Competitions

Rochester Olympiad

Every February, the University of Rochester organizes a mathematics contest for undergraduate students called the University of Rochester Math Olympiad (URMO). Students from various universities in the US and Canada (including UTM, University of Rochester, Cornell, SUNY – Buffalo) take part, and each participating college or university administers the contest on its campus. The contest consists of one three-hour exam, typically four questions. Three yearly prizes are awarded: The first prize is $250, the second is $200, and the third is $150. Click here for more information about the contest

In some years, the MCS Department runs training sessions for students interested in competing in this contest. These sessions help students learn a variety of strategies for problem-solving and also provide an opportunity to learn mathematics beyond the curriculum. In addition, it offers the chance to work on challenging, interesting problems in an informal setting and to allow students to meet peers with similar interests — helping to build an extra-curricular community among our students. Most problems require only basic undergraduate mathematics (sometimes even less). On the other hand, the type of question asked is usually different from those typically seen in courses and can be pretty tricky. Being able to solve such questions is impressive and can be an excellent addition to your CV.

If you are interested in competition-style mathematics, consider joining the MCS Math Club.

 

Putnam Competition

The Putnam Competition is an annual mathematics competition for undergraduate students in the United States and Canada, awarding scholarships and cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,500 for the top students and $5,000 to $25,000 for the top schools. It is held every year in December. The competition was founded in 1927 by Elizabeth Lowell Putnam in memory of her husband, William Lowell Putnam, who, while alive, was an advocate of intercollegiate intellectual competition. More information is on the MAA website.

The first UTM team was formed in 2008, and depending on student interest, a small group of UTM students wrote the Putnam Competition some years ago.

Again, if you are interested in competition-style mathematics, consider joining the MCS Math Club.

 

Computer Science Security Competition

Click here to see information for CyberSCI-Cyber Security Challenge Canada

 

 

 

 

Last updated 30-Sep-22