One of Wolverhampton’s brightest teenagers has won a maths competition set by one of the UK’s leading Mathematicians for the International Gateway for Gifted Youth.

Thirteen year old Jenny Taylor from Tettenhall in Wolverhampton was one of the first three members of the International Gateway for Gifted Youth (IGGY) to solve three Mathematical puzzles selected from University of Warwick Mathematics Professor Ian Stewart’s new book "Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities".

Professor Stewart is one of the UK’s leading mathematicians. When he himself was just 14 he started a maths notebook and like a magpie he collected every interesting thing he could find out about maths and recorded it his notebook. His first notebook finally became six, then spilled over into Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities. The book was Amazon’s top selling maths book throughout the Christmas period and is still one of Amazons top 40 selling books of all types.

Jenny, who attends Wolverhampton Girls' High School, was one of the first three IGGY members to solve the puzzles taken from Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities and received a signed copy of the book. The other two winners were from Singapore and the UK.

Here is one of the puzzles from the book that she solved:

Place exactly three common mathematical symbols between the digits

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 so that the result equals 100.

The same symbol can be repeated if you wish, but each repeat counts towards your limit of three. Rearranging the digits is not permitted.

ANSWER: 123 - 45 - 67 + 89 = 100

Notes for editors:

IGGY is an organisation, based at the University of Warwick aimed at the brightest and most creative young people from around the world. It is designed for the top 5% of young people in terms of ability and potential. Further details can be found here: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/iggy/

Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities. Is published by Profile books.

ISBN 1846680646 ISBN 13 9781846680649

More details and picture at: http://www.profilebooks.com/title.php?titleissue_id=531

Contact details are available for Jenny from Peter Dunn details below:

For further information please contact:

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager,
Communications Office, University of Warwick,
024 76 523708 or 07767 655860
email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR2 PJD 9th January 2009