Posted Friday 19 February 2010

Entries are now open for the 2010 Australian Mathematics Competition, Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians and Australian Informatics Competition.

The Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) is suitable for students of all standards, and enables students and schools to make detailed comparison of their performance against state or country-wide averages not only in normal classroom skills such as arithmetic, algebra and geometry, but also important problem solving skills, which will be addressed in the national curriculum in Australia and other countries. The scope of the AMC can be seen by viewing the 2009 medal list.

As well as basic skills questions which are found in the first part of the paper, there are problems that require translation between the real world and mathematics. Towards the latter part of the paper, students will be using the mathematics they know to solve problems in contexts they might not have seen in the classroom. The papers are closely moderated as being suitable mathematically within each state.

If your school is in Australia, New Zealand or Singapore, an invitation brochure with registration information has been sent to you. If you are in another country, registration procedures may be in place, but if in doubt check by contacting us here.

The Challenge, in its two stages, is for more talented students or students who wish to extend their knowledge and skills.

The Australian Informatics Competition is a multiple choice competition designed to challenge students and identify their ability to write computer programs. It is an ideal activity for a mathematics class. Programming in this competition is not required.

Nominal closing dates for entries in all the AMT events as discussed in this article are given in materials sent to schools, but can be extended as long as there is still realistic time to send the materials.

The Australian Mathematics Trust is the only organisation providing a complete range of enrichment programs, ranging from suitable for the average student, providing the only pathway to representing Australia at International Olympiads in Mathematics and Informatics. Problem solving is an important adjunct to the curriculum, including the proposed national curriculum, and the Australian Mathematics Competition provides a unique way of confidential reporting to parents and schools on student performance in mathematics and problem solving (requiring use of language at the sharpest end) for all school years from year 3 to year 12.

All problems for Australian Mathematics Trust events are set to the highest standards. Uniquely, they are

• Original problems,
• composed in Australia,
• by teams of Australia's most experienced teachers and academics,
• working in problems committees as volunteers, and
• heavily moderated by further volunteers for mathematical and typographical accuracy.

Memberships of the Problems Committees for these open events are found in the following pages:

• Australian Mathematics Competition (Committee and Problems Committees)
• Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians
• Australian Informatics Competition