The Mathematical Modeling Base
Ⅰ. Team introduction
Under the tenet of “enhancing the modeling level, developing the cooperation spirit and increasing self-innovation awareness”, the Mathematical Modeling Team of HUST is a scientific and technological innovation organization established with the targets of improving students’ creative and practical abilities, promoting its members’ modeling level and strengthening the competitive capability of HUST in competitions both at home and abroad. Since its establishment, this team has unceasingly devoted itself to enlivening the academic atmosphere on the campus, publicizing mathematical modeling and cultivating talents as competitors for the annual China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling (CUMCM) , Mathematical Contest in Modeling”(MCM) so as to promote the development of quality education of HUST. With the foundation of the Mathematical Modeling Base and the gradual maturity of the Mathematical Modeling Association, the organization management mode and the talents training pattern of the Mathematical Modeling Team is in the constant process of improvement. In the recent years, under the leadership of this team, our university has made relatively excellent achievements in various mathematical contests in modeling.
2. Mathematical Contest in Modeling
China’s Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling, one of the four major contests
in China, is a public scientific and technological activity facing the national
college students and co-sponsored by Higher Education Department of the National
Ministry of Education and the Society of Industry and Applied Mathematics of China.
It aims at inspiring students’ mathematical learning enthusiasm, improving their
comprehensive abilities of establishing mathematical modeling and solving practical
problems by using computer technology and encouraging them to take part in extracurricular
scientific activities actively so as to broaden horizons and cultivate creative
spirits，thus promoting the reform of the system, contents and methods of college
mathematics teaching.
The contest subjects are generally chosen from the adequately simplified practical
problems in the field of management science and engineering technology, which provide
high flexibility for the competitors to develop their creative abilities. The national
contest is held in late September as a routine each year, in which competitors are
arranged into three-person teams. In each team, all students are from the same college,
but not necessarily of the same major. Each team should finish a paper, i.e. answer
sheet, including hypothesis, establishment and solution in modeling; calculating
method design and computer realization; result analysis and test as well as modeling
improvement and so on. The hypothesis rationality, modeling creativity, result validity
and expression clarity are the main prize judging standards.
3. The Mathematical Modeling Association
The Mathematical Modeling Association of HUST, one of the early student organizations
on mathematical modeling work on Chinese university campus, was founded in 1998
with its predecessor named the Mathematical Modeling Association of HUST. It has
been dedicated to providing a better learning atmosphere for students by giving
topic lectures, organizing seminars, holding related contests and strengthening
bond with other colleges in modeling work consistently and has contributed much
to the cultivation of excellent talents in mathematical modeling of HUST.
In recent years, the Mathematical Modeling Association continually takes good advantage
of its popular support from the college students to recruit new members, manage
daily activities and hold a university-level audition, whereby those excellent talents
have been selected into the Mathematical Modeling Base for training, all of which
ensures the sustainable development of mathematical modeling work.
4. Introduction to the Mathematical Modeling Base
The Mathematical Modeling Base, located in room 126 of East building No.5, was formally
established on 17th May, 2007 under the great support of Academic Affairs Office.
At present, there are in all 80,000 Yuan fixed assets including 13 computers used
for mathematical modeling training and contests, a set of electric computer screen,
a printer and a lot of books and reference materials within its 70 square meters
area. Along with the base’s establishment, a mathematical modeling leading group
was founded with Vice President Wang Cheng as the group leader and an instructor
group of teachers from School of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Mechanical
Science and engineering, School of Computer Science and Technology and Department
of Electronics and Engineering was also set up to give immediate instructions on
the base development, talent training and discipline contest.
The foundation of this base has an extensive and positive meaning on the improvement
of university students’ mathematical modeling ability. On the one hand, it has provided
a fixed place for students to develop mathematical modeling teaching activities
such as software operation, topics discussion and experience exchange; on the other
hand, it has become the training place of pre-contest preparation period when all
members realize they are most efficient in learning and their ability get the fastest
development.
Right in the year 2007 of its establishment, all 48 students in 16 teams were chosen
from the Mathematical Modeling Base to take part in China’s Undergraduate Mathematical
Contest in Modeling, in which they won 1 national first prize and 3 national second
prizes. Besides, they got 2 provincial second prizes, 5 provincial third prizes
as well in the same year and their award rate was 70%. The training and contest
scale has further expanded in the year 2008. 57 students in 19 teams were chosen
from more than 30 majors of 20 schools to take part in the National Mathematical
Contest in Modeling. On the basis of students’ stable exerting and adequate creative
thinking, all of them have finished their papers on time. It requires a period of
time to get the final result; however, the participation and process themselves
are always the most interesting part of a contest and it is worth believing that
the competition results will come out in a natural way. Anyhow, the Mathematical
Modeling Base will always be the window and platform for students to demonstrate
themselves and it will be the university’s ultimate goal to make this base a cradle
to attract more and more excellent graduates as well as cultivate innovative elites
among undergraduates.
Ⅱ.Picture Show
Picture 1: Base members are at training.
Picture 2: Base members are at China’s Undergraduate Mathematical Contest
in Modeling on 21-23 September, 2007.
Picture 3: Some of prize-winning base members at 2007 China’s
Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling