Posted on 12/11/2006 8:30:49 AM PST by SunkenCiv
A U.S. high school senior has won the grand prize scholarship in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology for his research in mathematics.
Dmitry Vaintrob of South Eugene High School in Eugene, Ore., was named Monday the winner of the $100,000 top math prize scholarship for his research in an abstract new area of mathematics called string topology.
Seniors Scott Molony, Steven Arcangeli and Scott Horton from Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tenn., will share the $100,000 prize in the team category for developing a technique that might help scientists engineer biofuel from plants.
The awards were presented Monday by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at New York University, host of the 2006-07 national finals.
The national finals were judged by a panel of renowned scientists and mathematicians headed by lead judge Professor Kathryn Thornton, a former astronaut and now associate dean of the school of engineering and applied science at the University of Virginia.
Twenty students competed in the national finals, including six individuals and six teams.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Dmitry Vaintrob and his father, UO professor Arkady Vaintrob... Such a gift for mathematics might seem natural, given Mitka's family. Arkady Vaintrob, Mitka's father, is an associate professor in the mathematics department, his research focusing on the intersection of geometry and physics. After leaving Moscow twelve years ago, Professor Vaintrob taught at Harvard, University of Texas, and New Mexico State before joining the UO faculty four years ago.
I can't help but think these kids had their projects largely done for them by their parents.
True. . .but then Dmitry is probably the prodigy apple; falling not far from the family tree. . .
My concern is that he stay safe. . .
hu hu hu
you said "siemen"
Great. Now I'm hungry for a submarine...
Holy Toledo! I'm not putting the kid down or anything, but what in the world can a 17-year-old kid really know about string theory or topology? Topology is no joke and you're usually not ready for it until definitely you're an upper division student, better a grad student, with all kinds of math prerequisites under your belt. Same with string theory, I think. I'm sure he's extremely bright, but come on, he can't have the background to have done much. Can he?
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