The Mathematical Association of America is proud to announce that Joseph DeVincentis, Thomas C. Occhipinti, and Daniel J. Velleman have been awarded the inaugural Mohammad K. Azarian Award.

Mohammad K. Azarian Award

The Mohammad K. Azarian Award seeks to recognize individuals who contribute to the advancement of mathematics through their exceptional ability to craft innovative problems featured in MAA publications and the robust world of the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC).

About This Year’s Recipients

Joseph DeVincentis, Thomas C. Occhipinti, and Daniel J. Velleman, American Mathematical Monthly - Eliminating Tiles 

Problem proposal:

Problems and Solutions. The American Mathematical Monthly, 129(3), 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029890.2022.2018241

Problem solution:

Problems and Solutions. The American Mathematical Monthly, 130(10), 952–962. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029890.2023.2252314

Joseph DeVincentis, Thomas C. Occhipinti, and Daniel J. Velleman have been selected as recipients of this award for their noteworthy problems published in The American Mathematical Monthly.

This combinatorics problem models a game where tiles can either be removed in adjacent pairs or expanded individually into four new tiles. While the solution is simple to follow, it’s carefully crafted and reveals a balance between ideas and deeper insight. 

Reflecting on the honor, Velleman said: “It is a great honor to be one of the first recipients of the MAA’s prize for the composition of problems, the Mohammad K. Azarian Award. I would like to thank my co-authors, Thomas Occhipinti, who came up with the original idea for the problem, and Joseph DeVincentis, who helped us work out the general solution. I would also like to thank Stan Wagon, who brought us together and encouraged us to submit the problem to the Monthly.”

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