Week 0: Introductory Blog Post

Hey everyone! My name is Alex Rosenzweig, and I’ve been a student at BASIS Independent Brooklyn since 4th grade. For my senior project, I’m analyzing Pokémon “doubles battle” statistics to find out what is most important when creating a strong team. BASIS’s strong math curriculum let me take complex math classes, like Calculus BC and Probability & Statistics, leading math to become my favorite subject.

Pokémon and Inspiration

On the margins of my math notes I would always be doodling Pokémon. The mechanics behind Pokémon battling and the ways that Pokémon are designed are so fascinating. Reconciling the two, it was clear what to do for my senior project that would be most meaningful to me. I do not yet have an on-site placement or advisor, but I plan on finding one that can help me compile large amounts of multidimensional data and unearth trends through data mining. I will also interview successful competitive Pokémon players to see what they think makes a strong, synergizing doubles team, and use that to guide my results.

Project Projected Trajectory (Projectory?)

For my tangible deliverable, I plan to either work with Mr. Opirhory to make a guidebook that compiles my findings, which would make competitive Pokémon much more accessible, or make my own Pokémon following the trends I discover, then have people play-test them to see if they actually fit in well in the doubles battling environment. Right now, I’m just focusing on finalizing my trajectory for the project, including finding an on-site and creating a comprehensive research schedule. For more information on my senior project, you can click here. I’m excited to share my findings with you all!

‘Till next time, Alex R.

Fig. 1: Author’s illustration of a Pokémon battle (2021)

Fig. 2: Author’s illustration of a Pokémon battle (2015)