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Kevin Garbe, 17, of Saratoga, entered an Intel Science Talent search mathematics project on the dynamics of powers of polynomials over finite fields and properties of the fractals they generate. Fractals arise in a wide variety of contexts in mathematics, physics, and biology and have been applied in fields as diverse as cryptography, computer graphics and seismology. Kevin calculated the fractal dimension for polynomials of small degree over the two element field and proved upper bounds on the dimension in the general case. The son of Kurt and Emily Garbe, Kevin holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and trains young students in the sport. Passionate about chess, Kevin has competed in more than 130 tournaments and has earned a Class A rating. He was a member of the Saratoga High School Chess team that won a record six consecutive championships. A self-acknowledged left-brain thinker, Kevin finds beauty and wonder in exploring the logic of the universe, including "the fractal patterns of the daisies on the field."
Learn about more Intel STS 2013 finalists.
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