Hillsdale College Students Place First in Mathematics Competition
Hillsdale’s teams came in first and eighth place in the Michigan Autumn Take-Home Challenge.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College teams took first and eighth place out of 28 teams in the Michigan Autumn Take-Home (MATH) Challenge.
“Our math program teaches students to think both creatively and logically, which is excellent preparation for competitions like this one,” said David Gaebler, chairman and associate professor of mathematics. “Additionally, our problem-solving club meets each week to practice tackling difficult problems together. It is exciting to see their efforts pay off.”
“Our math program teaches students to think both creatively and logically, which is excellent preparation for competitions like this one.”
The MATH Challenge takes place on the first Saturday in November. Teams of two to three students work together on their campuses on a 10-question problem set and then send their answers to a grader. This year’s competition included 28 teams representing 15 colleges.
Hillsdale’s A team (Andrew Schmidt ’27, Matthew Tolbert ’27, and Adela Horsting ’29) came in first, with a score of 83.4 points out of a possible 100. Hillsdale’s B team (Levi Dittman ’28, Liam Swick ’26, and Jonah Starr ’27) scored 50 points, finishing eighth.
Mathematics is offered as both a major and minor at Hillsdale, with the option to focus on abstract or applied mathematics. Students in Hillsdale’s Problem-Solving Seminar gather weekly to solve difficult problems and prepare for competitions, including the Michigan Autumn Take-Home Challenge, the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition, and the Lower Michigan Mathematics Competition. Outstanding math students also have the opportunity to join Hillsdale’s chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honorary.