Jiangsu college students win international modeling contest titles

Undergraduates from East China's Jiangsu province recently cut a winning figure at two US-initiated international modeling competitions, local media outlets reported.

The Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) challenges teams of students to clarify, analyze, and propose solutions to open-ended problems, while the Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling, an extension of MCM, is designed to develop and advance interdisciplinary problem-solving skills as well as competence in written communication.

Teams from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Jiangnan University, Soochow University, and Hohai University emerged as "outstanding winners" among the 10,053 teams that represented institutions from 15 countries and regions across the world.

Teams from Jiangsu Ocean University were also for the first time declared "finalist winners".

The 2021 MCM problems presented a variety of challenges, with each requiring students to apply unique mathematical modeling skills. Every team of three students had to do research and then model and write a solution to an open-ended and real world modeling problem online.

A selection of solutions presented by "outstanding winners" will be featured in The UMAP Journal, along with comments from the problem authors and judges.