November 17th is the official date for the upcoming AMC 8. This test is administered through many middle schools, but if yours does not, it is important to talk to your math teacher or principal now!
The AMC 8 gives invaluable practice for students who will later want to take the AMC 10 and 12. The results of these high school level exams, administered in the Spring, are often required by the math and science departments of elite universities.
Here is some additional information from the AMC site:
The AMC 8 is a 25 question, 40 minute multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. This school year it will be held Tuesday , November 17 , 2009 . Click here for a current brochure.
The examination provides an opportunity to apply the concepts taught at the junior high level to problems which not only range from easy to difficult but also cover a wide range of applications. Many problems are designed to challenge students and to offer problem solving experiences beyond those provided in most junior high school mathematics classes. Calculators are not allowed starting in 2008. High scoring students are invited to participate in the AMC 10.
A special purpose of the AMC 8 is to demonstrate the broad range of topics available for the junior high school mathematics curriculum. This is done by competencies. The AMC 8 has the potential to increase the perceptions of the importance of problem solving activities in the mathematics curriculum by stimulating these activities both preceding and following the examination —specifically by studying the solutions manual.
Additional purposes of the AMC 8 are to promote excitement, enthusiasm and positive attitudes towards mathematics and to stimulate interest in continuing the study of mathematics beyond the minimum required for high school graduation. Developmentally, junior high school students are at a point where attitudes toward school and learning, and perceptions of themselves as learners of mathematics are solidified. It is important that they be provided opportunities that foster the development of positive attitudes towards mathematics and positive perceptions of themselves as learners of mathematics. The AMC 8 provides one such opportunity.
Dr. Andreescu once again offered UT Dallas as a higher education site for this year’s AMC 10/12B. We were very proud of all of the Metroplex Math Circle participates who took the test. Following are the students who scored above 100 points (out of 120) on the AMC 10 and above 90 points on the AMC 12.
AMC 10
RUSSELL HOUSTON *
DANIEL HUANG *
AMY CHYAO * (SA)
MICHAEL HWANG * (SA)
ERIK NGUYEN *
JACOB CORDEIRO
NIHAL KODURI (SA)
SANGJUN YOO
DOMINIC YURK
JOSHUA CAI
AMC 12
ARNOLD LIAO *
KEVIN CHANG *
SIDDHANT MITTAL *
YEJIN KIM
ARI GAO
ROBERT TUNG
* = AIME qualifier
(SA) = Metroplex Math Circle Student Advisor
Please join me in congratulating these students on their strong performance. If you are a math circle participant who scored in this range on the 10/12A or at your own school please feel free to post in the comments below or e-mail your score to be recognized. Students who would like to receive their scores from the 10/12B can e-mail djcordeiro@sbcglobal.net
Dr. Titu Andreescu, former director of AMC and coach of the US IMO team will be giving a special lecture for those preparing for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). This will be a very challenging session befitting the caliber of the AIME examination. However, students who did not qualify this year but are working on AMC 10 and 12 preparation should benefit from the unique insights and strategies that Dr. Andreescu will provide.
Here is some information about the AIME:
The AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) is an intermediate examination between the AMC 10 or AMC 12 and the USAMO. All students who took the AMC 12 and achieved a score of 100 or more out of a possible 150 or were in the top 5% are invited to take the AIME. All students who took the AMC 10 and had a score of 120 or more out of a possible 150, or were in the top 1% also qualify for the AIME. For the 2008-2009 school year the date for the AIME I is Tuesday, March 17, 2009 and the AIME II is Wednesday, April 1, 2009.
The AIME is a 15 question, 3 hour examination in which each answer is an integer number from 0 to 999. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult and students are very unlikely to obtain the correct answer by guessing. As with the AMC 10 and AMC 12 (and the USAMO), all problems on the AIME can be solved by pre-calculus methods. The use of calculators is not allowed.
Dr. Zuming Feng, coach of the US IMO team and author of multiple books on Olympiad problem solving, shared valuable techniques for solving the Diophantine Equations which occur frequently in problem solving contests.
The students worked through a series of increasingly difficult problems and Dr. Feng guided them through ways to leverage their number sense and algebra to limit the number of possible solutions saving them invaluable time in a contest situation.
If you missed Dr. Feng this weekend we are happy to say that he will be returning to Metroplex Math Circle on March 7th. The video below shows Dr. Feng discussing solutions to the 2006 International Mathematics Olympiad.
Like Math Circles and international problem solving competitions, these linguistics competitions have their origins in Eastern Europe. They also appear to draw on many of the same problem solving and thinking talents of successful Math Olympians. In this interview with Adam Hesterberg, a former MATHCOUNTS and USAMO winner, explains how he prepared for his win in last year’s ILO.
For those of us in the Metroplex area it appears that the University of North Texas in Denton will be offering the NACLO this year.
Our very good friends at the Art of Problem Solving have worked very hard to develop a new online learning system called “Alcumus.” Alcumus is a game that students can play to compete against themselves, compare their progress on the leader’s board and identify gaps or weaknesses in their math preparation.
Alcumus features over 1100 different problem representing a wide variety of subjects. In addition, the Art of Problem Solving instructors have developed over 60 video tutorials to help students better understand the subjects they are likely to see on contests like AMC 8, AMC 10 and AMC 12.
Alcumus is currently free to members of the Art of Problem Solving community so login or create an account today.
The October 18th Math Circle was very special. Dr. Andreescu selected 15 problems to teach specific problem solving strategies to the students. Some of the problems involved numbers small enough to be solved in a brute force method, but Dr. Andreescu explained a principal underlying each of the problems which would allow them to be solved within a fraction of the time with less risk of arithmetic mistakes.
If the lecture just gave the students 15 “tricks” for improving their AMC test scores it would have been worthwhile, but not nearly to the standards of Dr. Andreescu or Metroplex Math Circle. Instead, Dr. Andreescu explained exactly how each rule was derived and gave the students the tools to generalize these ideas to other kinds of problems.
Between problems, Dr. Andreescu answered questions from students and parents about these critical tests. A quick poll of this well-attended session showed that unfortunately many schools still do not offer the AMC 8. Parents and students went away from this session with a mission to demand that their school systems take seriously these valuable and respected tests.
The AMC tests have become a critical measure of math and problem solving capabilities. Elite universities that routinely reject students with 800 SAT scores require and respect AMC test scores. These tests often draw on discreet math topics that students may not encounter in a standard US curriculum. The AMC 8 test is available for students through 8th grade and is excellent practice for the harder AMC 10 and 12.
Dr. Andreescu, the Director of MMC, is the former Director of AMC and coach of the US IMO team. On October 18th, he will give students a distinct advantage with strategies to prepare for these tests which may determine their college admission. For more information on these tests please see The Road to the IMO.
Several postings have concerned the International Math Olympiad which is a bold aspiration for many Math Circle participants. But there are several steps on the road to representing the US on the IMO team and each one of those steps has its own challenges and rewards.
The USAMO is a six question, two day, 9 hour essay/proof examination. All problems can be solved with pre-calculus methods. Approximately 500 of the top scoring AMC participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAMO.
Just sitting for the USAMO requires a distinguished performance on the AIME, AMC 12 or AMC 10 tests.
The AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) is an intermediate examination between the AMC 10 or AMC 12 and the USAMO. All students who took the AMC 12 and achieved a score of 100 or more out of a possible 150 are invited to take the AIME. All students who took the AMC 10 and had a score of 120 or were in the top 1% also qualify for the AIME.
The AMC 10 and AMC 12 test are administered to hundreds of thousands of high school students. Many of the universities who routinely reject applicants with 800 SAT Math scores are requiring submission of AMC test scores.
A special purpose of the AMC 12 is to help identify those few students with truly exceptional mathematics talent. Students who are among the very best deserve some indication of how they stand relative to other students in the country and around the world .
To prepare for these challenging and potentially life altering tests, AMC offers the AMC 8 eligible to students through the 8th grade.
The AMC 8 is a 25 question, 40 minute multiple choice examination in junior high school (middle school) mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. The examination provides an opportunity to apply the concepts taught at the junior high level to problems which not only range from easy to difficult but also cover a wide range of applications. Many problems are designed to challenge students and to offer problem solving experiences beyond those provided in most junior high school mathematics classes.
Math Circles have a great deal to offer beyond improving performance on this series of tests. However, Metroplex Math Circle is particularly fortunate to have as its Director, Dr. Titu Andreescu, the former Director of AMC and Coach of the US IMO team. He has generously shared his experience with MMC students to help them prepare for these critical steps on the road to the IMO.
November 17th is the official date for the upcoming AMC 8. This test is administered through many middle schools, but if yours does not, it is important to talk to your math teacher or principal now!
The AMC 8 is a 25 question, 40 minute multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. This school year it will be held Tuesday , November 17 , 2009 . Click here for a current brochure.
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
Posted by Metroplex Math Circle 
