Growing up halfway across the world, Arnold Durel Deffo Nde never expected to attend Wichita State or finish high in a national math competition.

Deffo Nde, a WSU junior from Cameroon in central Africa, is majoring in mathematics and aerospace engineering. He won second place at the 2011 U.S. Mathematics Championship, held in Lexington, Ky., on Aug. 6.

“Finishing second out of 20 competitors from across the country was a great accomplishment,” he said.

Last year Deffo Nde, who is a math lab tutor, was asked by a faculty member from the Department of Mathematics if he would take part in the department’s Problem of the Month competition.

The competition is a contest in which a new question is posted every month. It exposes students to a variety of topics and problems. The first one to answer the question correctly wins a cash prize and a certificate.

National championship

The event is administered at different universities across the country.

By the end of the school year, various monthly winners received a letter informing them of their achievement and invitation to compete in MathFest 2011.

An in-depth four-day workshop of professional networking, contests and events put on by the Mathematical Association of America, including the 2011 U.S. National Mathematics Championship that Deffo Nde participated in.

“We had a total of seven problems,” said Deffo Nde. “The winner was the one who deciphered all seven first.”

Each math equation consisted of calculus, linear algebra, number theory, combinatorics or a statistics question. The entire tournament took about 50 minutes.

“The way it works is that you raise your hand if you think you know the answer,” said Deffo Nde. “The judge comes over and looks at it; if you did not solve it correctly he will tell you to keep working. If you got the answer right, he gives you the next problem.”

A sense of accomplishment

As the event got under way, Deffo Nde felt his anticipation climb and thought there might be a good chance at winning this contest.

“Three problems finished in less than 15 minutes,” he said. “I assessed that either I would finish first, or come really close.”

Deffo Nde wasn't able to correctly answer all seven problems fast enough. He answered the first five accurately and was working on the sixth when time was up.

For winning second place, Deffo Nde received a plaque, but most importantly, he experienced praise and a sense of accomplishment from peers, teachers and other contestants.

“I understood that I had just attained something great for students in the department of mathematics,” said Deffo Nde. “In a way that has made me very proud of myself."

He was also proud of how he represented the university.

“When I took the plane to Lexington, I knew that I was going there on behalf of WSU,” said Deffo Nde. “Not only was I going there to do well because I wanted that for myself, but I knew that the university wanted me to do well too.”

Looking ahead

Competing successfully in a national competition is helpful as one enters the job market.

“The student receives a sense of fulfillment and confidence that will serve to enhance his desire to accomplish even more,” says Paul Scheuerman, undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at WSU. “This also shows that our students from our program can successfully compete with universities from around the country.”

Deffo Nde said family was happy with his success.

“That once again showed them that I am in the United States for the right reason, to study and study well,” said Deffo Nde.

Deffo Nde’s trip was funded by contributions from the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Office of Research Administration, Student Government Association and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.