June 16-20, 2008
Official workshop events will conclude by 12 noon on the 20th to allow participants to return home that day.
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE
Registration Fee: $325 by May 5, $450 after
Cost includes housing for the nights of the 15-19th, and food from the evening of the 16th through lunch on the 19th.

Registration is now open.

Richard Rusczyk  
Art of Problem Solving, Inc.
rusczyk@artofproblemsolving.com     

Paul Zeitz at
University of San Francisco
zeitz@usfca.edu

Dan Teague
NC School of Science and Mathematics

teague@ncssm.edu

Steven Dunbar
University of Nebraska at Lincoln
sdunbar1@math.unl.edu

This one-week, intensive workshop is designed to assist talented teachers and mathematics coaches in preparing their students for the more competitive and challenging AIME exams.   Our team of outstanding problem solvers will work intensively with teacher-coaches whose students regularly do well on AMC but struggle with the questions on the AIME.  We intend to increase the pool of high school math team coaches who have the expertise to develop their students at the AIME level and, further, to assist the participants to guide their colleagues in neighboring schools in the years that follow the workshop.  This workshop will create a small network of knowledgeable teachers who have worked together prior to the workshop, intensively during the workshop, and who are supported to continue their cooperative interactions after the workshop both face-to-face and via the internet.  The participants of this PREP workshop will serve as local leaders when they return home and will form part of the foundation upon which a systematic improvement in the preparation of high school faculty to work with highly talented students on mathematical challenges can be built.  

Each day will feature  morning sessions which are focused on specific mathematical topics or strategies, and a late afternoon session that is focused on more general topics like building a math culture or test taking strategies.

Basic toolbox.  Go through fundamentals of counting, algebra, geometry, number theory, that need to be mastered to have a fighting chance on most of the first 8-10 problems.  This will be mainly a toolbox session, with examples of how to use them, and clues for when to use them.  We’ll be doing a lot of problems in the 1-5 range on the first day.

Late session: building a math culture.  Participants will share experiences working with their math teams and the challenges and successes they have had.  

Strategy.  More general problem solving strategies (working backwards, simplifying the problem, looking for patterns, etc).  Portions of this day will likely be subject specific (geometry), others more general.  Problems on this day will be in the 3-9 range in difficulty

Late session: test-taking on the AIME.  A discussion of how to approach the test on game day.

Making the turn, part 1: Here, we focus on the middle problems (5-10) of the AIME.  On day 3, we look at subject-specific tools that are needed to move into more advanced problem solving (recursion, substitution, log/trig identities, telescoping, etc).

Late session: Some fun problem solving tactics involving games for keeping student interest and just having fun with contest questions. 

Making the turn, part 2: Crossover strategies.   More challenging AIME problems involving using multiple areas of mathematics in combination.  On this day, we’ll focus on these sorts of tactics, both how to use them, and how one would think of reaching for them.  Examples: using geometry in an algebra problem (or vice versa), setting up a system of equations for a probability problem, Binomial Theorem problem, etc.

Late session: A survey of good resources for preparation.

And beyond: A focus on tackling the harder AIME problems, and how to get started with the USAMO.               

The PREP workshop will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in conjunction with the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program.   University of Nebraska-Lincoln operates one of the largest summer conference programs in the country. Conference managers serve as a “one-stop” contact, coordinating all aspects of housing, catering, and facilities service.   Conference managers provide on-site registration, a comprehensive desk operation, evening hall security, and ongoing operational support from conference staff.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s exceptionally clean, air-conditioned residence halls accommodate conference guests. Traditional, suite, apartment-style, and handicapped-accessible rooms are available.  All guest rooms feature the following amenities:

University Dining Services is highly experienced in providing all food service and catering needs, offering an extensive selection of culinary choices.  Residence hall dining managers and menu planners are happy to help design specific menus and to assist guests with special dietary needs. Dining halls are located in each of the residence hall complexes.  The dining centers are air-conditioned, offer extended dining hours (6:30 AM to 9:00 PM), and are within easy walking distance of both campus facilities and downtown attractions.

Plan to arrive during the late afternoon or evening of Sunday, June 15th.