SAM-UP'S IBMQ 2019: IN THIS GAME OF NUMBERS, EITHER YOU WIN OR YOU LOSE

After the successful return of Inter-Bloc Mathematics Quiz (IBMQ) 2018, success has poured once again inSAM-UP's IBMQ2019. The Inter-Bloc Mathematics Quiz Con is an annual quiz contest hold by SAM-UP that is exclusively open for New Freshmen enrolled at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB). The contest aims to tap students’ mathematical skills and potentials, and to further expose them to a healthy and competitive atmosphere while developing interrelationship in the bloc. Students can participate either individually, duo, or by team (maximum of three persons) as long as they belong to one bloc. The said bloc is predetermined by the Office of Student Affairs of UPLB where they group new freshmen students according to their courses. This Mathematics quiz contest covers arithmetic, high school algebra, plane and solid geometry, trigonometry, logic, combinatorics, probability, number theory, statistics, calculus, business math and general mathematics.

Elimination phase:

Last September 10, the Elimination phase of the IBMQ took place at the Multi Purpose Hall 1 and 2 where 400 freshmen took a written exam to determine who will advance to the next level. They answered the exam within a given time limit and they were not allowed to use any calculating devices or mobile phones. Among 121 teams consisting of atmost 3 members, the top 15 teams were determined through the average scores of the members of their team. The top 15 teams were as follows: Uphoria (Team 18), Dela Peña (Team 81), G2 (Team 34), Team 116, Team 117, Team 6, Team 108, Team 5, Team Undecided (Team 63), Team 72, Bonaks (Team 91), Team 83, C1ngles (Team 16). From all the freshmen who participated in the IBMQ elimination phase, the top scorer was Arbab Qamar of team Dela Peña (Team 81). He gained the highest individual score from the written exam of the eliminations.

Final phase:

On the 12th of September, the top 15 teams met to battle against each other for first. The final phase started which composed of the mental, pen and paper and the jeopardy round. Excitement filled the halls of Multi Purpose Hall 1 as the 15 teams fought their way to victory ending up with the elimination of 5 teams after the mental round. The top ten teams who continued their journey to victory were the teams. The top 10 teams were placed under the next round where paper and pen was allowed to be used. It was a one on one battle of the teams matched by SAM-UP. After the one on one battle of the matched teams, top 5 teams were decided and the jeopardy round commenced. It was a very intense battle for the top 5 teams who were bombarded with very tough mathematical questions. The emergence of the top team, Uphoria, signified the return of the crown to the Applied Mathematics bloc from the long reign of the CEAT community. The victors of the event were Uphoria (1st Place), Dela Pena (2nd place) and C1NGLES(3rd place). The top scorer of this year’s IBMQ was from the Civil Engineering bloc, Arbab Qamar.

After the said event, participants were asked of their experience and if they would recommend future incoming freshies to join it. Balidoy, a member of the top team Uphoria said, “Yes, I would recommend that freshies join IBMQ! Every phase seemed challenging especially the elimination! Lakas maka Miss Universe ng format sa Top 15.” Moreover, he expressed that

IBMQ’s level of difficulty of the questions. IBMQ really is a hard and risky game to win. It will really stimulate your academic prowess and mental capability on the field of numbers and logic.