Nationwide Math Challenge 2018 concluded yesterday with two schools from Karachi and one from Lahore bagging the major prizes.

Lahore Grammar School, The City School and Happy Home School secured top ranks in the competition this year.

Winners were awarded cash prizes, certificates, plaques and mobile phones.

Organised by DAWN and EDeQUAL the final of Math Challenge 2018 was held at the Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) and brought together 7,500 mathletes to compete for the title of national math champion.

The City School North Nazimabad Karachi and Chenab College Jhang consistently remained in the lead throughout the competition, while the Karachi Grammar School made the maximum number of attempts but failed to deliver correct answers in the Jeopardy round.

The final battle

The final round of Math Challenge opened to 24 teams in two segments - one consisted of students of grades 7 and 8, while the other was for students in grades 9 and 10.

12 top participating teams in each segment were challenged with mathematical questions of varying levels of difficulty.

The competition was based on a live game show format using the latest quiz technology systems, and had students use tablets and computers to solve math problems and work around analytical challenges.

To assess teams the challenge held two segments of questions: Speed Quiz and Jeopardy.

The Speed Quiz, holding eight questions for each group of 12 teams, was based on a rapid fire format involving various complex mathematical problems to be solved.

The Jeopardy segment, holding 24 questions for each group of 12 teams, picked a student-duo based on the order of regional round wins and gave them a two-minute duration to work out their answer to a complex math problem. If the selected team failed to give out the correct answer, the Challenge would open the question to the floor for an additional one minute.

Scores of speed quiz and jeopardy segments were summed to give Math Challenge 2018 its winning teams.

National champions of Math Challenge 2018

Winners from group one: Lahore Grammar School Johar Town boys

Co-winners from group two: The City School North Nazimabad campus and Happy Home School

First runners-up from group one: Habib Girls School Karachi

First runners-up from group two: EMS School Islamabad

Second runners-up from group one: EMS School Islamabad

Second runners-up from group two: Beacon house Cambridge School

Event sponsors

The Math Challenge 2018 was supported by MCB-Arif Habib Savings and Investments Ltd., Alif Ailaan, Uniferoz and Pakistan Alliance for Math and Science.

Rahila Baqai, Marketing Director Oxford University Press Pakistan, handed over gift hampers holding exclusive books from OUP to all participating teams of students.

Alif Ailaan lent their support by bringing students from Peshawar to the event to gain exposure and experience of such large scale competitions and informative platforms.