Minnesota Math League Thanks Founder Wayne Roberts

April 1, 2009

On March 8, 2009, attendees and participants at the Minnesota State High School Mathematics League tournament gave mathematician Wayne Roberts a standing ovation—and a surprise tribute.

The league, which Roberts founded in 1980, began as a contest with four four-student teams. Three decades later, it comprised 3,000 students from nearly 175 schools. At this year's 25th annual Math Bowl, at South St. Paul High School, students had to solve numerical problems that paid tribute to Roberts and his work:

1. The number of letters in Roberts' actual first name.

2. The number of years (out of 29) for which Roberts did not write most of the math problems for league contests.

3. The number of mathematics problems Roberts came up with in his long league tenure.

In his career at Macalester College, the Star Tribue reported, Wayne Roberts "has done all of the things that professors do. He has lectured, fielded late-night phone calls from students when they got stuck on their homework, and even served as provost of the St. Paul college. He's also written an armful of books."

"But no parent sits down and says, 'I'm so glad you wrote that math book,'" Roberts said. "Nothing has been as satisfying as the Math League."

Roberts has "created quite a legacy," observed league president Tom Young. "In the 29 years that we've had this league, over 50,000 kids have come through."

Although Tracy Bibelnieks (Augsburg College, in Minneapolis) will take over as director, Roberts is not leaving the league just yet. A four-person team, which includes Roberts, is taking over the task of drafting the algebra, geometry, and trigonometry puzzles that long-time MAA member Roberts did single-handedly.

Answers to the special quiz: 6 (Arthur); 2; 3,908.

Source: Star Tribune, March 10, 2009.