COMAP Contest in Modeling

COMAP Mathematical Contest in Modeling - 2010

On February 18 through February 22, 2010, three 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 fifth consecutive year LU has competed in this international contest and our first time to field three teams. Click here for more detailed results from this year's contest and see below for pictures. The teams for 2010 were:

Team Alpha: Problem B: Criminology

Final Designation: Successful Participant

Team Pi: Problem A: The Sweet Spot

Final Designation: Meritorious

Team Sigma: Problem B: Criminology

Final Designation: Successful Participant

Jeff Anway

Freshman, Mathematics and Computer Science Double Major

Benjamin C. Ryan

Junior, Physics/Pre-Engineering Major

Sam Wiles

Freshman, Computer Science Major

Yuri Calustro

Senior, Mathematics Major and Economics Minor

Daniel Honey

Senior, Computer Science Major

Nikole Varhegyi

Junior, Mathematics Major with a Computer Science Minor

Roger Hopkins

Senior, Computer Science Major

Chris Thatcher

Freshman, Mathematics Major

Ashley Wilson

Junior, Mathematics Major with a Secondary Endorsement

The advisor for the teams were Dr. M. Leigh Lunsford and Dr. Phillip Poplin. Special thanks to the following folks:

Contributors (from the LU Mathematics and Computer Science Department and some college Deans) 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 fifth year in a row!
The LU Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies Department for the use of their lounge and the nice welcome sign they made for Team Sigma!
The LU Library for use of THREE rolling whiteboards and for supporting us every year!
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!
Our department chair, Dr. Bill Abrams, and Secretary, Gail Moss, for finding and fixing last minute logistical problems!

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

	LU's Mathletes for 2010 are:
Team Alpha: Sam Wiles, Jeff Anway, Benjamin C. Ryan	Team Pi: Daniel Honey, Nikole Varhegyi, Yuri Calustro			Team Sigma: Ashley Wilson, Chris Thatcher, Roger Hopkins

The teams started training for COMAP late in the Fall 2010 semester. Below our Math Geeks roll three whiteboards across campus the day before the contest started (thanks LU library for loaning THREE white boards this year!). BTW: We are proud to call ourselves "geeks"!!
Leaving the LU Library with the Whiteboards Notice that the whiteboards have COMAP written on them and there is STILL snow on the ground from the big snowstorms we had this winter.	A subset of LU's 2010 Mathletes at the Fountain (notice two of the whiteboards on each side): Bottom Row: Sam Wiles, Roger Hopkins, Jeff Anway Top Row: Ashley Wilson, Yuri Calustro			Mathletes and Whiteboards Crammed in an Elevator in Ruffner
Team Alpha Working in a Classroom		Team Pi Working in the Psychology Lounge	Team Sigma Working in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies Lounge
Above: Chinese Food Night! Below: Pizza Night!		The Teams had fun solving problems about serial killers and baseball bats. Good food was had and interestingly enough, Team Sigma, which worked on the criminology program, was housed in the lounge of the Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies Department.	. Above: Team Sigma Gets a Warm Welcome Sign from the Dept. of Soc., Anthro., and Crim. Justice. Looks like the team temporarily moved to a classroom.. Below: Team Sigma in an Anthroplogy Classroom (Notice the skeleton)
		Finally, a picture of Sam when he is not hiding his face!
Team Alpha Turns in Their Final Solution Paper: Crime Prediction Using Geographical Profiling		Team Pi Turns in Their Solution Paper: To the Bat-Swing: An Impulsive Approach	Team Sigma Turns in Their Solution Paper
Team Pi presents their solution at the MD-DC-VA MAA Section Meeting