OTTAWA, Ontario -- Six students earn top honours and nineteen students are provincial champions in the SEVENTH 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). Almost 6000 students from all across Canada participated in the seventh Open on November 27, 2002. Students had to solve 12 questions during the two and one-half hour time limit.

"The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge is designed to motivate students who have done enrichment study beyond their regular classroom work and who are looking for a mathematics enrichment challenge", said Mr. Peter Crippin, University of Waterloo, and Chair of the CMS COMC Committee. "In addition, the Open acts as a qualifying paper for the 2003 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad which will be written on March 26, 2003"

Prize Winners: The top six winners in the 7th Open are:

Olena Bormashenko, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Don Mills, ON; Ralph Furmaniak, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London, ON; John Sun, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, ON; Nan Yang, Birchmount Park Secondary School, Scarborough, ON; Dongbo Yu, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Don Mills, ON; Zhongying Zho, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, ON.

For outstanding performance in the COMC, the top contestants in a region are selected as the Provincial Champions. The 2002 Open Provincial Champions are:

ALBERTA: Peter Zhang, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Calgary; BRITISH COLUMBIA: Alex Chou, Semiahmoo Secondary School, Surrey; MANITOBA: Liji Huang, Portage Collegiate Institute, Portage La Prairie and David Liu, St. John?s-Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg; NEW-BRUNSWICK: Yi Hao, Saint John High School, Saint John; NEWFOUNDLAND: Andrew Critch, Clarenville Integrated High School, Clarenville; NOVA SCOTIA: Alexander Jiang, The Halifax Grammar School, Halifax; ONTARIO CENTRAL: Nir Freidman, Thornhill Secondary School, Thornhill and Heejune Jun, St. Robert Catholic High School, Thornhill; ONTARIO EAST: David Belanger, Nicholson Catholic College, Belleville; ONTARIO METRO: Nun Yang, Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, Scarborough and Dongbo Yu, , Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Don Mills; ONTARIO NORTH: Toni Carlisle, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, Sudbury; ONTARIO WEST: Ralph Furmaniak, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London and John Sun, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor; PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: Keith Goddard, Charlottetown Rural High School, Charlottetown; QUÉBEC: Eric Dallal, Marianopolis College, Montréal; SASKATCHEWAN: William Truong, Campbell Collegiate Institute, Regina; YUKON TERRITORY: Ryan Sylvestre, F.H. Collins School, Whitehorse.

2002 CANADIAN OPEN CHAMPIONS

"All the winners have done extremely well on a very challenging competition and have demonstrated the essential and creative problem solving skills so essential in today's workplace", said Dr. Peter Cass, University of Western Ontario, and Chair of the CMS Mathematical Competitions Committee. "Students with excellent problem solving skills are vital if Canada is to be competitive in the global marketplace."

Approximately 75 of the top students from the 2002 Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge are being invited to write the 2003 Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO). The CMO is Canada's premier mathematics competition organized and administered by the Canadian Mathematical Society. "These top students will be busy honing their problem solving skills as they prepare for the 2003 CMO and try to be one of six students who will be chosen to represent Canada at the 2003 International Mathematical Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan in July?, said Dr. Graham Wright, Executive Director, Canadian Mathematical Society. "These valuable enrichment activities are only possible because of the voluntary help received from many school, college and university teachers."

The 2002 results, questions and solutions are available at:

http://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/contest_results/2002-2003/2002-2003contest_results.html

and

http://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/past_contests/2002/2002_past_contests.html

For more information, contact:

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

or

Dr. Peter Cass
Department of Mathematics
University of Western Ontario
(519) 661-2111, ext 86523

or

Mr. Peter Crippin
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing
University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567, ext 3480