Some sixty contestants competed in a series of three examinations.
Winners in grades eight, 10 and 12 of the James Householder Award for Outstanding Performance were eighth grader Katelyn Fitzgerald of Sunny Brae Middle School, 10th grader Jacob Barth of Arcata High and 12th grader August Hale of Eureka High.
Winners in grades seven, nine and 11 of the Michael Tucker Award for Outstanding Performance were seventh grader Dara Gaeuman of Douglas City School, ninth grader Dhiren Suryadevara of Arcata High School and 11th grader Travis Witte of McKinleyville High School.
Each contestant was assigned the following problem:
A man caught some fish. The two heaviest fish had a combined weight which was 25% of the total weight of all the fish. The five lightest fish had a combined weight which was 45% of the total weight of all the fish. The man put the two heaviest fish in the freezer and ate the five lightest fish for lunch. His cat took the remaining fish. How many fish did the cat take?
The answer is three.
“For a solution,” says HSU Mathematics and Computer Science Professor and tournament director Jeffrey Haag, “ask a middle or high school student!”
The tournament exams were proctored and graded by Humboldt State student volunteers. After the final examination, contestants attended a guest lecture by Computer Science Professor Sharon Tuttle, while tournament officials compiled the results. The top five contestants in each grade were recognized at an awards ceremony after her lecture.
The Redwood Empire Mathematics Tournament was started in 1960 by HSU Mathematics Professor James Householder, to recognize achievement and increase interest in mathematics. It is held every spring. Information is posted at the tournament web site, humboldt.edu/remt/. Other details are available from Haag in the Math Department.