Launching New Virtual Invitational International Math Competition

WASHINGTON, DC (July 13th, 2020) Debuting today is the Cyberspace Mathematical Competition (CMC). The MAA’s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) have collaborated to offer a free and virtual invitational international contest for high school students.

The invitational competition will bring together Olympiad-level teams from over sixty countries to solve challenging essay-proof problems. The contest is taking place on July 13-14 with teams of up to eight people from each participating country. The competition is made up of four essay-proof problems per day and has a five-hour time limit for completion.

The CMC's mission is to provide a fun opportunity for the world's top young math students to engage with challenging and interesting problems and meet—at least virtually—peers from other countries. This aligns with MAA’s mission, helping to advance the understanding of mathematics and its impact on our world. AoPS will provide a robust platform that will facilitate the contest itself, along with forums for socializing, and other mathematical activities during the course of the CMC.

IMO 2021 President, Paul Zeitz said, “So many of the world's best young math students are stuck at home today. We have invited them, from over seventy countries on every continent, to join us in cyberspace to have fun grappling with difficult and beautiful problems and to make new friends.” Zeitz says, “We were inspired by the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad's graceful pivot this spring from a physical contest to a virtual one; this gave us the courage to design a contest that is intentionally online. It is a grand experiment in cooperation, collaboration, and trust.”

"I'm delighted to have MAA work with AoPS to support this effort," said Michael Pearson, executive director of MAA. "The success of the CMC is a testament to the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment of our community to give back and provide extraordinary opportunities for talented students around the world during this time when so much of our ordinary plans have been disrupted."

Congratulations to all the students participating! Learn more about the CMC and MAA AMC.
 

###

The Mathematical Association of America is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate the understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives. Learn more at maa.org.