Posted on: 07 March 2005
Students from St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar are the winners of Ireland’s first Team Mathematics Competition held in Trinity College today (Saturday 5 March 2005). Organised by the Hamilton Mathematics Institute TCD and the Irish Mathematics Teachers Association, the finals saw ten regional champion teams facing stiff competition as they competed for the Hamilton Trophy. Students Catherine Curran, Georgina Duignan, Colette Gallagher, Noel Lafferty and Dáibhéid McHugh travelled to Trinity College with their Maths teacher, Bridie Heeney. 249 teams nationwide signed up to the competition which was based on the Leaving Certificate Higher Maths syllabus. The format was a table quiz with eight rounds. In addition to being presented with the Hamilton Trophy, the winning team was offered one week’s work experience in Trinity College’s SFI Nanoscience Laboratory. The laboratory, the first of its type in the country, carries out world-class research in the areas of nanoscience, encompassing physics, chemistry, biology and materials science. The Hamilton Mathematics Institute TCD is an institute dedicated to fostering mathematics and related disciplines. Named after William Rowan Hamilton, the Institute also aims to improve the public understanding of mathematics. Hamilton was one of Ireland’s most famous scientists and one of the world’s great mathematicians. 2005 marks the bicentenary of his birth.
