OTTAWA, Ontario -- Five students earn top honours and fourteen students are provincial champions in the THIRD 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 3000 students from all across Canada wrote the Third Open on November 25, 1998. Students had to solve 12 questions during the two and one-half hour time limit.

"The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge is designed to motivate younger students who have done some enrichment study beyond their school year and who are looking for a mathematics enrichment challenge", said Mr. Ronald Dunkley, University of Waterloo, and Chair of the CMS COMC Committee. "In addition, the Open acts as a qualifying paper for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad which will be written on March 31, 1999".

Prize Winners: The top five winners in the 3^rd Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge are:

Daniel Brox, Sentinel Secondary School, West Vancouver, B.C.; Adrian Chan, Upper Canada College, Toronto, Ontario; Jimmy Chui, Earl Haig Secondary School, North York, Ontario; Pin Chang Liu, Sentinel Secondary School, West Vancouver, British Columbia; Ye Tao, Vanier College, Ville St. Laurent, Québec.

For outstanding performance in the COMC, the top contestant in a region is selected as the Provincial Champion. The 1998 Open Provincial Champions are:

Filip Crnogorac, Western Canada High School, Calgary, Alberta; Pin Chang Liu, Sentinel Secondary School, West Vancouver, British Columbia; Nick Harland, Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Laura Nishikawa, Fredericton High School, Fredericton, New Brunswick; Leslie Rose, St. Francis High School, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland; Chris Dabrowski, Halifax West High School, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Paul Hoepfner Homme, Oakville Trafalgar High School, Oakville, Ontario Central; Dave Nicholson, Fenelon Falls Secondary School, Fenelon Falls, Ontario East; Jimmy Chui, Earl Haig Secondary School, North York, Ontario - Metro; Mark Bailey, O'Gorman High School, Timmins, Ontario North; Brendan Lucier, Waterloo Collegiate Institute, Ontario West; Kumi Yamamoto, Charlottetown Rural High School, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Ye Tao, Vanier College, Ville St. Laurent, Québec; Dennis Chien, Evan Hardy Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"All of these winners have excelled in a very challenging competition and demonstrated the critical and creative problem solving skills so essential in today's workplace", said Dr. Daryl Tingley, University of New Brunswick (Fredericton), and Chair of the CMS Mathematical Olympiads Committee. "Students with excellent problem solving skills are important if Canada is to be competitive in a global economy."

Approximately 80 of the top students from the 1998 Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge will be invited to write the 1999 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). The CMO is Canada's premier mathematics competition organized and administered by the Canadian Mathematical Society. "These top students will now be busy honing their problem solving skills as they prepare for the 1999 CMO and try to be one of the six students who will represent Canada at the 1999 International Mathematical Olympiad in Rumania in July", said Dr. Graham Wright, Executive Director, Canadian Mathematical Society. "These valuable enrichment activities are possible because of the many teachers in the schools and universities who assist on a voluntary basis".

Dr. Graham P. Wright
Executive Director
Canadian Mathematical Society
(613) 562-5702

Mr. Ronald Dunkley
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
Waterloo University
(519) 885-1211, ext 2247

or

Dr. Daryl Tingley
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of New Brunswick (Fredericton)
(506) 453-4768