Appreciating beauty and fun of Mathematics

-- 3rd Mathematical Culture Festival

In order to inspire students’ interest in Mathematics, enrich their campus life, provide them with a platform to showcase their talents, and help them appreciate the beauty and fun of Mathematics, the International Division of No. 2 High School of East China Normal University launched the 3rd Mathematical Culture Festival series of activities in March 2023.

The Mathematical Festival Logo Design Competition was open to all students of the International Division. Entries could be made using various forms such as handcraft, watercolor, sketching, or computer drawing, with a description of the creative and design process. The top ten designs were selected by teachers and students through voting. The design created by Dong Tianqing from Class 9A was awarded Best Design and will serve as the logo for the next Mathematical Festival.

The Rubik’s Cube game was divided into two stages: the preliminary and the final. The preliminary round took place on March 14th at 12:30 pm in Room 308 of the International Division, attracting nearly a hundred students from both junior and senior high schools. The atmosphere at the game was tense and lively. Participants used their dexterous hands and quick thinking to solve the scrambled Rubik’s Cube within specified time. After intense competition, the top six were chosen to enter the final round which took place at 1:55 pm in the music hall of the International Division on the same day. The six students were divided into three groups and competed in pairs using the standard 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube. After two rounds, Xing Ruiqian won the championship with an impressive time of 10 seconds. The game ended in warm applause and cheers.

While the Rubik’s Cube game was on, students from Grades 6 to 9 gathered in the music hall, eagerly anticipating the start of the finals of the 24-points game. After intense intra-class competitions, each class sent three students to participate in the competition on the grade level. On the stage of the music hall, students sat at their tables with pens in hand, poised and ready to answer the questions. The sound of pens scratching on paper filled the air as they raced against the clock to calculate their answers on scratch paper, while the students in the audience watched the competition with bated breath. The tension in the competition reached its peak when the contestants pressed the responder.

In the junior high school competition, the 6th graders were the youngest, but the astonishing speed at which Class 6C responded left a deep impression on the students in the audience. 7th and 8th graders were equally impressive. Students from 9B exhibited remarkable performance in both mandatory and buzzer rounds of the 24-points game. In the end, the 9th graders achieved the highest score, securing their victory.

During the game, there were many impressive questions, such as the interesting “6/6/6/6”. Not only did the competitors actively participate in the game, but also the students in the audience were engaged in deep thinking. At times, while the audience was still thinking, the competitors had already pressed the responder. Amidst the cheers of the students, the 24-points game came to an end, with Class 6B, 7B, 8B and 9A emerging as the winner of their respective grades.

The Sudoku game was divided into two stages: the preliminary and the final. The preliminary round was held separately by each class, and three students were selected from each class to participate in the final which was held in Room 412 of the International Division at noon on March 15th. The results were evaluated, based on a combination of accuracy and completion time. After intense competition, the winners were finally determined. The Sudoku game not only hones players’ observational, thinking and patience skills, but also cultivates their sensitivity to numbers and understanding of regularity. Participants said that they enjoyed the thrill of challenging themselves while solving problems.

Compared to the traditional events of the Mathematical Culture Festival in the past, “Mathematics Photography Competition” and “Mathematics Vlog Exhibition” were added as new events this year.

In the Mathematics Photography Competition, students explored the world and observed the beauty of Mathematics in daily life through photography. Outstanding photography works covered subjects such as natural, architectural and still life, all of which contain rich mathematical connotations like the golden ratio and projective geometry. These works reflected students’ mathematical perspectives on observing the world and their mathematical thinking in understanding the world.

In the Mathematics Vlog Exhibition, junior and senior high school students formed teams or independently produced numerous creative math videos, including the “Mathematics Elements Fashion Show” vlog which showcased the design and creation of outfits with mathematical elements during the Mathematical Culture Festival and of which the clever ideas presented in the video impressed viewers with the filmmakers’ mathematical perspective, and the mathematical knowledge vlog “Math Knowledge Encyclopedia” which featured vivid explanations that immersed viewers in the ocean of knowledge.

The Festival allowed students to learn while playing, think while enjoying, progress while competing, and achieve while displaying talents, and it provided students with an opportunity to enjoy the fun and artistry of Mathematics, while cultivating their creativity and aesthetic judgment. The Festival enhanced students’ love for and confidence in Mathematics.

Mathematical Culture Festival Award Winners

Sudoku Game:

Individual Awards

First Prize winner: Lin Xinhe from 8B

Second Prize winners: Sun Yiyu from 9C and Shi Yize from 10A

Third Prize winners: Guo Tianyang from 10B, Xu Shirui from 10B, Wang Zhiyuan from 9B

Team Awards

First Prize winner: Class 9A

Second Prize winner: Class 9C

Third Prize winner: Class 8B

 

Rubik’s Cube:

Champion: Xing Ruiqian from 9C

Second Place winner: Yang Haoxiang from 10B

Third Place winner: Lu Xuanting from Class 10A

Honorable Mention: Shi Yize from 10A, Yan Taijing from 11A and Jiang Bingxuan from 6C

 

24-Points Game:

6th Grade & Junior International Group: First Place – Class 6C, Second Place – Class 6B, and Third Place – Junior International Class

7th Grade Group: First Place – Class 7B, Second Place – Class 7C, and Third Place – Class 7A

8th Grade Group: First Place – Class 8B, Second Place – Class 8A, and Third Place – Class 8C

9th Grade Group: First Place – Class 9B, Second Place – Class 9A, and Third Place – Class 9C

 

Mathematical Festival Logo Design

Best Design: No. 15 by Dong Tianqing from 9A

Top 10:

No. 4, by Wang Yuqian from 10B

No. 10, by Huang Xinyue from 7A

No. 11, by Deng Jingxuan and Miao Jiaqi from 8C

No. 14, by Annie Chen from 10B

No. 16, by Lin Sitong from 9B

No. 17, by Hu Xinyu from 10B

No. 20, by Li Qingxin from 8C

No. 21, by Li Zihan from 9A

No. 24, by Shi Jiaqi from the 11th grade of the International Class

 

Mathematical Vlog

Top 10:

Xu Kaiqi, Wu Zimeng, and Liu Yangzi from 6A

Hu Chunyan, Liang Jingwen, and Yang Jiayi from 6C

Xie Zirong, Bai Zhijuan, and Jin Lerong from 7C

Cui Rongshu from 8A

The Pythagorean Theorem by Chen Weiyi, Zhang Zimo, Gao Yuwen, and Liqingxin from 8C

The Pizza Theorem by Xiong Ruohan and Deng Jiayuan from 9C

Mathematics in Music by Shi Jinhan from 10A

The First Mathematical Crisis by Dong Jiayi, Sun Yaxi and Ruan Aoran from 10A

The Monty Hall Problem by Wang Yuqian, Lin Xiaozhen, Dai Shiyun and Chen Yihan from 10B and Cai Yuheng from 10A

Japanese Abacus by Lingmuyaoji, Zhitianliangling, Quiyuanbicai and Zhang Jiayi from the 10th grade of the International Class

 

Mathematics Photography

Top 10:

Mathematics in Daily Life by Chen Hanhui from 9A

Light and Shadow by Qin Yuxin from the 11th Grade of the International Class

The Architecture of HKU by Zhu Fangxian from 7A

Reflection by Guo Tianyang from 10B

The Language of Snow by Dai Shiyun from 10B

The Secrets of Book Sizes by Xiaochuanquanshi from Junior High International Class

The Tower of Playing Cards by Zhimuliangling from the 10th grade of the International Class

Qinghai Lake by Huang Xinyue from 7A

Reaching for the Moon by Lin Ruiyan and Cao Zihan from 7C

The Beauty of Rings by Ruan Aoran from 10A

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