The result of 2010 Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) was recently disclosed. Among 15 competition teams from STJU, 6 won the Meritoriousand 5 Honorable Mention, which is the first time for SJTU to have so many competition teams and win so many prizes since its first participation in MCM.

In 1985, supported by National Science Foundation, “Mathematical Competition in Modeling”was firstly founded which later changed its name into “Mathematical Contest in Modeling”(MCM). It is an annual competition of university level to encourage university teachers and students to clarify, analyze and propose solution to various practical problems within nonspecific area. Through such a structure, teachers and students are encouraged to participate and endeavor to achieve the complete modeling. MCM is a completely open contest with several practical problems in unrestricted fields. Every three students form a team to solve a problem they choose in three days (72 hours) (in recent years, which has been extended to 4 days, that is, 96 hours). They are required to complete the whole process of mathematical modeling for the practical problem, and write papers from the aspects of the restatement, simplification of the problem, hypothesis and its rationality, mathematical model and solution (and software applied as well), testing and improvement, the pros and cons of the model and its possible application fields. The expert review group will judge and select the excellent papers which will be given certain rewards. The only prohibition is that during the contest, any competition team is not allowed to discuss the race issue with anyone that is not their team member (including tutors). But they can resort to any library literature, information on the Internet, any type of computers and software, which has provide a broad space for participating students to fully exert their creativity. In the first MCM, 90 teams from 70 universities of US participated. In 1992, 292 teams from 189 universities of US and other countries participated, which, in a certain sense, implies that MCM has become an international contest with wide-range impact. Since 1989 when China first participated in the contest, it has achieved outstanding results. Through these years’participation, it shows that Chinese students are competitive and innovative in the mathematical modeling. To further popularize the contest, in 1990, initiated by China Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and co-organized by the State Education Committee, the China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling (CMCM) started. It is conducted every year in September.

Mathematical Contest in Modeling is different from other mathematical contests in that it comes from the actual problem or with the specific factual background. Its purpose is to cultivate the sense and ability of undergraduate students to solve practical problems with mathematical methods. The event is to complete a paper including the elaboration of problem analysis, model assumptions and establishment, calculation results and discussion.

SJTU has a solid foundation in mathematical contest in modeling for Mr. Song Baorui and other teachers of Department of Mathematics have accumulated rich experience in guiding and organizing students to participate in MCM. This year, SJTU has taken some new approaches based on the previous experience: firstly, in the contest organization, to cooperate with the school Youth League Committee and give full play of the student association–Applied Mathematics Society, which standardizes and strengthens the information distribution of contest and its training; secondly, based on the fact that students are increasing competent, the training focus has been shifted from the basic content of modeling method and English writing to the new methods and techniques of the mathematical problem solving, the Internet information access and collection. The new initiatives have laid a solid foundation for SJTU team to obtain good results.