FAQ: Click on a question of interest
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 When is the Math Meet?
The next Math Meet will be held on Saturday February 22, 2025(top of page)
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What is the Math Meet?
Since 1978, the C of C Math Department has been bringing bright,
interested high school students to the C of C campus for innovative and
exciting mathematical competitions that we call The Math Meet. In
doing so, we have been helping high school teachers throughout the
Southeast region to motivate their students to excel, and through the
lecture that exposes the students to cutting edge research in
mathematics, to recognize a role for this subject outside of the
classroom. With the help of the faculty and students in other
departments, the Math Meet also generally includes events revolving
around related subjects including computer science, physics and
chemistry.
To learn more, read the rest of this page or write to us
with any questions.
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What are the individual competitive events?
I. Individual Events:
A) Marathon:
The Math Marathon is an event that starts well before the date of the Math Meet!
It is made up of questions so challenging (and interesting!) that students can work on them during the month leading up to the other competitions.
There is no limit on the number of entries per school.
Each entrant must be registered for the Math Meet.
Answers must be postmarked or received by a deadline about two weeks before the Math Meet.
The due date will be announced on the front page.
B) Multiple Choice Written Exams:
The written tests have three levels to accomodate students at
different levels in their secondary math education. All of the
written tests are calculator free. (This policy has been
in effect since 2003: no calculators at all on the written
exams.) Since 2012, the test numbers are scrambled so that each
test at a given level has the same 25 questions, but no two tests
have them in the same order.
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Level I designed for students taking Algebra I, Geometry
and Algebra II. Questions on logic, probability, statistics and
set theory may also be included. Any student who has taken 3
months (or more) of Algebra III, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus or
Calculus cannot take this exam and must take the Level II or
Level III exam.
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Level II is designed for students taking Algebra III,
Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus. It will include questions on
topics from these classes as well as questions on the topics
covered by the Level I exam. Any student who has taken 3 months
(or more) of a calculus course at any point is ineligible to take
the Level II exam and must take the Level III exam.
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Level III is designed for students that are taking (or
have completed) Calculus. This test will include questions on
calculus as well as questions on the topics which are covered by
the Level I and Level II exams. Any student who has taken three
months (or more) of Calculus must take the Level III written
exam.
Note: Students may have completed the courses whose material is
covered on the test for which they register, but
cannot be eligible for a higher level test.
SCORING: 5 points for a correct answer, 1 point for a blank, 0 points
otherwise.
C) Timed Sprints: There will be sprints on a variety of
mathematical areas (including some appropriate for 8th graders)
as well as in physics. No preregistration is required. More
information on these events will be mailed with the confirmation
forms.
D) Estimation Station: How many jelly beans are in the jar? How
long is this piece of string? Those are the sorts of questions that the
Estimation Station has asked in the past. Who knows what it will be -- or
what prize will be offered -- this year?
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What are the team events?
II. Team Events:
There are 8 different team events. A limited number of teams can be
accommodated
in each event so register as early as possible!
A) Computer Programming Competition:
See the this page for more information or to register.
Note: The Programming Competition is a separate event from the Math Meet.
It is usually held on the preceding day, and students are welcome to participate in both.
Registration for the programming event is handled separately from the Math Meet.
B) Written Exam Team Competition:
Each school which enters students in any one level of individual written exam competition is automatically eligible for written exam team awards at that
level.
The scores from the three highest scoring students from each school will be totaled to determine team winners for each test level.
C) Physics Brainstorming:
Each 4 student team will work together to solve a set of problems.
D) All-Day Sprints:
This very popular event provides students with challenging puzzles requiring both mathematical and
non-mathematical skills.
They can be worked upon any time that a student is not otherwise occupied by scheduled events and the
school turns in their collaborative answer at the end of the day.
Calculators may be used for All-Day Sprints.
For the following team events, only one team per school may be
entered into each event. Teams must be composed of 4 students.
E) Junior Varsity Team Elimination:
Questions requiring algebra and geometry.
Team members must be 10th grade or lower.
Click here to see some sample
questions from prior Junior Varsity Team Elimination competitions.
F) Varsity Team Elimination:
Questions on a comprehensive level including Trigonometry and Precalculus.
Team members must be high school students.
Click here to see some sample
questions from prior Varsity Team Elimination competitions.
G) Math Brainstorming: Each team will work together to
solve a set of problems using algebra, geometry, and
trigonometry.
H) Math Relay: Each team will work sequentially to solve a
series of 4 problems. Problem topics will be from algebra,
geometry, and trigonometry.
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What is the calculator policy?
Participants in events that allow calculators may not use
an app which replicates a calculator on their smart phone,
tablet or other computing device. More generally, it is the
policy that cell phone, smart phone, tablet and computer use
by participants is prohibited during all Math Meet events unless
the instructions state otherwise.
Participants in events that allow calculators may not use
calculators that have symbolic algebra abilities. That is,
graphing calculators are allowed but not calculators that can
factor the polynomial x3-x into x(x+1)(x-1) or
one that can differentiate x3-x to get 3x2-1.
For instance, the TI-84 is
okay, but not the TI-89 or the TI-Nspire with CAS.
There are no calculators allowed on the Written
Test, the Math Relay, Timed Math Sprints, or Math
Brainstorming.
Calculators are allowed in Team Elimination events.
Calculators are allowed on All-Day Sprints and the
Estimation Station.
The physics, chemistry, and computer science departments
sometimes run events, and they often permit calculators.
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Can we see some sample questions?
There are sample questions from several events on our website (in
PDF format). Click here to see them. We should certainly post more sample questions, and will do so whenever we are able. If you have any technical difficulties downloading or viewing the questions, or if you would like to request additional samples, please do feel free to write to us for assistance.
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Hotels: Where to stay?
Unfortunately, we do not provide lodging for Math Meet
participants. However, we do make arrangements for special rates at local
hotels.
Please click here to
see a list of nearby hotels.
When you book rooms, ask if they have any specials for visitors to C of C.
Many hotels are marked on this map.
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Directions to campus
Driving directions are available here.
Here is a map with the most important buildings higlighted.
Teachers should come to the Robert Scott Small building (RSS) 3rd floor to check in.
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Parking on Campus: Where to park your cars or buses?
Please be aware that due to building projects on campus, there have been recent changes in parking facilities.
Even if you have been here before, read this to make certain that you understand the current situation.
Car Parking: There are three parking decks on campus that you should use for parking any cars.
There is an hourly charge for parking in them.
All three decks appear on the Math Meet campus map (which you will receive when your registration is completed).
They are also marked on this map.
Two of them have entrances on St. Philip Street (one just north of Calhoun and one just south of George Street).
The third one has an entrance on Wentworth Street just off of St. Philip Street.
It is under renovation and will probably not be open during Math Meet 2023.
Other parking facilities are documented at the city's web site
Bus Parking: The only legal place to park a bus is the city parking garage next to the Charleston Visitor's Center.
The bus entrance is on Ann Street between Meeting and King Streets.
To get there from campus, drive north on King Street and turn right onto Ann.
To get there from Highway 17, drive south on King Street and turn left onto Ann.
Then, halfway down the block, you will see a sign saying "Transit Mall" marking an alley with trolley tracks still embedded in the ground.
Turn in there and follow the sign at the right labeled "Bus Entrance".
There is a flat rate for parking a bus in this garage for any length of time up to 24 hours.
Click here to see a map showing the location of the bus parking.
Note that the red line on the map is exactly 1/2 mile long, so this is an easily walkable distance for most people.
If you have any additional questions about parking, please contact us at mathmeet@cofc.edu or write directly to campus parking at parkingservices@cofc.edu.
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Lunch
The map map
includes markers for many local hotels.
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Registration
Registration is done online through our REGISTRATION
WEBPAGE. You must sign up to use this website by providing your school
code (the same one used for SATs and other such exams), a valid e-mail
address, and a password. After that, you have until
Friday February 7, 2025 to tell us how many students you are bringing, which events they
will participate in, and send us full payment for the
registration costs ($10 per student, plus the cost of any lunch
tickets or extra t-shirts you purchase). You then have until
February 21, 2025 to enter information about each of the students you will be
bringing (their name, grade and which Written Test they will be
taking at this year's Math Meet). After this information is
entered, the student is given an ID Number. The student must
know this ID number and bring it with them to the Math Meet!
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