Bray trio tackles mathematics to win biggest prize

Three students from Bray have taken the top prize at the 2001 Esat Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, the first time since 1977 that a group has taken first place. A student from CBC, Sidney Hill, Cork, won the best individual project prize. The awards were presented by the President, Mrs McAleese, last night at the RDS, Dublin. She praised the winning projects and congratulated all of the students who took part in the weeklong event.

The winners were Peter Taylor, Shane Browne and Michael O'Toole, students from St Killian's Community School, Bray, Co Wicklow. The three were presented with a specially commissioned Esat trophy and a cash prize of £1,000. Two of the three, Peter and Shane, won the best group prize at the 2000 exhibition. They will now represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Norway next autumn.

There was a strong mathematical flavour to the top awards - both the overall winner and best individual projects involved highly complex maths.

Peter, Shane and Michael, all 16 and in fifth year, studied the symmetrical shapes formed by polygons. The judges described their work as elegant and sophisticated, adding that the project involved "scientific endeavour of very high quality".

Michael described how the three got the idea for the project after reading about Prof Ann Hurst of the University of Southhampton and her failure to create a formula to solve the polygon problem. "When we started out we didn't think we would be able to do it," Michael said. Their efforts have provided new insights into this field of mathematics, the judges said.

The best individual award went to Kyle Parfrey (16), a fifth-year student at CBC, Cork, for his analysis of chaotic oscillating chemical reactions. He received the Esat trophy and £500.

Kyle developed a method to measure progress of a chemical reaction using ultraviolet light. He then applied complex mathematical techniques to confirm that the variability of the reaction represented true chaotic behaviour. The judges said the work exhibited an extraordinary competence in addressing and handling a very intricate set of scientifically important problems.

Laura Hurley (13), a secondyear student from Mount Mercy College, Cork, will set political heads turning with her best runner-up individual project on representation in the Dail. She examined changes in how Dail seats are filled, as proposed by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey.

His single transferable vote system would "favour Fianna Fail very much" and would prove unfair. Laura recommended in her project that the proposed system was not acceptable and should not be introduced. She received £300 and a trophy.

Three Belfast students took the runner-up group prize with a study of environmental factors influencing parasite behaviour. Orla Langan (15), Helen Goodall (16) and Antoinette Maginness (16), all in fifth year at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Ravenhill Road, studied the obscure habits of Echinos tephilla patellae, a fluke that infects limpets and seabirds.

They too broke new research ground, correcting published work on the subject by showing that the parasite spontaneously seeks shadow rather than light. The judges said their work was a classic example of primary research. They received £300 and a trophy.

The Exhibition remains open to the public today from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets cost £5 for adults and £2.50 for students and OAPs. Family tickets cost £10.