Daniel Cheng (Ab. 2019-24), has been recognised as part of a Duke University team that has achieved the highest award in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM), one of the world's largest and most prestigious undergraduate mathematics competitions.
Competing against a massive field of more than 32,000 teams from 28 countries, Daniel and his two teammates earned the contest's Outstanding Winner designation - the competition’s highest honour - for a project exploring how professional football clubs can balance on-field success with financial sustainability.
Daniel’s team developed a model based on his favourite Premier League club, Crystal Palace. His contribution focused on revenue optimisation and financial decision-making, while the wider project examined player performance, injury risk and the financial impact of relegation.
The team's work impressed judges with its creativity and practical application, earning a $9,000 prize. Their research is also expected to be published later this year.
Reflecting on the challenge, Daniel highlighted the importance of collaboration and a passion for what you are doing: “It was exactly the type of problem that fits our interests," he said, "It involved operations research, economics and statistical modeling all at once.”
Many congratulations to Daniel and his teammates on an outstanding achievement.