Seventy students took the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10/12 earlier this month, a contest that could eventually land some of them a spot in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
The AMC lasted 75 minutes and consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions in topics that included algebra, number theory, combinatorics and geometry. According to junior Albert Tseng, the Math Club treasurer, the test requires creative problem-solving skills.
“You certainly need to be able to do math in a timely manner,” Tseng said. “Even more important is the ability to think about a problem and turn it into something that you can work with.”
Students can choose to take a second AMC on Feb. 17. Although SHS usually offers this second testing date, math teacher and Math Club adviser P.J. Yim said the school will not do so this year because he has decided not to host it.
Instead, many have found alternative locations, such as the Stanford Math Circle. Redwood Middle School has also offered to host for official members who paid for Math Club registration.
Students can qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), held in March, by passing set AMC cutoff scores or by scoring among the top 5 percent of all test takers. Based on their combined AMC and AIME scores, the top 500 students in the nation advance to the USA (Junior) Mathematical Olympiad (USA(J)MO), from which a handful qualify for the IMO.
“[Compared to AMC problems,] AIME and USA(J)MO problems require people to think more and in ways that they would not usually use,” Tseng said. “For example, if you get stuck on one problem in AIME, sometimes you have to resort to some method that you haven't seriously used before.”
SHS traditionally ranks among the top performing schools in the country, with 27 students qualifying for the AIME last year. Yim credits this performance to students who have a support network and a willingness to practice.
“Just like [with] sports, having a talent is nice, but hard work is better and is something that students have control of,” Yim said.