If you think it is hip to (b)^2, then you are either ready to join the math team or are just a big Huey Lewis and the News fan. If you did not understand the math joke or the pop culture reference, do not worry, because all you really need to know are these five fun facts about the PB Math Team.

First, it is challenging. The math team’s challenges will pick your brain. Math team focuses on your ability to quickly problem-solve and adapt to math concepts you may not have seen since geometry or recently covered in calculus.
Second, there is no grade. Com peting in math team competitions has all the fun – and all the challenge – of taking a really hard test without the consequences of a grade. Of course, no one wants to do poorly, but it is easy to live with the results no matter how you do, because it won’t break your grade. Plus, you get immediate feedback you can learn from after competitions.

Third, it is quick and clean. Every competition is completed in less than an hour, including setup time. Most high-school students are pressed for time with other obligations, so a club like math team is not an enormous time commitment and usually won’t require much travel.

Fourth, there is teamwork. Some aspects of math team competitions require players to work together, so teamwork comes into play. Some questions require collaboration with your buddies, and the clock-counter on the board pushes you to work effectively, and quickly, as a team. This means working math problems in a fast-paced, competitive, team environment rather than just student-to-student discourse like in class.

The fifth reason is the competition. Competing drives up the level of fun in all areas. Sports and board games are more fun when played against others, and the same concept applies to solving math problems as a member of a team.

Math team coach, and former PB Math Team member, Ms. Maxine Tang, feels the best part of being the team’s coach is “to have the opportunity to watch these kids, who are just as passionate about math as I am, excel in their skills through teamwork.” She adds that “it is also really nice to be able to work with these top AP math students, who I don’t generally get to interact with throughout the day because I am not teaching any advanced math courses this year.”