Schechter Wins Three Medals from the Long Island Math Fair

 by Talia Herbst, SSLI '25

Recently, Schechter students Amit Nitzan (Grade 12), Ariel Nitzan (Grade 11), and Mikey Benlevi (Grade 11) won awards from the Long Island Math Fair (LIMF).

The Schechter community is proud of Ariel, Mikey, and Amit! (SSLI Instagram)

The LIMF is a mathematical research competition for students in grades 7-12. The LIMF is hosted by the Association of Mathematics Supervisors of Long Island (AMSLI). This organization allows for students to research and explore different topics aside from what they learn in mathematics class.

Senior Amit Nitzan won a bronze medal. Amit Nitzan shared, “I won the award after writing a math research paper and presenting at Hofstra.” Amit Nitzan’s paper is called “The Secret Proof: Fermat's Last Theorem.” Mr. Garcia, department chair of Math, shared, “Amit investigated the history and nature of a centuries-old mystery in mathematics. He traced the connections and theory behind Andrew Wiles's famously complex proof.”

Junior Ariel Nitzan won the competition’s gold medal. Ariel Nitzan shared, “I wrote a paper on the Collatz Conjecture and presented it to a group of people. I never won anything similar. I am really excited [that] I won.”

Garcia added, “In [Ariel’s] paper ‘An Investigation of the Collatz Conjecture,’ Ariel dived into a famous problem that is easy to understand but seemingly impossible to prove. He wrote a computer program to run various simulations of the Collatz Conjecture and explore how making changes to the rules affects its outcomes.”

Junior Mikey Benlevi won a bronze medal for his paper “Pascal’s Pyramid.” Garcia shared, “Mikey researched the well-known Pascal's Triangle and found a three-dimensional extension.”

In order for students to participate, they must write a research paper and submit and present their findings. This year, there were approximately 600 participants coming from both private and public schools.

This year is the first year in ten years that Schechter students have won these prestigious awards.

Congratulations to Amit, Ariel, and Mikey!

Talia Herbst is a staff writer for Paw Print Now and has been published on the site since December 2021. Talia is currently a senior at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: therbst25@schechterli.org