The 2018 Blakers Mathematics Competition is now open and will close Friday 31 August.

The Blakers Mathematics Competition was established with a bequest from the family of Professor Larry Blakers after his death in 1995.

The first Competition was a local event, for UWA students only, in 1996.  Since 1997, the Competition has been held annually, open to first to third year students at any Western Australian university.

Professor Blakers was a Professor of Mathematics at UWA for 30 years and Head of Department for 29 of them. He played an important role in the foundation of the Australian Mathematical Society, the Australian Association of Mathematical Teachers and the Mathematical Association of Western Australia (MAWA), and was a founder and long term Director of the National Mathematics Summer School for gifted high school students which takes place in Canberra each year.

The UWA Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers $300 in prizes.

Eligible candidates for the 2018 competition are all undergraduates in first, second and third years at a WA university.

 * The 2018 problems

Previous winners

2017

• First-year prize: Virinchi Rallabhandi, UWA
• Second-year prize: Samson Ting, UWA
• Special prizes: Henry Yoo*, 2nd year, UWA (High Distinction); Evan Blandin De Chalain, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Jesse Schelfout, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Farruh Mavlonov, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Shrenik Jobanputra, 1st year, Curtin (Distinction); Alexander Rohl, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Jet Kye Chong, 2nd year, UWA; Owen Taylor-Williams, 1st year, UWA; Leigh Tyers, 3rd year, UWA; Timothy Gummer, 2nd year, Curtin.

2016

• First-year prize: Henry Yoo, UWA
• Second-year prize: Emmanouil Raptakis, UWA
  
• Third-year prize and best overall: Alexander Chua, UWA
  
• Special prizes: Conway Li*, 3rd year, UWA (High Distinction); Samson Ting**, 1st year, UWA (High Distinction); Timothy Gummer, 1st year, Curtin; Jay Mummery, 1st year, UWA; Daniel Smith, 1st year, UWA; Cameron Smith, 3rd year, Curtin; Ruthvik Devarapalli, Year 11, Balcatta HS.
  

* Conway Li's entry was a particularly outstanding entry that was 2nd-best overall

** Samson Ting's entry was 4th-best overall

2015

• First-year prize: Nicholas Lim, UWA
• Second-year prize: Conway Li, UWA
  
• Third-year prize: Alexander Bray, Curtin
  
• Special prizes: Alexander Chua**, 2nd year, UWA (High Distinction); Mingxin Ye, 1st year, UWA (High Distinction); Devid Ferri, 3rd year, UWA (Distinction); Murdock Grewar, 3rd year, UWA (Distinction)

2014

• First-year prize: Alexander Chua, UWA
• Second-year prize: Andrew Yang, UWA
  
• Third-year prize: Ailin Guan, ECU
  
• Special prizes: Conway Li, 1st year, UWA (High Distinction); Kathleen Dyer, 2nd year, UWA (High Distinction); Michael Tang, 1st year, Curtin; Busireddy Vamsi Krishna Reddy, 1st year, UWA; Devid Ferri, 2nd year, UWA; Thomas Pinnock, 2nd year, UWA; Mitchell Chiew, 2nd year, UWA; Charlie Rawlins, 3rd/4th year, Curtin; Dieu Thu Nguyen, 4th year, Curtin;
  

2013

• First-year prize: Anahita Haghighat, UWA
  
• Third-year prize: Sahil Khubchandani, UWA
  
• Special prizes: Kathleen Dyer, 1st year, UWA (High Distinction); Andrew Yang, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Mitchell Chiew, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Dieu Thu Nguyen, 3rd year, Curtin (Distinction); Michael Swaddle, 3rd year, UWA; Andre Rhine-Davis, 3rd/4th year, UWA
  

2012

• First-year prize: Eliot Courtney, UWA
  
• Second-year prize: Dieu Thu Nguyen, Curtin
  
• Third-year prize: Blake Segler, UWA
  
• Special prizes: Sahil Khubchandani, 2nd year, UWA (Distinction); Saul Freedman, 2nd year, UWA (Distinction); Tuo Li, 3rd year, UWA; Wai Hurng (Aaron) Wong, 1st year, UWA; Renjie Teng, 1st year, UWA
  

2011

• First-year prize: Sahil Khubchandani, UWA
  
• Second-year prize: Tuo Li, UWA
  
• Third-year prize: Aaron Maynard, UWA
  
• Special prizes: Saul Freedman, 1st year, UWA (Distinction); Mitchell Misich, 3rd year, UWA (Distinction); Karl Beidatsch, 3rd year, Curtin; Pheng Hak Tan, 1st year, UWA; Daniel George, 1st year, UWA; Yang Wang, 1st year, UWA; Jimmi Phangestu, 3rd year, Curtin; Phillip Meng, 3rd year, UWA
  

2010

• First-year prize: Ferris Xu, Curtin University
• Second-year prize: Jimmi Phangestu, Curtin University
• Third-year prize: Robert Palmer, UWA
• Special prizes: Yita Choong, UWA, Aedan Pope, UWA, Robert Palmer, UWA, Jimmi Phangestu, Curtin, Ferris Xu, Curtin.

2009

• First-year prize: Daniel J. Axtens, UWA
• Second-year prize: Robert Palmer, UWA
• Third-year prize: Wilson Ong, UWA
• Special prizes: Hironori Ashihara, UWA, Yita Choong, UWA,  Adrian Dudek, UWA, Aaran Mohann, Curtin, Wilson Ong, UWA, Robert Palmer, UWA, Callum Shakespeare, UWA

2008

• First-year prize: Awarded equally to Yita Choong, UWA and Callum Shakespeare, UWA
• Second-year prize: No award
• Third-year prize: Wilson Ong, UWA
• Special prizes: Jonathan Blanchard, Curtin, Yita Choong, UWA, Aaran Mohann, Curtin, Wilson Ong, UWA, Callum Shakespeare, UWA

2007

• First-year prize: Hiro Ashihara, UWA
• Second-year prize: Wilson Ong, UWA
• Third-year prize: Bernard Booth, Murdoch
• Special prizes: Jonathan Blanchard, Curtin, Owen Hetherington, UWA, Wilson Ong, UWA, Sunny Tsai, Curtin

2006

• First-year prize: Jonathan Blanchard, Curtin
• Second-year prize: Michael Bausor, UWA and Paul Wright, UWA
• Third-year prize: Evgeni Sergeyev, UWA
• Special prizes: Hiro Ashihara, UWA, Michael Bausor, UWA, Wilson Ong, UWA, and Paul Wright, UWA