Since 1974, the American Mathematical Competitions (AMC) headquarters has been housed on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. This national program of the Mathematical Association of America sponsors middle school and high school mathematics competitions, which lead to the selection and training of the USA delegation to the annual International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The USA has participated in the IMO since 1974.
Professor of Mathematics Steve Dunbar has been the director of the AMC since January of 2001; the previous director was Professor Emeritus Walter Mientka. As Director, Dunbar has traveled with the USA team to the IMO each year, taking him to Mar del Plata, Argentina (2012); Amsterdam, Netherlands (2011); Astana, Kazakhstan (2010); Bremen, Germany (2009); Madrid, Spain (2008); Hanoi, Vietnam (2007); Ljubljana, Slovenia (2006); Merida, Mexico (2005); Athens, Greece (2004); Tokyo, Japan (2003); and Glasgow, Scotland (2002).
The USA team has placed either second or third in the each of the last 3 years, and has never placed lower than sixth place since 2000, Dunbar said.
"It's a pleasure to work with the very best of the U.S.," Dunbar said.
The AMC is dedicated to the goal of strengthening the mathematical capabilities of youth in the U.S., and thereby identifies, recognizes and rewards excellence in mathematics through a series of national contests: the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) for students in grades 6, 7 and 8; AMC 10 for students in grades 9 and 10; AMC 12 for students in grades 11 and 12; American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) for top scoring students on the AMC 10 and AMC 12; and the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO).
The AMC's invitation-only summer program, the Mathematical Olympiad Summer program (MOSP) held on the UNL campus, is where the final six contestants are chosen for the IMO.
In 1950, the first Mathematical Contest, sponsored by the New York Metropolitan Section of the Mathematics Association of America (MAA), took place. It was given in approximately 238 schools to around 6,000 students in the New York area only. In recent years, more than 400,000 students in more than 5,000 schools participated in the AMC Contests. Of these, 10,000 students qualify each year to participate in the AIME. From this group, approximately 500 students will be invited to take the USAMO.
The AMC contests are multiple-choice examinations intended for everyone from the average student at a typical school who enjoys mathematics to the very best student at the most specialized school. Students who score 20 or better on the AMC 8 are invited to take the next set of contests, the AMC 10/AMC 12. AMC 12 students who rank in the top 5 percent nationally will qualify for the AIME. AMC 10 students who rank in the top 2.5 percent nationally also will qualify for the AIME.
The USAMO and the United States of America Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO), are each a six-question, two-day, nine-hour essay/proof examination. Approximately 270 of the top scoring AMC 12 participants will be invited to take the USAMO, and approximately 230 of the top scoring AMC 10 participants take the USAJMO. The 12 top scoring USAMO students are invited to an Olympiad Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the MAA. Six students will comprise the U.S. team that competes in the IMO.
Those six students and two alternates train for the IMO at UNL for three weeks in June at the MOSP, as well as other students who were top finishers on the USAMO preparing for future international Olympiad events.
Full days of classes and extensive problem sets give students thorough deep preparation in several important areas of mathematics such as algebra, geometry, number theory and combinatorics
The IMO is a six-problem, 42-point math competition held over two days. More than 90 nations compete in this annual event, which is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. At the 53rd IMO in Argentina in 2012, Team USA placed third overall with team member Bobby Shen (Dulles High School in Sugar Land, Texas) earning the third-best score among all 548 individuals competing in the contest.
"I encourage all Nebraska math alums to get their children, grandchildren and students involved with one of these contests through their school. Teachers will welcome this opportunity to expose their students to a great mathematical problem-solving activity that is ‘grown' in Nebraska and exported nationally and internationally," Dunbar said.
