Shyam Narayanan, a sophomore from Blue Valley West High School, Jan. 10 won $6,000 in the 2013 national math game, “Who Wants to Be a Mathematician," held at the Joint Mathematics Meetings here.
Narayanan finished in second place among ten contestants selected based on their scores on a qualifying test sent to schools across the nation. Of the $6,000 total, $3,000 will go to the Indian American teen, and $3,000 to the math department at Blue Valley West High School.
Narayanan won the contest last year, as a freshman, and part of his winnings were used to establish a math club at Blue Valley West. He also won a graphing calculator donated by
Texas Instruments.
This is the fourth national contest of “Who Wants to Be a Mathematician,” which was part of the Joint Mathematics Meetings being held in San Diego through Jan. 12. Over 6,000 mathematicians attended the meeting.
Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.