Math Competition Research Articles

The causal effect of testosterone on men's competitive behavior is moderated by basal cortisol and cues to an opponent's status: Evidence for a context-dependent dual-hormone hypothesis.

Testosterone has been theorized to direct status-seeking behaviors, including competitive behavior. However, most human studies to date have adopted correlational designs, and findings across studies are inconsistent. This experiment (n = 115) pharmacologically manipulated men's testosterone levels prior to a mixed-gender math competition and examined basal cortisol (a hormone implicated in stress and social avoidance) and context cues related to an opponent's perceived status (an opponent's gender or a win/loss in a prior competition) as factors that may moderate testosterone's impact on competitive behavior. We test and find support for the hypothesis that testosterone given to low-cortisol men evokes status-seeking behavior, whereas testosterone given to high-cortisol men evokes status-loss avoidance. In the initial rounds of competition, testosterone's influence on competitive decisions depended on basal cortisol and opponent gender. After providing opponent-specific win-lose feedback, testosterone's influence on decisions to reenter competitions depended on basal cortisol and this objective cue to status, not gender. Compared to placebo, men given exogenous testosterone who were low in basal cortisol showed an increased tendency to compete against male and high-status opponents relative to female and low-status opponents (status-seeking). Men given exogenous testosterone who were high in basal cortisol showed the opposite pattern-an increased tendency to compete against female and low-status opponents relative to male and high-status opponents (status-loss avoidance). These results provide support for a context-dependent dual-hormone hypothesis: Testosterone flexibly directs men's competitive behavior contingent on basal cortisol levels and cues that signal an opponent's status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender bias in the classroom: A network study on self and peer ability attribution

Gender bias in the classroom: A network study on self and peer ability attribution

Pelatihan Strategi Pemecahan Masalah Matematika Nonrutin Sebagai Persiapan KSN Matematika Di SMP Al Irsyad Purwokerto

The purpose of this service activity is to introduce, prepare and increase students' knowledge, especially students of mathematics achievement at SMP Al Irsyad Al Islamiyah Purwokerto about effective and efficient as a provision to take part in the National Science Competition in the field of mathematics or other similar math competitions. So far, the selected students are given independent guidance by the teachers at the school. However, due to scientific limitations and the teacher's busy schedule, the activity of building mathematics achievement is still not optimal. The method of implementing this activity consists of three stages starting with the first stage, namely the introduction of mathematical problem solving strategies, followed by the second and third stages in the form of material deepening activities. The post-test results showed an increase in the average post-test score of 22% from the average pre-test score. This shows an increase in the non-routine mathematical problem solving ability of the participants after being given training. The results of observing participant activities for three meetings also showed that the percentage of activity during the training increased at each meeting. This shows the increasing ability and motivation of the trainees in solving non-routine math problems. Keywords: Problem Solving, Non-routine Mathematics Problems, National Science Competition

Integration of social status and trust through interpersonal brain synchronization

Integration of social status and trust through interpersonal brain synchronization

Подбор и участие на отбора на България в XXIV младежка балканиада по математика 2020

The article contained an overview of the selection and preparation of the team of Bulgaria in the Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad 2020, the contest itself and the presentation of the team. The included materials can be useful in the preparation for math competitions in the junior high school.

On the Current Trends in Math Olympiad Training for School Students

The evolution of math Olympiad training for school students in Russia since the second half of the 20th century is analyzed in this article in the context of sociocultural transformations and changes in the post-industrial society’s didactic knowledge. A retrospective analysis of a large body of empirical data (organization charts and content of the All-Union and All-Russia Mathematical Olympiads for school students in 1974–2021 and the International Mathematical Olympiads in 1994–2020) reveals trends in the development of the mathematical Olympiad movement, in particular changes in the network infrastructure of mathematical Olympiads, objectives and content of Olympiad problems, Olympiad material design practices, and value-and-meaning orientations of math Olympiads. Accordingly, new approaches are proposed to prepare school students for math competitions. Analysis of changes allows substantiating the insufficiency of the “cognitive-reproductive” method of school student training widely applied both in Russia and beyond, which is based on a thematic principle of selecting problems by content and demonstrating examples of their solving to students. This method does not conform to the objectives of contemporary math competitions. Today, it is important to find and recognize the potential for mathematical creativity in solving problems within multidisciplinary professional spheres. The goal of modern Olympiad training is not only to teach school students a system of problem-solving procedures but also to promote their ability to identify the semantic structure of problems in order to pick adequate solving strategies. The assumption that Olympiad math problems can be classified by the logic of their solutions is supported by a relevant taxonomy of Olympiad math problem solving techniques.

7. Targeted High School Math Competitions: Girls in Math at Yale by Elaine Hou and Noah Kravitz

7. Targeted High School Math Competitions: Girls in Math at Yale by Elaine Hou and Noah Kravitz

Rule Based Conversion of L A T E X Math Equations into Content MathML (CMML).

This paper discusses the formation of math grammar rules for LATEX math equations. These rules are used to generate Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) which extracts structural information from mathematical expressions given in LATEX format. Later AST is used to generate XML structure of mathematical expressions that make mathematical expressions machine-readable in heterogeneous environments. A rule-based algorithm is also proposed that converts LATEX math expressions into Content MathML (CMML), which produces semantic enrichment in web documents. The rules for writing LATEX math equations are formulated and implemented as LATEX Math Grammar (LMG), which are used for generating AST. Further, AST is converted into XML structure which is used to generate CMML encoding. Initially, the conversion algorithm is tested on 20 equations used in an NTCIR-12 math competition, then the algorithm is tested on NTCIR-12 Wikipedia-MathIR and ArXiv data sets. The results show that our algorithm is capable of converting LATEX complex equations into CMML extensively as compared to the existing ones as well as its time efficiency is better than contemporary systems.

Juvenile Children’s Salivary Aldosterone and Cortisone Decrease during Informal Math and Table-Tennis Competitions

Among adults, aldosterone and cortisone increases are reported in response to physically taxing forms of competition, enabling individuals to rapidly adapt to variable sociocompetitive contexts. Yet, aldosterone and cortisone responses in juvenile children engaged in less strenuous forms of competition have not been investigated. Here, we sought to measure aldosterone and cortisone responses in children who participated in math and table-tennis competitions. We hypothesized that the responses would significantly vary with respect to the type of competition. Pre- and post-match salivary aldosterone and cortisone were measured in Hong Kongese children, aged 8–11 years, during (1) a mixed-sex, team-based, math competition (N = 45) and (2) a dyadic, table-tennis competition against peers (N = 22). In the math competition, aldosterone and cortisone levels decreased in boys and girls, while members on losing teams had greater match decreases in cortisone levels compared to individuals on winning teams. In the table-tennis competition, time of day led to significant diurnal differences in competitors’ pre-match aldosterone and cortisone concentrations. As a result, each sample was analyzed independently according to match time (8:30 AM and 11:00 AM). Aldosterone levels decreased among the competitors who participated in the 11:00 AM table-tennis matches. Cortisone levels decreased for the majority of competitors, but only significantly decreased in the 8:30 AM sample. These findings highlight that juvenile competitors’ hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are sensitive to less physically strenuous forms of competition. Further, the differences in the competitive environment likely stimulate the direction of aldosterone (RAAS) and cortisone (HPA) reactive change.

Mathematical challenges and the positive emotions they engender

Studies in mathematics education have shown interactions between a variety of emotions and the quality of learning. Research has found that positive emotions are among the main factors that engender a sense of well-being. In the current study, we focused on emotions that may be aroused while coping with mathematical challenges, and sought to evaluate their intensity and frequency in that context. The research was conducted among a unique group: competitors of the Israel International Math Competition for Girls (IIMCG), a competition involving problem solving in mathematical thinking, which targets female high school students. The participants were 403 of the competitors (304 Israeli, 99 American) who had reached the second round of the competition. The research instrument was a Math Emotions Measuring Instrument, which assesses positive and negative emotions expressed while coping with mathematical challenges. Results emphasized the numerical prominence of positive as opposed to negative emotions that were reported by participants. The ratio of positive to negative emotions (i.e., the positivity ratio) was high – 4.2:1. In addition, a statistically significant cultural difference was found between the participants from Israel and those from the USA in terms of the intensity of 10 out of 28 emotions experienced. Our findings shed new light on the connection between mathematics and emotions and prove the importance of generating strategies to enhance a positive climate in teaching and learning mathematics.

Review of Problems with a Point

Many readers will be familiar with the Computational Complexity blog, started in 2003 by Lance Fortnow and, since 2007, co-blogged by Bill Gasarch. Professor Gasarch is also the first author of Problems with a Point, which is based on 24 of Gasarch's Computational Complexity blog posts, most of them significantly expanded or reworked with contributions from co-author Clyde Kruskal. The book presents us with 24 stories, problems, or theorems ?with a point." Indeed, most chapters have an opening subsection with the pleasingly succinct title ?Point," in which the point of the chapter is summarized, implicitly justifying the selection of the corresponding blog post for inclusion in the book. The Computational Complexity blog is known for the surprisingly wide ambit of its topics (officially ?fun stuff in math and computer science"). This breadth is reflected in the book, which features chapters on a variety of topics, including: the usage of mathematical terms in mainstream publications; what makes a good math competition problem?; what makes a math problem interesting?; what constitutes an elegant proof?; discussion of natural (?sane") reductions; and some healthy lessons about when and how to apply mathematical skepticism and intuition. The accessibility of the selection is admirable: most chapters can be appreciated by a strong high school mathematician, while a few require elementary knowledge of complexity or computability theory.

“Mathematical Paradise”: The Parallel Social Infrastructure of Post-war Soviet Mathematics

This article examines the response of the Soviet mathematical community to the geographical restrictions, physical barriers, political and administrative pressures, and conceptual constraints that they faced from the 1950s through the 1980s. Many talented mathematicians with “undesirable” ethnic or political backgrounds encountered discrimination in admission to universities, employment, travel to conferences abroad, etc. The mathematical community in response created a parallel social infrastructure, which attracted young talent and provided support and motivation for researchers excluded from official institutions. That infrastructure included a network of study groups (“math circles”), correspondence courses, math competitions, specialized mathematical schools, free evening courses for students barred from top universities, pure math departments within applied mathematics institutions, and a network of open research seminars. A community emerged in which mathematics became a way of life, work and leisure converged, and research activity migrated from restrictive official institutions to the private spaces of family apartments or dachas. In the informal community of Soviet mathematicians, a specific “moral economy” operated, which relied on a network of friendly connections and on an exchange of favors. The various external constraints further strengthened personal ties, encouraged mutual help, and fostered close friendships in the community. Although excluded from elite privileges, the “parallel world” of Soviet mathematics cultivated an ethos of noble rejection of career ambitions, material rewards and official recognition in order to pursue the highest ideals of mathematical truth. This way of life, which opposed the bureaucratic spirit of official institutions, was often perceived by its participants as a “mathematical paradise.”

Mathability and Creative Problem Solving in the MaTech Math Competition

Mathability and Creative Problem Solving in the MaTech Math Competition

Do children cheat to be honored? A natural experiment on dishonesty in a math competition

Do children cheat to be honored? A natural experiment on dishonesty in a math competition

Do Women Give Up Competing More Easily? Evidence from the Lab and the Dutch Math Olympiad

We use lab experiments and field data from the Dutch Math Olympiad to show that women are more likely than men to stop competing if they lose. In a math competition in the lab, women are much less likely than men to choose competition again after losing in the first round. In the Math Olympiad, girls, but not boys, who fail to make the second round are less likely to compete again one year later. This gender difference in the reaction to competition outcomes may help to explain why fewer women make it to the top in business and academia. (JEL C90, D82, D91, J16)

Politics, Education, and a Glocal Movement: Gulen-Inspired Educators and Their Views on Education in Politically Turbulent Times

The Hizmet Movement a.k.a. Gulen Movement is a collective initiative of a group of people from Turkey following altruistic ideals. Although it is rooted in Islam and the Sufi tradition, it appeals to all backgrounds via its secular schools and interfaith dialogue outreach. In the U.S., the movement runs educational institutions, interfaith dialogue centers, and charities, and has grown significantly since the start of the new millennium. The academic excellence, college admission rates, and medals won at local and international science and math competitions helped Hizmet Movement schools gain recognition and appreciation in the more than 100 countries where they operate. However, recent political unrest and, as a result, anti-democratic treatment of Hizmet participants in Turkey has taken a toll on this success and has transformed the movement into a diaspora. This paper serves as an introduction to Hizmet Movement’s history, its perceptions in the U.S. and in Turkey, and the educational philosophies of its educators in a post-911 and post-15 July world. The focus on events is between 1960 to present.

Exploring the Educational Potential of a Game-Based Math Competition

The main aim of this article was to investigate the educational potential of a game-based math game competition to engage students in training rational numbers. Finnish fourth (n = 59; Mage = 10.36) and sixth graders (n = 105; Mage = 12.34) participated in a math game competition relying on intra-classroom cooperation and inter-classroom competition. During a three-week period, the students were allowed to play a digital rational number game, which is founded on number line estimation task mechanics. The results indicated that students benefited significantly from participating in the competition and playing behaviour could be used to assess students rational number knowledge. Moreover, students were engaged in the competition and the results revealed that intrinsically motivating factors such as enjoyment and perceived learning gains predicted students' willingness to participate in math game competitions again. This article provides empirical support that educational game competition can be an effective, engaging, and a fair instructional approach.

Acute Salivary Steroid Hormone Responses in Juvenile Boys and Girls to Non-physical Team Competition

Little psychoneuroendocrine research has focused on steroid hormone responses to non-physical competition in middle childhood. This study sought to observe testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, and cortisol responses in children during a mixed-sex, team, academic competition. Salivary steroid hormones were collected, along with measures of performance, Body Mass Index, and pubertal development in ethnically Chinese boys (n = 18) and girls (n = 27), aged 9–10 years, during a math competition (N = 45). Testosterone and estradiol levels were generally low and unmeasurable. Nearly every competitor experienced decreases in cortisol and cortisol/DHEA molar ratio. Pre- and post-match DHEA and androstenedione did not significantly change. Exploratory analyses revealed a positive correlation between DHEA change and team performance among non-active participants (i.e. did not attempt to answer a question). ANCOVAs revealed differences in percentage change in androstenedione between active (n = 20) and non-active participants (n = 25) and among winners (n = 7) and losers (n = 38), and positive associations with age. Percentage change in cortisol was significantly lower among losers compared to winners. Performance measures were positively correlated with DHEA change and percentage change in androstenedione. Despite girls having higher pre-match androstenedione, both sexes exhibited similar patterned hormone responses. Only cortisol and cortisol/DHEA molar ratio decreased during the competition. However, DHEA, androstenedione, and cortisol match changes were partially related to psychosocial variables (e.g., performance, outcome, participation). These findings provide new insight into factors which may underpin steroid hormone responses during middle childhood non-athletic competition.

The Role of Social Capital in Competition and Gender-Matching Environments - Evidence from East Asian Countries

The Role of Social Capital in Competition and Gender-Matching Environments - Evidence from East Asian Countries

When Do Low Status Individuals Accept Less? The Interaction between Self- and Other-Status during Resource Distribution.

In real-world social interactions, social status influences responses to resource distribution. However, the way in which one’s own social status interacts with another’s status to influence responses to resource distribution is far from clear. In the current study, we dynamically manipulated participants’ social status and then asked participants to act as recipients in the ultimatum game (UG) along with proposers whose social status was made known to the participants. Experiment 1 used a between-participants design in which the participants were assigned as being of either high or low status according to their performance in a math competition (i.e., rank-inducing task). In Experiment 2, social status was manipulated within-subjects using the same rank-inducing task, with rounds of UG interleaved between rank-inducing sessions. Findings from the two experiments showed that both self-status and other-status influenced responses to UG offers, as participants were more likely to accept low offers from high status than low status proposers; this effect was particularly robust for low status participants when compared with high status participants. These findings suggest that, in comparison with individuals in high status, individuals in low status are more willing to accept low offers during resource distribution and are more affected by other-status considerations.