Perspiration drips off the brows of competing students as their minds spin with theorems, formulas and equations. The clock ticks as precious time dwindles, and the anxious students sit, uneasily awaiting the judges? final verdict. The prized victory that all long for: the title of math champion.

This is the goal that high school students throughout California will strive to achieve at this year?s Math Field Day, to be held at Fresno State on Apr. 16.

The administration behind the Field Day say, ?The purpose of this event is to provide capable students with the opportunity to meet and compete with students from other high schools and to receive recognition that they so richly deserve.?

For the annual event, students may compete in one of three different contests: Leap Frog, a ?tag team? game where one student answers questions and the other corrects mistakes; Mad Hatter, an individual game where speed is the ultimate winning factor; and a variation on the popular math game Nim, where students compete one-on-one.

Dr. Robert Arnold, who has been involved in the Field Day for multiple years, Josh Tosland and Mike Fenton, all campus math teachers, plan to coach a group of approximately 15 campus students to compete in the event.

?Fresno Christian has done very well in the past,” Arnold said. “It?s hard to tell how well we will do this year.?

He hopes that the students will have a better understanding of their events after they practice this week in class.

For more information on Fresno State?s Math Field Day, visit the following website:
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~mnogin/field-day/.