Category: Contests-Info

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2019 AMC 8

Brief report of the 2019 AMC 8 at Bard College

The AMC 8 ran on Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Afterward, students were treated to a wonderful math talk on Fibonacci Numbers, presented by Bard College mathematician Japheth Wood.

School Results

(And just for fun, we are listing schools with at least 3 participants, ranked by the sum of their top 3 scores)
57 points: Bard’s Team Score (sum of top 3 scores at Bard):
39 points: Christian Brothers Academy (6 participants)
36 points: J. Watson Bailey Middle School, Kingston (3 participants)
31 points: Wappingers Junior High (3 participants)

Total number of participating students: 32
Average score for entire school is: 10.4
Average score for grade 8 is: 11.8
Average score for grade 7 is: 9.2
Average score for grade 6 is: 10.3
Average score for grade 5 is: 12.5
Average score for grade 4 is: 6.0

– – –
Top scores at Bard:

Mason Eyler, 22 points (8th grader, age 13, New Paltz Middle School)
Anonymous, 18 points (8th grader, age 13)
Anonymous, 17 points (8th grader, age 13)
Anonymous, 15 points (7th grader, age 12)
Brian Sun, 15 points (5th grader, age 10, Craig Elementary School)
Max Victor, 15 points (7th grader, age 11, Orville A Todd Middle School)
Praneel Gandhi, 14 points (6th grader, age 10, Unionvale Middle School)
Ved Kaderu, 14 points (6th grader, age 11, Brinckerhoff Elementary School)
Anonymous, 13 points (8th grader, age 13)
Anonymous, 13 points (8th grader, age 14)
Sophia Cheng, 13 points (8th grader, age 13, Wappingers Junior High)

Schools represented:

Brinckerhoff Elementary School, Fishkill (1)
Christian Brothers Academy (6)
Craig Elementary School (1)
Fox Lane Middle School (1)
Haviland Middle School (1)
Highland Middle School (1)
Hillside Elementary School (1)
Homeschool (1)
J W Bailey (3)
LaGrange Middle School (2)
Lenape Elementary (1)
Linden Ave. Middle School (2)
Manitou (1)
New Paltz Middle School (2)
Oak Grove Elementary School (1)
Orville A Todd Middle School (2)
Unionvale Middle School (1)
Van Wyck Junior High School (2)
Wappingers Junior High (3)

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Take the AMC 10/12 B at Bard on Wednesday, February 25!

The Bard Math Circle is proud to offer

the AMC 10/12 B contests

free of charge on Wednesday, February 25, starting at 4pm.  After the contest, students will be treated to pizza an engaging math talk

The Mathematics of Data Security
by professor Joe Kirtland, Marist College

On 3 Saturdays leading up to the contest, Bard undergraduate math majors will lead preparation sessions that focus on the mathematics of the AMC.

For more information and to register, please visit: goo.gl/nZmeQW

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October Approaches

The Bard Math Circle is excited to finish up a productive September with events at the Tivoli and Kingston Libraries, and prepare for an October jam-packed with events.

This Friday, October 3rd at 4:00 PM we will begin with our monthly visit to the Tivoli Free Library. We will be offering puzzles and games, a hands-on math project, and a challenging problem set. Sign up here to attend, although we always welcome walk-ins.

On Saturday, October 18th we will be having a Math Circle on Bard College campus in the Reem-Kayden Center for Science and Computation. This event will feature our open-classroom format, with puzzles, problems, and hands-on mathematics. Our Bard student volunteers are working hard to develop a series of math activities that should make for a fun, somewhat carnival-style environment.

Additionally, in preparation for the AMC8 middle school mathematics competition in November we will be hosting weekly prep sessions starting this Saturday, October 4th.

You can sign up here for the Circle on the 18th at Bard and the AMC8 prep program.

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Bard College Math Circle To Host the Purple Comet Math Meet for Middle School Students

Purple Comet at Bard!

This semester, the Bard Math Circle will be hosting the Purple Comet Math Meet for middle school students. Unlike other mathematics competitions at the middle school level, the Purple Comet Math Meet gives students the opportunity to work in teams of up to six. This teamwork gives them valuable experience working on mathematics in a collaborative environment, which is rarely experienced in school but is at the core of what professional mathematicians do regularly. The contest covers topics seldom included in the normal curriculum, including set theory and elementary number theory, and poses exceptionally challenging problems. On February 9, Bard undergraduate Math Circle organizers held the first preparation session, which allowed students to acclimate to a group-work environment. On March 2, there will be a session on strategies for working in groups efficiently and general problem-solving approaches. On March 16, the Math Circle will hold a mock contest. The final contest will take place during the first week of April. For more information please visit the Circle online at bardmathcircle.org.

About the Bard Math Circle

The Bard Math Circle, founded in 2007 by Bard math professors Japheth Wood and Lauren Rose, bridges the gap between academic and recreational mathematics. Current leadership includes Bard undergraduates Eliana Miller and Jake Weissman, and Bard MAT student Joy Sebesta, who work with faculty advisers to run monthly library programs in Tivoli and Kingston, as well as several contest programs. The Math Circle is a joint project of Bard’s Mathematics Program, Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and Trustee Leader Scholars program, a student leadership development initiative enabling undergraduates to lead hands-on community service projects. The Bard Math Circle has been instrumental in helping Bard become a center for mathematical exploration in the Hudson Valley.

This post was a press release from Bard College: http://www.bard.edu/news/releases/pr/fstory.php?id=2530

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How the AMC 10 B exam works

Here are some notes about how the AMC 10B Exam works.

Exam Details

The exam lasts for 75 minutes and has 25 questions. Responses are multiple choice, with each correct response worth 6 points. Therefore, a perfect score is 150 points. For those of you who have guessing strategies, a blank answer is worth 1.5 points and a wrong answer is 0 points.

The AIME and Beyond

If you do a splendid job on the AMC 10 B, you’ll be invited to the AIME, the American Invitational Mathematics Exam. Here, “splendid” means scoring at least 120 points or ranking in the top 2.5%, neither of which is easy to do. The AIME will take place in March.

Excellent performance on the AIME could lead to the USAJMO (USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad), which is a challenging proofs-based contest. The top scorers on the USAJMO will be invited to the MOSP (Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program) in June, from which the USA team is selected for the International Mathematical Olympiad (boys and girls) and the Girls Mathematical Olympiad (girls only). Not many people get there. Not many at all.

Contest Rules and Regulations

  • You’ll need to use a #2 pencil, and we’ll have a supply at hand, but feel free to bring your own.
  • Be ready to bubble in your correct name, as no editing will be done by the AMC people. You’ll also bubble in your address.
  • As you might guess, CALCULATORS ARE NOT PERMITTED. In fact, no electronics of any kind will be allowed, maybe not even digital watches.
  • Students, you will be seated as far apart as space allows. You’re also not allowed to speak or ask questions during the contest; you must do your own work. No wandering eyes, please. The exam proctor may issue warnings or even confiscate your exam if cheating is suspected. Let’s not see that happen at the Bard Math Circle, please!
  • If you finish early, you can leave the room. If you need to use the rest room, please raise your hand and you’ll be escorted there.
  • After the contest, you make keep your contest booklet and take it home with you. You may discuss the answers with others who take it at Bard once the contest is over, and you may discuss it with anyone in the world starting the day after the exam.
Preparation
Your preparation for this year’s contest should be finishing about now. If you enjoy the challenge of the AMC, why not start preparing for next year’s contest after this contest?!

 

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2014 AMC 10B at Bard College on Wed, Feb 19th, 4pm

Dear Math Problem Solvers,

The Bard Math Circle invites you to take the AMC 10B math contest at Bard College on Wednesday, February 19th starting at 4pm. The contest will be followed by pizza and an engaging math talk. There is no fee for your participation.

 

Register Now: goo.gl/baUXF6


Registration is open to all students in grade 10 or below who will be 17.5 years or younger on February 19th. Space is limited, and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Date: Wednesday February 19, 2014
Time: 4:00pm-6:30pm
Location: Bard College Science Building (RKC)


The AMC 10B is a 25 question, 75 minute multiple choice exam, and we’ll start promptly at 4:00pm. The contest will be followed by pizza, and an engaging math talk by Bard College math professor and chair of the math department, Greg Landweber, speaking on Quaternions, Octonions, and Clifford Algebras.

 

Please extend this invitation to your friends! Forward this email, print and post the attached flyer, and spread the word.

 

The AMC 10B is a challenging exam. If you’re not sure if you should take it, try out previous exams on the Art of Problem Solving website: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Wiki/index.php/AMC_10_Problems_and_Solutions . You can also use this as a resource to prepare.

 
Sincerely,

     Japheth Wood, PhD
—

 

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AMC 8 Registration Update

We’re less than 4 weeks away from the AMC 8 Contest, and here is an update on registration, and some other information.

Total Registration

We now have 54 students registered for the AMC 8. If everyone attended, we’d surpass last year’s attendance of 49 students (although we had 71 students register, total).

Grade Levels

Any student 14.5 years of age or younger on the day of the contest and not enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 or equivalent is eligible to participate.
We now have:
22 Eighth graders
13 Seventh graders
9 Sixth graders
9 Fifth graders
1 Earlier grade

Schools Represented

If there are 10 or more students from a school, they form a section. At the discretion of the Bard Math Circle, we may form additional sections by grouping schools (i.e. by city or county). All the remaining students will also form a section. Certificates are given to the top 3 students in each section.
We now have this many students from the following schools. Tell your classmates, and try to form a full section!
11 Van Wyck Junior High School
8 Saugerties Junior High School
6 Union Vale Middle School
3 Lagrange Middle School
2 Fishkill Elementary School
2 Highland Middle School
2 St. Mary School, Fishkill
1 Arlington Middle School
1 Ascension Holy Trinity
1 Brinckerhoff Elementary School
1 Bulkeley Middle School
1 Gayhead Elementary School
1 Germantown Central School
1 Grant D. Morse Elementary School
1 Hagan Elementary School
1 Harry L Edson Elementary School
1 Haviland Middle School, Hyde Park, NY
1 Linden Avenue Middle School
1 MC Miller Middle School
1 Mizzentop Day School
1 Netherwood Elementary School
1 Pawling Middle School
1 Robert E. Bell Middle School
1 St. Joseph School
1 Todd Middle School
1 Vail Farm Elementary School
1 Wappingers Junior High School

DO NOT BRING A CALCULATOR!

No problems on the contest will require the use of a calculator. However, you may bring rulers, protractors, and erasers. We’ll provide #2 pencils and unmarked scratch paper (but you can bring those too).

Information Collected on the Answer Form

Before the exam, you must fill in the following information, so don’t forget it!

  1. Last Name
  2. First Name
  3. Middle Initial
  4. Section Letter (we’ll announce these later)
  5. Age/date of birth, grade and gender.

Prepare for the AMC 8!

We are hosting a practice class for the AMC8 on Friday, November 8th at 5:00 PM. We will be looking at some example problems and going over some problem-solving strategies. Obviously we can only accomplish a limited amount on a single Friday evening, but if you are interested in preparing for the test this practice session is great.
Space in the class is limited. To request a spot please use the form at this link. Spots will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis.
You can also check our AMC 8 Page for online resources to prepare.