At the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU, the traditional mathematical battle between underclassmen took place

On the last Sunday of March atMechanical and Mathematical Faculty (MMF) of NSUA mathematical battle took place between teams of first-year students. This is already the 13th battle in the entire history of the competition, which began in 1982.

Mathematical battles at the IMC are a long-standing tradition dedicated to Mathematics Day, which is celebrated on April 1.

— Mathematical battles have been held for 44 years with interruptions: in 1982–1983, then in 2002–2011, and now they continue again. Since 2011, they have been dedicated to the memory of Dmitry von der Flaass — a talented mathematician, a graduate of FMSh and MMF., — said the competition organizer, associate professor of the Department of Mathematical Analysis of the MMF NSUAlexander Kachurovskiy.

Initially, the press was conceived as a team competition between courses, but over time it became an important part of the faculty culture.

—These fights give a feeling of celebration and possibly an understanding of which course is stronger “by the hamburger score.” Moreover, we sometimes repeat tasks from past years to compare the level of current students with previous generations. This year, the level of participants corresponded to the best historical standards,— notedKachurovsky.Â

Teams of three course participants took part in the competition. The distinctive feature of the format is not only the battles themselves, but also the active participation of the audience.

—We have a fan competition: anyone can solve problems and earn points for their team. This makes the format more open and engaging,— addedAleksandr Kachurovskiy.

The victory this year was won by the second-year team. Its captainDenis Devyatovsaid that the team approached the competition already with experience:

—Earlier we participated in matchbo at the Olympiad, albeit in a different format. That is when a strategy appeared that helped us win here.

According to him, participation in such competitions is not only about tasks but also about internal competition. The team was formed from students actively participating in the Olympiad movement.

—I have always been attracted to mathematical competitions, and here is also a struggle between courses. I wanted to understand who is stronger in mathematics. I invited guys from the olympiad training and those with whom we regularly go to competitions. Plus, I found strong participants among acquaintances — this is how the team was formed.— sharedDenis Devyatov.

The format of the math battle involves not only solving problems but also their defense.

—First, everyone is given six tasks. Then teams take the roles of presenter, opponent, and reviewer: some present the solution, others check it, and the third supplement it. The jury evaluates not only the solution but also the quality of the analysis,— Denis explained.

According to him, not all tasks were within the participants’ capabilities.

—No one solved one task. We were warned in advance that it would be very difficult — and it was. But there was also one unexpectedly difficult task, which no one managed either. We solved some of the tasks late at night, but in the end this brought results., — added the team captain.

The winning team included:Denis Devyatov, Rustem Sadykov, Mark Malov, Ivan Samuil Nnuga Mongo, Aleksey YastrezhembovskyиArtyom Miroshnikov.

Mathematical battles at the IMC remain not only a competition, but also an important part of the university environment, uniting students of different years and generations around a common interest in mathematics.