🦫 Upstate NY Math Team: News, Events, and Opportunities

Japheth Wood

Oct 13, 2023

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Upstate New York Math Team

Mathematical Problem Solving

Upstate NY Math Team: News, Events, and Opportunities

October is here and there is no better place to be than in Upstate New York.

The top items are this Sunday’s Geometry Practice Session, and the upcoming Big Red Math Competition at Cornell University on Saturday, October 28.

We’ve collected many items for this email newsletter, so please read through to the end for information about our math team activities, additional competition opportunities, goals, trainings, and contests this year.

Sincerely,

Japheth Wood

—

Japheth Wood, PhD (he/him)

Lead Coach, Upstate New York Math Team

Associate Professor of Mathematics, Bard College

Geometry Practice Session

Date: Sunday, October 15, 2023

Time: 8:30 – 10:00am

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ubb-bnyw-hue

Our presenter, Mr. Finn Goehrig, an Upstate New York Math Team coach, will host a session on a potpourri of geometry problems, problem types, and methods. Not sticking to any one concept, but instead taking a wide lens perspective on what kinds of concepts we can expect to see. Finn often hears students say geometry is their least favorite math subject. But it happens to be a favorite of his, so he intends to dispel some fears and have some fun with it.

Challenge level: ranging from AMC 10/12 to AIME

Cornell University Big Red Math Competition

URGENT: There are only two days left to register!

Final Deadline: Saturday, Oct 14, 2023

The Undergraduate Math Club and Department of Mathematics at Cornell University is excited to invite all mathletes to participate in the very first Big Red Mathematics Competition!

Date: Saturday,October 28th, 2023

Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm

Location: Cornell University, Malott Hall (Ithaca, NY)

Team size: 5 people per team, unlimited number of teams.

Registration fee: $25

About the Competition: The Cornell University Big Red Mathematics Competition promises to be an exhilarating event that will challenge your mathematical prowess and ignite your passion for problem-solving. This competition is open to all high school students who are eager to showcase their mathematical talents.

Website: https://bigredmathcomp.org/

How to Register: Go to https://bigredmathcomp.org/registration and click to the form; fill out the requested information. Our team name is "Upstate NY", the coach's name is "Japheth Wood", and the coach's email is "japheth@bardmathcircle.org."

Comment: Because of the convenient location, this competition would probably be a day-trip (if you got up really early in the morning and eat breakfast in the car). This is probably the easiest competition to travel to (besides NYSML).

Other Opportunities

Harvard MIT Math Tournament (HMMT)

We are looking forward to the November tournament. The November HMMT has a high challenge level, while the February HMMT is definitely turbo-charged. This is one of our first forays into contests beyond ARML, so wish us luck!

American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)

(AMC 10/12 A: Nov 8, 2023 and AMC 10/12 B: Nov 14, 2023)

Since these contests are so popular, we ask students for their AMC scores on our ARML team member application. Students who excel might continue into the invitational contests like the AIME, USAJMO and USAMO.

Please check if your high school can offer these contests. If not, then check https://maa.org/math-competitions/amc-8/locations for other locations.

USA Math Talent Search (USAMTS)

An individual contest that emphasizes technical writing skills. The Round 1 Problems are available at https://usamts.org/Problems/U_Problems.php, and due by 10 PM Eastern on October 16, 2023.

“The USAMTS is one of the ways to enter the process for qualifying to represent the United States at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Students who earn high scores on the USAMTS are invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and can progress further based on their scores on the AIME.”

American Regions Math League (ARML)

This team-based math contest takes place in early June each year and is the main focus of our planning. The application form to compete at ARML with the Upstate New York Math Team will be open later this fall.

Accolades

The Andover Math Open

Congratulations to Tianze Qiu for an exceptional performance at The Andover Math Open (MOAA). Tianze earned 4th place in the in-person individual overall competition and his team placed 4th as well. A shout out to our Upstate New York Math Team coach Matthew Babbitt, who was Tianze’s Algebra 2.5 instructor at the AwesomeMath Summer Program, which was held remotely through Zoom

International Youth Math Challenge (IYMC)

Congratulations to Upstate New York Math Team member Howard Tang, who has qualified for the Pre-Final Round! He was asked to solve problems like the following:

Determine the numerical value of the following expression without the use of a calculator: