Five high schoolers are the new faces of mathematics

Web edition: May 30, 2012

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Adam Kalinich, 17, demonstrated a game called Nim at the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. At the national competition, Kalinich explained how mathematics can help people develop tactics to win games.

Credit: Intel STS, Chris Ayers photography

David Marker, a mathematician at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has judged the Intel Science Talent Search for 12 years, was impressed with this year’s crop of mathematicians. He says it’s great to see so many students tackling topics — and not just in math — that might normally be regarded as for nerds only. “Science is not always thought of as the cool thing to do, and to see all these students doing high-level work is fantastic,” he says. “It gives hope for the future.”