While many students take the AMC 10 or 12 to qualify to take the AIME test (in the hopes of progressing to the USAMO or IMO), there is another opportunity by participating in the USAMTS contest. The USA Mathematical Talent Search differs from these other tests because it is taken over several weeks and stresses the importance of clearly explaining a solution.
As opposed to most mathematics competitions, the USAMTS allows students a full month to work out their solutions. Carefully written justifications are required for each problem. The problems range in difficulty from being within the reach of most high school students to challenging the best students in the nation. Students may use any materials – books, calculators, computers – but all the work must be their own.
Richard Rusczyk’s Art of Problem Solving Foundations is the primary sponsor of USAMTS and he will certainly be able to answer any questions at his talk on September 20th.
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