Otumoetai Intermediate is hosting the top student mathematicians in Years 7 and 8 from around the North Island at the inaugural Bay Maths Competition.

Otumoetai Intermediate students involved in the inaugural Bay Maths competition held on Thursday.

Forty-three teams, each comprising three students from throughout the Bay and as far afield as Gisborne, Havelock North, Rotorua, Matamata and Hamilton, are at the school for two hours of mathematical problem-solving.

'These opportunities have been provided to complement similar maths nights at Taupo and Havelock North Intermediates,” says Otumoetai Intermediate school principal Henk Popping.

The event provides an opportunity for gifted and talented mathematicians to be challenged in a stimulating and intellectual environment, where they not only have their mathematical skills tested, but can also interact with others of similar ability and interests.

The competition is organised in three sections and will challenge both individuals and teams.

The first section gives each participant a chance to solve 10 problems in 10 minutes on their own. For example: ‘Bobby wanted a round robin draw for nine pentanque teams. What would be the minimum number of games which would need to be played to see every team playing each other?'

Similar problems are posed for sections two and three of the competition. In part two, teams work together to solve 30 problems over a specific timeframe, with higher points awarded if the problems are solved on the first attempt. In the final round, teams have 10 questions to solve and each question has a strict time limit.

Local sponsorship and assistance have been generously provided by various businesses, allowing prizes and trophies to be awarded at the end of the evening.

The coveted trophy in each year group is the Top School Team cup, which the winning team will retain in their school for 12 months.