More than 500 pupils coming to UPT for the final of mathematics contest “Valeriu Alaci”

The competition is dedicated to 11th and 12th grade students

Around 1800 pupils participated in the online qualification round of the national mathematics competition “Valeriu Alaci”, organized by the Department of Mathematics within Politehnica University Timișoara in partnership with the Timiș County Scholar Inspectorate. The competition is aimed at 11th and 12th grade students from public and private high schools and students from other countries.

For both 11th and 12th grade, the contest is divided into two sections: mathematics-informatics and natural sciences/technological/economics. The contest has a qualification round and a final round.

The qualification round took place on the 28th March 2018 on the online platform cv.upt.ro. Almost 1000 pupils from the entire country participated to the round that consisted in a test of 12 multiple choice questions. A score of at least 70 points was required to qualify for the final round.

555 participants qualified for the final round, 173 of those being from Timișoara and 510 confirmed their participation in the final round which will take place on 21st April 2018 between 10 and 13 o’clock in the amphitheaters of Politehnica Unviersity Timișoara.

Mathematician Valeriu Alaci is one of the people who kept Traian Lalescu’s spirit alive in Politehnica Timișoara. Licensed in mathematics in 1909 at the Faculty of Sciences within the University of Bucharest, Valeriu Alaci defended this doctoral thesis at the same university, his scientific advisor being Traian Lalescu himself. Starting with 1921, Valeriu Alaci was appointed stand-in professor at the newly-founded Politehnica School and actual professor on 1st January 1925, following Traian Lalescu.

An important activity of professor Alaci is connected to RMT, the Timișoara Mathematics Magazine, founded by Traian Lalescu in 1921. During 1922-1949, as chief editor, he succeeded to stir interest in mathematics for many generations. He published most of his paper in the magazine, one of the most important being “Trigonometria pătratică”.

Valeriu Alaci was a permanent member of the Scientific Society of the Politehnica School in Timișoara, founded in 1923 and its president from 1930. Last but not least, Valeriu Alaci lead and coordinated the magazine “Bulletin Scientifique de l'École Polytechnique de Timişoara" (1933-1937).