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Mathematical Association of America -- American Mathematics Competitions

USAMO

United States of America Mathematical Olympiad

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The USAMO (United States of America Mathematics Olympiad) provides a means of identifying and encouraging the most creative secondary mathematics students in the country. It serves to indicate the talent of those who may become leaders in the mathematical sciences of the next generation. The USAMO is part of a worldwide system of national mathematics competitions, a movement in which both educators and research mathematicians are engaged in recognizing and celebrating the imagination and resourcefulness of our youth.

The USAMO is a six question, two day, 9 hour essay/proof examination. This school year it will held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 27-28, 2010 . All problems can be solved with pre-calculus methods. Approximately 270 of the top scoring AMC 12 participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAMO. Approximately 230 of the top scoring AMC 10 participants (based on a weighted average) are invited to take the USAJMO. U.S. citizens and students legally residing in the United States and Canada (with qualifyng scores) are eligible to take the USAMO & USAJMO.

The members of the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions (CAMC) are dedicated to the goal of strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation's youth. The CAMC believes that one way to meet this goal is to identify, recognize and reward excellence in mathematics through a series of national contests called the American Mathematics Competitions. The American Mathematics Competitions include: the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) (formerly the American Junior High School Mathematics Examination) for students in grades 8 and below, begun in 1985; the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), for students in grades 10 and below, begun in 2000; the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) (formerly the American High School Mathematics Examination) for students in grades 12 and below, begun in 1950; the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), begun in 1983; and the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), begun in 1972.

The twelve top scoring USAMO students are invited to a two day Olympiad Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC sponsored by the MAA, the Akamai Foundation, the Microsoft Corporation and the Matilda Wilson Foundation. Six of these twelve students will comprise the United States team that competes each summer in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) . The IMO began in 1959; the USA has participated since 1974.

Scroll down for photos from the 2009 USAMO Grading in Washington, D.C. and selection criteria for the USAMO below.


Grading the 2009 USAMO contests in Washington, D.C.


Grading the 2009 USAMO contests in Washington, D.C.


Some of the 2009 USAMO graders in Washington, D.C.

 

USAMO Selection Criteria:

Selection for the USAMO will be made according to the following rules:

  1. The goal is to select about 500 of the top scorers from this years’s AIME and AMC 12A, AMC 12B, AMC 10A and AMC 10B contests to participate in the USAMO.
  2. Selection will be based on the USAMO index which is defined as 10 times the student’s AIME score plus the student’s score on the AMC 12 or the AMC 10.
  3. The first selection will be the approximately 330 highest USAMO indices of students taking the AMC 12A or AMC 12B contest.
  4. The lowest AIME score among those 330 first selected will determine a floor value. The second selection of approximately 160 USAMO participants will be among students in the 10th grade and below who received an AIME score at least as high as the floor value. If there are more than 160 young students with a score above the floor value, then approximately 160 students will be selected from this group by using the USAMO index.
  5. The student with the highest USAMO index from each state, territory, or U.S. possession not already represented in the selection of the first and second groups will be invited to take the USAMO.
  6. To adjust for variations in contest difficulty, the number of students selected from A & B contests will be proportional to the number of students who took the A & B Contests. This also applies to the students who tale AIME I vs. AIME II.
  7. In advising young students (in grade 10 or below) who desire to be selected for the USAMO whether to take the AMC 12 contest or the AMC 10 contest, please be aware of the following facts:
    1. In 2008, among 503 students invited to take the USAMO, 232 were in 10th grade and below. Those students had scored 6 or greater on the AIME.
    2. Among those 232 students, 69 had their AIME qualifying high score based on the AMC 12 and 163 had their AIME qualifying high score based on the AMC 10.
    3. In 2008, among 8,702 students who took the AIME, 3,039 were in grades 10 and below. Of those, 845 qualified for the AIME from the AMC 12 and 2,194 qualified from the AMC 10.