including the wings and fries from Wing Shak donated by Dr. Graham)!
The LU Psychology Department for use of their lounge - for the fourth year in a row!
The LU Library for use of TWO rolling whiteboards and for supporting us for several years now!
The LU IT folks for getting the teams weekend access to Ruffner and the computer lab in Ruffner! Thanks IT - we know you don't hear that too often!
Dr. Burger in the Sociology Department for graciously moving his graduate level course to a computer lab other than the Ruffner lab during the weekend!
Our department chair, Dr. Bill Abrams, for finding and fixing last minute logistical problems!

Click here for more detailed results from this year's contest.

Below are some pictures from the weekend. Most are thumbnails. Click on the picture to get a high resolution image.

LU's Mathletes for 2009 are:

On Left: Team Gamma: Daniel Honey, Bobby Markey, Benjamin C. Ryan

On Right: Team Lambda: Michael Souza, Richard Hayden, Tyler C. Newell

The teams started training for COMAP early in the Spring 2009 semester. Below our Math Geeks roll a whiteboard across campus (thanks LU library for loaning TWO white boards this year!). BTW: We are proud to call ourselves "geeks"!!

Team Gamma in the Mathematics and CS Department Hall in Ruffner

LU's 2009 Mathletes at the Fountain (notice the two whiteboards on each side):

Bottom Row: Ben Ryan, Tyler Newell, Richard Hayden

Top Row: Daniel Honey, Michael Souza, Bobby Markey

Team Lambda Rolling a White Board Across Brock Commons

Team Gamma in the Psych Lounge

Team Lambda in the Math Lounge

There was plenty of good food! For the second year in a row, Tyler's girlfriend, Babe, made goodie baskets for both teams. Each basket was stocked with assorted yummy items including brownies and Chex mix. One of our LU Mathematics Majors, Becky Fried, made an Oreo cheesecake for the mathletes for Saturday morning. For the fourth year in a row faculty from the Math & CS Dept contributed money to the "COMAP Feeding Fund" to keep our Mathletes nourished over the weekend including Dr. Graham's (CS) donation of wings and fries from the Wing Shak.

Friday 2/5 - Sub Night (from Merk's Place) - an LU COMAP Tradition

Saturday 2/6 - Pizza Night with Dr. Poplin - another LU COMAP Tradition. This year we also had wings and fries from the Wing Shak thanks to Dr. Graham.

Last call for Wing Shak fries and teriyaki wings!

Sunday 2/7 - Chinese Night - another LU COMAP Tradition. Dr. P, a former mathlete himself (and Dr. L's hubby), also joined the mathletes for dinner.

Team Gamma at Work

Team Lambda at Work

Team Gamma Turns In Their Solution Paper:

Go With the Flow: A "Traf-fix" to Traffic

Final Designation:

Successful Participant

Team Lambda Turns In Their Solution Paper

Final Designation:

Honorable Mention (top 40%)

Bobby baked and decorated a cake to celebrate the end of the competition! Finished product (devoured shortly after the deadline to turn in the papers!) to the right!

Dr. L. with the Mathletes after both papers submitted to COMAP! We made it! a

Congratulations 2009 LU COMAP Mathletes! Job Well Done!