CFS celebrates mathematical marvel through TikTok Video Competition

In conjunction with the International Day of Mathematics which falls on 14 March (Pi Day) every year, UTAR Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) of Kampar Campus organised and kick-started a TikTok Mathematics Video Competition 2023 for its students in March 2023.

Via this competition, UTAR students gained the chance to unleash their inner mathematician slash TikToker. Students were required to create a video no longer than three minutes based on the theme “Applications of Mathematics in a University Student’s Life” and upload it to TikTok with the hashtag #UTARCFSIDM2023.

Judging by the submissions, the participants had certainly managed to come up with creative and thoughtful mathematical solutions to some of the mundane problems in their life. The five best videos were announced in an online award giving ceremony on 12 April 2023.

In her speech, CFS Academic-cum-Organising Chairperson Lee Mee Yung mentioned the significance of the International Mathematics Day, and the past events that CFS had organised to celebrate this day. She also said that the TikTok Mathematics Video Competition 2023 aimed to promote Mathematics through visual graphical content and to encourage students to learn Mathematics in a creative and fun way.

This was followed by a closing speech by the Head of the Department of Science and Engineering Ooi Siew Fong, in which she reiterated the importance and beauty of Mathematics, thanked all that were involved in the competition and congratulated the winners.

The winners were then announced as follows:

From left: Kee Xin Yu (first prize), S. Valarmathi (second prize), Chiang Zhi Yao (third prize), Phang Jie Yin and Wong Yen Ming (consolation prizes)

The title of first prize winning video was “Really nothing to wear for classes?”. In the video, Kee hilariously showcased how a mother could possibly reject her daughter’s request for money to buy clothes on the pretext of having “nothing” to wear to class by using Combinatorial Mathematics.

Winning videos can be viewed at:

1. Kee Xin Yu: https://youtu.be/nWhkPRaPCBM

2. S. Valarmathi: https://youtu.be/PAcuAWlv450

3. Chiang Zhi Yao: https://youtu.be/8GFepSnEpbA

4. Phang Jie Yin: https://youtu.be/CZNycURGYxM

5. Wong Yen Ming: https://youtu.be/nU8a6O_DO1A

The ceremony ended with a group photo.

A memorable snapshot: Lee (last row, second from left) and Ooi (first row, second from left) with the organising committee and participants