The 2018 Clemson Calculus Challenge
The fifteenth annual Clemson Calculus Challenge (CCC ) was held on Friday, April 20, 2018. The Department of Mathematical Sciences hosted 262 students from 38 regional schools representing Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The students competed in individual, team, and school categories.
Funding for the 2018 CCC was provided by the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Additionally, Mu Alpha Theta (the national high school and two-year college mathematics honor society) contributed $200 in prize money and three one-year licenses to the computer algebra system Mathematica for distribution to top performers on the morning exam.
The thirty-eight high schools were split into three divisions based on school enrollment. The division numbers increased with school enrollment; thus Division 1 schools had the smallest enrollments, while Division 3 contained the schools with the largest student populations. The high schools that competed in the 2018 CCC are listed in the following table.
| High School | City | State | Division | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High School | Columbia | SC | 2 | 4 |
| Altamont School | Birmingham | AL | 1 | 4 |
| Anderson High School | Anderson | IN | 3 | 8 |
| Ben Lippen School | Columbia | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Bishop England High School | Charleston | SC | 1 | 4 |
| Blue Ridge High School | Greer | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Charlotte Latin High School | Charlotte | NC | 1 | 7 |
| Chestatee High School | Gainesville | GA | 2 | 8 |
| Crescent High School | Iva | SC | 2 | 8 |
| D. W. Daniel High School | Central | SC | 2 | 8 |
| East Hall High School | Gainesville | GA | 2 | 3 |
| Emerald High School | Greenwood | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Fulton Science Academy | Alpharetta | GA | 1 | 4 |
| Greenbrier High School | Evans | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Habersham Central High School | Mount Airy | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Hammond School | Columbia | SC | 1 | 6 |
| Johnson High School | Gainesville | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Lakeview Academy | Gainesville | GA | 1 | 8 |
| Mauldin High School | Mauldin | SC | 3 | 8 |
| Montessori School of Anderson | Anderson | SC | 1 | 4 |
| Mountain View High School | Lawrenceville | GA | 3 | 8 |
| North Oconee High School | Bogart | GA | 2 | 8 |
| Oconee County High School | Watkinsville | GA | 2 | 8 |
| Peachtree Ridge High School | Sewanee | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Riverside High School | Greer | SC | 3 | 8 |
| S.C. Governors School | Hartsville | SC | 1 | 7 |
| Seneca High School | Seneca | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Sevier County High School | Sevierville | TN | 2 | 8 |
| South Forsyth High School | Cumming | GA | 3 | 8 |
| South Gwinnett High School | Snellville | GA | 3 | 8 |
| South Pointe High School | Rock Hill | SC | 2 | 8 |
| Southside Christian School | Simpsonville | SC | 1 | 3 |
| Southside High School | Greenville | SC | 2 | 6 |
| Spartanburg Day School | Spartanburg | SC | 1 | 8 |
| Spring Valley High School | Columbia | SC | 3 | 8 |
| St. Joseph's Catholic School | Greenville | SC | 1 | 3 |
| West Forsyth High School | Cumming | GA | 3 | 8 |
| Wilson High School | Florence | SC | 2 | 7 |
A presentation was delivered by Aaron Shepard, an undergraduate student at Clemson University. His presentation, entitled “Calculus and Brain Powered Robots,” explained how electroencephalogram (EEG) technology allows us to measure and record our brains' electrical activity. Mr. Shepard explained how calculus is used in the digital signal processing techniques that are used to analyze the electrical signals from the brain. The students were shown how Laplace transformations are used in the analysis of continuous analogue signals. The presentation was interactive, with some students selected to wear headgear that used their brain activity to control robots in ad hoc competitions. It was an engaging presentation that linked calculus, neuroscience, and robots.
Awards
Trophies were awarded in each division for first, second, and third place finishes in three categories: individual test, team competition, and overall school performance. The first and second place scorer on the morning exam in each division were each given $500 scholarships to Clemson University. Additionally, Mu Alpha Theta, the national honor society for high school and two-year mathematics, donated $200 and three one-year licenses for the computer algebra system Mathematica to be given as awards for the 2018 CCC . The overall top scorer in the individual exam (Ian Ruohoniemi) was awarded a $100 cash prize, while each of the second place finishers in the individual exam (Holden Watson and Tyler Feemster) received a $50 cash prize. The top scorers for the individual exam in each division were each presented with the one-year license for Mathematica. Lastly, an award for the most creative team name was given in each division. The following awards were made.
Individual Awards
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Holden Watson | Fulton Science Academy |
| Second | Tyler Feemster | S.C. Governors School |
| Third | Brennan Ravan | S.C. Governors School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Ian Ruohoniemi | D.W. Daniel High School |
| Second | Adam Hufstetler | AC Flora High School |
| Third | Etash Guha | Wilson High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Shawn Im | Peachtree Ridge High School |
| Second | Hungrui (Rio) Lyu | Peachtree Ridge High School |
| Third | Matthew Kim | Mountain View High School |
Team Awards
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Team Derivatives | Fulton Science Academy |
| Second | Advanced Techniques of Inte-greatness | Hammond School |
| Third | gssm1 | S.C. Governors School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | The Limit Does Not Exist | D. W. Daniel High School |
| Second | Calcoholics | D.W. Daniel High School |
| Third | Lubinski's Favorites | North Oconee High School |
| Place | Winner | School |
|---|---|---|
| First | Left Ridge-mann Sum | Peachtree Ridge High School |
| Second | dValley | Spring Valley High School |
| Third | lagrange transformationists | Mountain View High School |
School Awards
| Place | School |
|---|---|
| First | Fulton Science Academy |
| Second | Hammond School |
| Third | S.C. Governors School |
| Place | School |
|---|---|
| First | D.W. Daniel High School |
| Second | North Oconee High School |
| Third | AC Flora High School |
| Place | School |
|---|---|
| First | Peachtree Ridge High School |
| Second | Spring Valley High School |
| Third | Mountain View High School |
Most Creative Team Names
| Division | Team Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| I | Escape From Calcatraz | St. Joseph's Catholic School |
| II | The Four Gaussketeers | AC Flora High School |
| III | Deriving You Mad | Mauldin High School |
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