[cmath] SUN LIFE FINANCIAL CANADIAN OPEN MATHEMATICS CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS

[Graham Wright]

SUN LIFE FINANCIAL CANADIAN OPEN MATHEMATICS CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS

OTTAWA, Ontario – Eight students earn top honours and nineteen 
students named provincial winners in the 2008 Sun Life Financial 
Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC).  The COMC is organized and 
administered by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) in 
collaboration with the Centre for Education in Mathematics and 
Computing (University of Waterloo). Over 8200 students from all across 
Canada wrote the thirteenth Open on November 19, 2008, an increase of 
12.4% from 2007. Students had to solve 12 questions during the two and 
one-half hour time limit.

“Sun Life Financial has been supporting the Canadian Mathematical 
Society for over 60 years, and we are pleased to continue the 
tradition of promoting excellence in mathematics," said Dean Connor, 
President, Sun Life Financial Canada. "Congratulations to the Canadian 
Open Mathematics Challenge champions on a tremendous achievement."

Subscriptions to the Canadian Mathematical Society’s internationally 
recognized problem solving journal “CRUX with MAYHEM” are awarded to 
the schools of those students invited to write the 2009 CMO.

The top eight contestants in the 2008 Open are:

Frank Ban, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, On; Robin Cheng , 
Pinetree Secondary School, Coquitlam, BC; Neil Gurram, Indus Center 
for Academic Excellence (ICAE),Troy, MI; Jonathan Schneider, 
University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, ON; Danny Shi, Sir Winston 
Churchill High School, Calgary, AB; Chen Sun, A.B. Lucas Secondary 
School, London, On;  Jarno Sun, Western Canada High School, Calgary, 
AB; Jonathan Zhou, Pinetree Secondary School, Coquitlam, BC.

For outstanding performance in the COMC, the 2008 Open Provincial Winners are:

Alberta – Jarno Sun, Western Canada High School, Calgary;  British 
Columbia – Robin Cheng and Jonathan Zhou, Pinetree Secondary School, 
Coquitlam; Manitoba – Hyung Muk Youn, Shaftesbury High School, 
Winnipeg; New Brunswick – Xi Zhang, Saint John High School, Saint 
John;  Newfoundland and Labrador – Jordan Anstey, New World Island 
Academy, Summerford; Matthew Sullivan, Corner Brook Regional High 
School, Corner Brook;  Nova Scotia – Ji Duk Bae and Maria Tao, Halifax 
West High School, Halifax;  Ontario Central – Daniel Yoo, Thornhill 
Secondary School, Thornhill;  Ontario East – James Rickards, Colonel 
By Secondary School, Gloucester; Xiaoye Yin, O’Neill Collegiate 
Vocational Institute, Oshawa;  Ontario Metro – Jonathan Schneider, 
University of Toronto Schools, Toronto;  Ontario North – Yuhan Chen, 
Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate Vocational Institute, Thunder Bay;
  Ontario West – Chen Sun, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London;  Prince 
Edward Island – Shengyi Shi, Charlottetown Rural High School, 
Charlottetown; Québec – Da Qi Chen, Centennial Regional High School, 
Greenfield Park; Saskatchewan – Hao Sun, Centennial Collegiate, 
Saskatoon; International  – Neil Gurram, Indus Center for Academic 
Excellence (ICAE), troy, Michigan.

“All the winners have done extremely well on a very challenging 
competition and have demonstrated analytical and creative 
problem-solving skills that are so essential for a wide range of 
career options," said Dr. Neal Madras, York University and Chair of 
the CMS Mathematical Competitions Committee.

Approximately 75 of the top students from the 200 Sun Life Financial 
Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge have been invited to write the 
2009 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). The CMO is Canada's premier 
mathematics competition organized and administered by the Canadian 
Mathematical Society (CMS). “These top students will be busy honing 
their problem solving skills as they prepare for the 2009 CMO and try 
to be one of six students who will be chosen to represent Canada at 
the 2009 International Mathematical Olympiad in Bremen, Germany from 
10 to 22 July 2009”, said Dr. Graham Wright, CMS Executive Director. 
“These valuable enrichment activities are only possible because of the 
voluntary help received from many school, college and university 
teachers.”

The 2008 Open results, questions and solutions are available at:

www.cms.math.ca/Competitions/COMC/

For more information, contact:

Dr. Graham P. Wright
Executive Director
Canadian Mathematical Society
(613) 733-2662
director at cms.math.ca

or

Mr. Ian VanderBurgh
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567, ext 32358
chair-comcc at cms.math.ca