62nd Annual STS (2002-2003)
Finalists
Steven J. F. Byrnes

MASSACHUSETTS
Steven J. F. Byrnes, 18, of Lexington, submitted a mathematics project to the Intel Science Talent Search studying a family of two-player combinatorial games. He began by studying the game called Chomp, and then he went on to investigate the class of games related to Chomp. Steve found periodic patterns which are essential for winning strategies in a large family of two-player combinatorial games such as NIM. Results of his research settle conjectures about the game of Chomp. At The Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, Steve runs on the varsity cross-country team, enjoys debate and the French club, and sings in the Glee Club as well as an a capella group called the Latonics. He also performs in musical productions, plays piano in the student jazz combo, and is president and sole lecturer of the school's math club, the Mad Puzzlers. The son of Dr. Jonathan and Marsha Byrnes, Steve has competed on the national Math Olympiad Team and the international US Physics Olympiad Team. Winner of numerous mathematics awards, he has also been honored with a gold medal in the National Latin Exam. He plans to continue his math studies at Harvard.