By the Numb3rs Spring 2015

Undergraduate

15th Annual Integration Bee

Earlier tonight, the Fifteenth Annual Pitt Integration Bee took place in Alumni Hall's 3rd floor Integration Chamber.  31 Pitt undergraduates competed, with 7 making it through two rounds of integration to go head to head in the lightning rounds.  These finalists were first faced with the integral of x^2/(1+x^2)^2, and then they wrestled with ln(x+sqrt(1+x^2)).  These problems reduced the pool to 3 prize winners, who faced the challenge of integrating sqrt(4+x^{-2/3}) to determine their final ranking.

And, without further ado:  The 2015 INTEGRATION CHAMPION and recipient of the coveted Integration Champ T-shirt is DEREK ORR, who is also last year’s defending champion!!   The second place finisher was THOMAS BEDNAR, while in third place was KOSTYA BORISOV, the first ever person to compete in an integration bee while wearing a suit.  All of these winners shared $200 in book store certificates, generously donated by the Honors College, as a reward for their integration performance. Congratulations to all of them, and to all of the competitors, who showed impressive integration talent!

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this event in any way!!! It was great to have such enthusiastic contestants and audience members, who added to the atmosphere and, in some cases, walked away with top-notch door prizes. This event was made possible due to the volunteer efforts of graduate students JEREMY HARRIS, JAY PENA, ABIGAIL SNYDER, SHELBY STANHOPE, MATT WHEELER and GLENN YOUNG, the help of THOMAS EVEREST and LAVERNE KAPUCENSKO, the recruiting efforts and attendance of ANGELA ATHANAS, the equipment help of RICHARD MISURA, and the recruitment of participants by many of our faculty and TAs.  Finally, as always, thanks  to the Honors College and Math Department for funding this competition!

-Jonathan Rubin