There are many K-12 math competitions in the US that students can participate in. These contests range from local to international levels, each presenting unique challenges and learning opportunities. In this chapter, we explore 20 significant high school math competitions across the nation. Each of these contests is unique in its structure and challenges, presenting a diverse spectrum of opportunities that cater to students at different points in their mathematical exploration.
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC): AMC 10 and AMC 12 are among the first steps in the journey towards the International Mathematical Olympiad. Hosted by the Mathematical Association of America, the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts, AMC 10 is targeted at students in grades 10 and below and AMC 12 is targeted at students in grades 12 and below.
Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT): HMMT is a prestigious math competition held twice a year, usually in November for the fall tournament and February for the spring tournament. The event, organized jointly by students from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), features a series of challenging individual and team-based math contests.
MathCounts: MathCounts is a renowned nationwide math competition in the US designed for middle school students. The competition occurs at various levels, - School, Chapter, State, and National rounds. MathCounts challenges participants with diverse mathematical problems covering topics in algebra, geometry, number theory, and probability. The format includes individual rounds, team rounds that foster collaboration among members from the same school, as well as countdown rounds where participants engage in rapid-fire, head-to-head problem-solving.
Exeter Math Club Competition (EMCC): Hosted by Phillips Exeter Academy, EMCC is a middle-school mathematics competition held annually at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. The problems posed in EMCC are crafted to stimulate critical thinking, creativity, and innovative approaches to mathematical challenges
The Siemens Competition: The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology was founded by the Siemens Foundation in 1999. It stands as the leading science research competition for high school students in the United States, aiming to inspire excellence by encouraging individual or team-based research projects. The competition fosters in-depth research, enhancing students' comprehension of the significance of scientific exploration and guiding their future career considerations in these fields.
Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition: The Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition (CHMMC) is an annual mathematics competition jointly hosted by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Harvey Mudd College. Geared towards high school students, the CHMMC typically takes place in the spring.
Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT): BMT is a high school (open to younger students) math competition organized by the UC Berkeley student-led organization. It is a team-based contest allowing up to 6 participants per team. BMT comprises several rounds: the Power Round, focusing on proof-based questions in an advanced topic; the General Round, featuring individual questions across different subjects; four Focus Rounds covering Algebra, Geometry, Discrete Math, and Calculus, allowing each student to participate in two; and the Guts Round with nine sets of three problems each, where teams must submit answers before receiving the next set, and standings are displayed live. The competition encourages rigorous mathematical justifications and is designed to engage students with varying levels of contest experience.
Stanford Math Tournament (SMT): SMT is an annual high school math competition organized by Stanford University students, held both in-person and virtually since 2022. The tournament features various rounds: the Individual Round comprises subject-specific tests in Algebra, Calculus, Discrete Math, and Geometry, and previously included a General Round with broader questions. The Team Round involves groups of 5-6 students working together on a 10-question test of varying difficulty. The Power Round emphasizes proof-based problem-solving centered around a unique theme, such as game theory or market design. Lastly, the Guts Round challenges teams with 27 short-answer questions, escalating in difficulty, requiring a "runner" to submit answers and receive new questions incrementally, with live scoring displayed throughout the round. This multi-round format encourages collaborative problem-solving, rigorous mathematical reasoning, and quick thinking among participants.
Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC): PUMaC is an annual event orchestrated by the Princeton University Math Club, organized entirely by student volunteers since 2006. The competition draws participants nationwide and from international teams to the Princeton University campus for a day of engaging math assessments and enjoyable activities. Teams, comprising 8 members with an adult coach, are not restricted to high schools and can include regional or home-schooled participants. PUMaC involves individual and team tests, where teams can opt to compete solely in the Power Round, a proof-based challenge beginning a week before the event and submitted on the day, or both the Power Round and the Main Competition held at Princeton University. All teams are required to participate in the Power Round, which precedes the main event, offering an opportunity for diverse mathematical exploration and problem-solving.
Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition (CMIMC): CMIMC at Carnegie Mellon University is an annual math and computer science competition organized by CMU students. Teams of 4-6 compete in five rounds: three individual rounds covering algebra, combinatorics, geometry, number theory, and a novel computer science segment, requiring no programming knowledge. The competition emphasizes collaborative problem-solving, offering preparation materials via Expii.com for the computer science round. The Power Round explores a captivating topic through proof-based problems, while the Team Round challenges teams with short-answer problems across all subjects. CMIMC aims to bridge the gap in math competitions by integrating computer science concepts and fostering teamwork and innovation among participants.
Purple Comet! Math Meet: The Purple Comet! Math Meet is an annual online mathematics contest created for middle and high school students worldwide, offered for free and sponsored by AwesomeMath. Teams, supervised by an adult, register on the website and can consist of up to six students. The competition occurs within a ten-day window, with middle school teams given 60 minutes to solve 20 problems and high school teams allotted 90 minutes for 30 problems.
North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO): NACLO is a high-school contest where students solve linguistic problems, learning about language diversity and logic skills without needing prior linguistic knowledge. Professionals in linguistics and language technologies create engaging problems in various languages, reflecting cutting-edge issues in their fields. This competition attracts top students to pursue studies and careers in linguistics, computational linguistics, and language technologies, offering a glimpse into 21st-century natural-language processing.
American Regions Mathematics League (ARML): One of the largest high school mathematics team competitions in the United States. Events in the competition include
A team round, in which the entire team works on ten problems together
A power round, where the questions are proof-oriented and are in a theme
An individual round, where each individual takes a ten question test
Two relay rounds, where the answer to one problem is necessary to solve the next problem
A super relay, a relay round where each team submits one answer
Each of these competitions has its unique format and focus, ranging from individual problem-solving challenges to team-based competitions. They provide valuable opportunities for students to enhance their mathematical skills, gain recognition, and connect with a broader community of math enthusiasts.
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