A
of Our Own
CONTESTS FOR MATH LOVERS
by Ashwin Sah
W
hen I was in elementary school, my math
experience consisted of repetitive and tedious
problem sheets. In fifth grade, I read a basic
algebra book my older brother had used
and was fascinated by the types of problems it covered. Soon
I was reading my brothers more advanced materials, including
problem-solving books. Then, in September of sixth grade, I
learned that my schools MATHCOUNTS club was seeking
interested students.
MATHCOUNTS is a series of competitions, from the school
level through the national level, intended to engage and challenge
middle school students in mathematics. When I arrived at the
MATHCOUNTS classroom after school the first day, a parent
volunteer handed out a pre-test containing 30 problems. While
they seemed interestingthey required creative thinking rather
than simply applying formulasthey were also challenging: I
solved less than half of them in the allotted time. But because I
scored among the top 20 students, I was selected to participate
in the club.
At weekly meetings, we completed problem sets, practice
tests, and were even given homework. The problems grew more
difficult, and also more interesting. We took another test to
determine the 10 individuals who would represent our school
at the chapter competition, including the four who would make
up our team. I was thrilled to be among the four.
The Wide World of Competition Math
Searching for math resources on the Internet, I found the Art
of Problem Solving (AoPS). On AoPS forums, like-minded stu-
dents from around the world post math problems and discuss
solutions. Having access to this resource and interacting with
other kids who were into math really helped me get into com-
petition math.
In addition to MATHCOUNTS, I began participating in
the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC). I liked them
because they required problem-solving skills. I performed well
on the AMC 8. Advanced middle school math students can also
participate in high-school level AMC competitions, andbased
on superior performance on these examsmay participate in the
American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and the
USA Mathematical/Junior Mathematical Olympiad. I participated
in the competition through my school, and ultimately made it to
the AIME, but missed the USAJMO by four points.
Through AoPS, I learned about the American Regions
Mathematics League (ARML), a competition for high school
and advanced middle school students. I located the local team on
the Internet. Each month, the coach of the Oregon ARML team,
Manny Norse, brings together kids from northern and southern
Oregon for Sunday mornings spent discussing math problems
and socializing. After meeting for eight months, we traveled to
Las Vegas for the western region ARML competition. It consisted
of a team round, a proof-based power round, an individual round,
and a five-round relay in which each member of a three-person
team solved a problem, the answer to which was required to solve
the next problem. Although we didnt place in the top 10, I made
some good friends through ARML.
Countdown to Competition
All the while, my MATHCOUNTS teammates and I continued to
prepare for the chapter competition. To find areas of weakness, we
reviewed past tests. With the help of coach Vemuri, we discussed
problem-solving techniques, completed problems from an online
MATHCOUNTS book, and tried older chapter tests. The most
important thing I learned was to read each question repeatedly
and to check my work, which helped me avoid silly mistakes.
The chapter competition consists of three written parts: a
30-question individual sprint round; a target round in which
each student has six minutes to complete each of four problem
pairs; and a 20-minute team round consisting of 10 problems. The
number of students advancing to the state competition depends on
the number participating in the chapter competition.
At our chapter competition, held at a local middle school in
January, the three top-scoring teams and the four top-scoring indi-
viduals would advance to states. I was excited to place fourth. Our
team placed third, which meant that the whole team would move
on. Students scoring in the top 25 percent at the chapter competi-
tion were also invited to face off in groups of four for a buzzer-style
countdown round. The first in each group to answer two questions
correctly moves on. Initially I didnt want to do the countdown
round since we hadnt practiced for it in my club, but my parents
convinced me to try it. Happily, I answered the questions quickly
and correctly, winning the countdown roundand a trophy.
Onward and Upward
The state MATHCOUNTS competition, held at Oregon State
University in March, would have the same structure as the chap-
ter competition. I practiced using past state tests, which covered
topics ranging from probability to geometry to algebra. This time
my team came in second, and I placed third in the individual
competition, earning one of four spots on the state team.
 imagine19
As part of the Oregon state team, in preparation for the
upcoming national competition, I entered a rigorous two-
month training period involving many practice tests. One
teammate was from a school in Eugene; the other two, from
a different school in Portland, were members of the winning
team from states. Because the coach of the winning team from
states becomes the team coach for the national competition, we
practiced at their school.
The MATHCOUNTS national competition includes an all-
expenses-paid, three-day trip to Washington, DC, or Disney
World. In Washington, the excitement began with a dinner that
involved kids running around exchanging state pins with teams
from other states, with the goal of collecting as many different
state pins as possible.
The two-part national competition includes both a written
and a countdown round, in which the top 12 written-round stu-
dents participate in a head-to-head, elimination style matchup.
With two students remaining, the student buzzing in the correct
answer fastest is declared the national MATHCOUNTS cham-
pion. While the problems were the same types Id encountered
at states, they were more difficult, and I placed in the top 15
percent. My teamed placed 14th.
A Strong Dynamic
The next year, my MATHCOUNTS teammates and I brain-
stormed about how we might perform better as a team. Our
new coach, Mr. Jin Yang, worked with us on our team problem-
solving skills. We learned to assign team-round problems based
on our particular strengths and to crosscheck answers. Over the
next couple of months, we developed a strong team dynamic,
which helped us place first in the state competition team round
that year, as well as the following year. Along with three students
from our rival middle school, I made it to nationals again, this
time placing second. The following year, two students from my
SHUTTERSTOCKT
school and I made it to nationals where our team placed fourth,
and I was again runner-up.
P articipating in math clubs and competitions such as
MATHCOUNTS, AMC, and ARML has inspired me to learn
even more about math. I plan to continue participating in math
competitions in the futurethis time, as a high school student.
Ashwin Sah is a freshman at Jesuit High
School in Portland, OR. This past summer,
he competed as part of the U.S. team in
the 17th Junior Balkan Mathematical
Olympiad in Turkey, where he won a gold
medal. When hes not participating in math
competitions, Ashwin enjoys playing chess
and computer games.