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BACKGAMMON BIG HIT AT MAA MATH FEST

Posted By: Perry
Date: Monday, 8 August 2011, at 8:52 p.m.

The Lexington Center was buzzing with top mathematics faculty and students drawn by the allure of a Backgammon Quiz by Art Benjamin, member of the USBGF Board of Directors, professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, and world-famous mathemagician, and the chance to test their newly acquired skills in a tournament with cash prizes donated by the U.S. Backgammon Foundation. The backgammon social event drew over 75 participants as part of the annual summer meeting of the Mathematical Association of America in Lexington, Kentucky, on August 4, 2011. Art and his colleague, Professor Jennifer Quinn from the University of Washington, Tacoma, explained the answers to the Quiz designed especially for mathematicians with little prior knowledge of backgammon. Phil Simborg, USBGF Education Adviser, Chuck Bower, winner of the recent Chicago Open, and Frank Frigo, former world champion of backgammon, gave quick group lessons on the basics and answered questions throughout the tournament. Karen Davis, chairman of the USBGF Board of Directors, handled registration and USBGF membership enrollment. David Nacin, assistant professor of mathematics at William Paterson University in New Jersey, won the Quiz prize, and noted that the questions were ones he could easily put on a quiz in his combinatorics class. Others in the top four included: Walter Stromquist, editor of Mathematics Magazine, Liz Fitzgibbon, a third year math graduate student at Boston University, and Jonathan Kane of the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Look for a forthcoming article by Art Benjamin in the USBGF magazine PrimeTime Backgammon with the quiz and explanation. The 8-round tournament was directed by Phil Simborg. With an hour introduction to backgammon concepts by Simborg, Bower, and Frigo, 51 entrants (plus 3 buy-backs) went on to compete in three-point matches. The finals took place well after midnight, with Paul Coe, professor of mathematics at Dominican University in Illinois who specializes in the mathematics of games, finishing first. John VanBuren, a recent graduate of Augustana College in Illinois where he studied math and biology and is headed to graduate school at the University of Iowa this fall, came in a close second. Third and fourth places went to Scott Lewis who teaches math at Murray State University in Kentucky and Todd Schrader, a junior math major at Texas A&M University.

Kudos to Art, Phil, Chuck,Frank, and Karen for undertaking this venture on behalf of the USBGF and for the compliments and positive feedback we have received from the participants.

Perry Gartner

President, USBGF

Messages In This Thread

• BACKGAMMON BIG HIT AT MAA MATH FEST
  Perry -- Monday, 8 August 2011, at 8:52 p.m.
  • BACKGAMMON BIG HIT AT MAA MATH FEST
    wilcox -- Monday, 8 August 2011, at 9:05 p.m.
  • BACKGAMMON BIG HIT AT MAA MATH FEST
    Daniel Murphy -- Monday, 8 August 2011, at 9:12 p.m.
    • +1 *NM*
      Casper van der Tak -- Monday, 8 August 2011, at 10:16 p.m.
    • +1,000 *NM*
      Justin N. -- Tuesday, 9 August 2011, at 2:04 a.m.
    • BACKGAMMON BIG HIT AT MAA MATH FEST
      Phil Simborg -- Tuesday, 9 August 2011, at 5:01 a.m.
      • +1 (Perry) *NM*
        Casper van der Tak -- Tuesday, 9 August 2011, at 6:43 a.m.