United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) was founded in 1996 to help with the education of children in mathematics
within the UK
.
in 1987 and were run by him under the name of the United Kingdom Mathematics Foundation until 1996. The popularity of the UK national mathematics competitions is largely due to the publicising efforts of Dr Gardiner
in the years 1987-1995. Hence, in 1995, he advertised for the formation of a committee and for a host institution that would lead to the establishment of the UKMT, enabling the challenges to be run effectively together under one organisation.
Q1 - 15 5marks (-0 if incorrect)
Q16- 20 6marks (-1 if incorrect)
Q21-25 6marks (-2 if incorrect).
Again, the top 40% of students taking this challenge get a certificate. There are two follow-on rounds to this competition: The European Kangaroo and the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad.
). There are twenty-five multiple questions and no penalty marking. This paper is taken throughout Europe
by over 3 million pupils from more than 37 countries.
The IMOK consists of three papers,'Cayley
', 'Maclaurin
' and 'Hamilton
' named after famous mathematicians. The paper the student will undertake depends on the year group that student is in. Each paper contains six questions. Each solution is marked out of 10 on a 0+ and 10- scale; that is to say, if an answer is judged incomplete or unfinished, it is awarded a few marks for progress and relevant observations, whereas if it is presented as complete and correct, marks are deducted for faults, poor reasoning, or unproven assumptions. As a result, it is quite uncommon for an answer to score a middling mark (e.g. 4–6). This makes the maximum mark out of 60. For a student to get two questions fully correct is considered "very good". All people taking part in this challenge will get a certificate, either of Participation, Merit or Distinction. The mark boundaries for these certificates change every year, but normally around 30 marks will gain a Distinction. Those scoring highly (the top 50) will gain a book prize; again, this changes every year, with 44 marks required in the Maclaurin paper in 2006. Also, the top 100 candidates will receive a medal; Bronze for Cayley, Silver for Hamilton and Gold for Maclaurin.
In addition to the book prize, each year approximately two x forty students are chosen to go to The Queen's College, Edgbaston
for a National Mathematics Summer School in July (two separate summer schools each of 1 week). At this summer school the students are stretched, with daily lectures going beyond the normal GCSE syllabus and exploring some of the wider (and more appealing) aspects of mathematics.
As for the JMC and IMC, the top 40% get a certificate, and the 800 (approx.) highest scorers are invited to compete in the British Mathematical Olympiad
. Mathematics teachers may also, on payment of a fee, enter students who did not score quite well enough in the SMC, but who might cope well in the next round.
for the first stage of the International Mathematical Olympiad
UK team selection.
There are 4 rounds:
In the National Final however an additional 'Poster Round' is added at the beginning. The poster round is a separate competition, and does not count towards the main event.
On February 2, 2011, the Harrow School team consisting of Kirby Lam (captain), Takehiro Fujita, Clement Woo and Richard Chen won the 2011 final, after scoring 178/180 in the main competition itself.
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
within the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The national mathematics competitions existed prior to the formation of the UKMT, but the foundation of the UKMT in the summer of 1996 enabled them to be run collectively. The Senior Mathematical Challenge was formerly the National Mathematics Contest. Founded in 1961, it was run by the Mathematical Association from 1975 until its adoption by the UKMT in 1996. The Junior and Intermediate Mathematical Challenges were the initiative of Dr Tony GardinerTony Gardiner
Tony Gardiner is a British mathematician and holds the position of Reader in Mathematics and Mathematics Education at the University of Birmingham...
in 1987 and were run by him under the name of the United Kingdom Mathematics Foundation until 1996. The popularity of the UK national mathematics competitions is largely due to the publicising efforts of Dr Gardiner
Tony Gardiner
Tony Gardiner is a British mathematician and holds the position of Reader in Mathematics and Mathematics Education at the University of Birmingham...
in the years 1987-1995. Hence, in 1995, he advertised for the formation of a committee and for a host institution that would lead to the establishment of the UKMT, enabling the challenges to be run effectively together under one organisation.
Mathematical Challenges
The UKMT run a series of mathematics challenges to encourage children's interest in mathematics and develop their skills:- Junior Mathematical Challenge (UK year 8/S2 and below)
- Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (UK year 11/S4 and below)
- Senior Mathematical Challenge (UK year 13/S6 and below)
Certificates
The top scoring 40% of the entrants receive bronze, silver or gold certificates based on their mark in the paper.- The Gold award is achieved by the top 6-7% of the entrants.
- The Silver award is achieved by 13-14% of the entrants.
- The Bronze award is achieved by 21% of the entrants.
Junior Mathematical Challenge
The Junior Mathematical Challenge (JMC) is an introductory challenge for pupils in Years 8 (aged 13) or below. This takes the form of twenty-five multiple choice questions to be sat in exam conditions, to be completed within one hour. The paper is divided into two sections. The first fifteen questions are designed to be easier, and a pupil will gain 5 marks for getting a question in this section correct. The last ten questions are more difficult, and are worth 6 marks, but a penalty of 1 or 2 points for a wrong answer tries to prevent pupils guessing.Q1 - 15 5marks (-0 if incorrect)
Q16- 20 6marks (-1 if incorrect)
Q21-25 6marks (-2 if incorrect).
Junior Mathematical Olympiad
The top 40% of students get a certificate of varying levels (Gold, Silver or Bronze) based on their score. The highest scorers are also invited to take part in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO). This is also divided into two sections. Part A is composed of ten questions in which the candidate gives just the answer (not multiple choice), worth 10 marks (each question 1 mark). Part B consists of 6 questions and encourages students to write out full solutions. Each B question is marked out of 10 and students are encouraged to write complete answers to 2-4 questions rather than hurry through incomplete answers to all 6. If the solution is judged to be incomplete, it is marked on a 0+ basis, maximum 3 marks. If it has an evident logical strategy, it is marked on a 10- basis. The total mark is out of 70. Everyone who participates in this challenge will gain a certificate (Participation 75%, Distinction 25%); the top 200 or so gaining medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze); with the top fifty winning a book prize.Intermediate Mathematical Challenge
The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (IMC) is aimed at school years equivalent to English Years 9-11. Following the same structure as the JMC, this paper presents the student with twenty-five multiple choice questions, divided into two sections. The first 15 questions carry 5 marks for a correct solution. The second 10 questions carry 6 marks, but a penalty for incorrect answers of either 1 or 2 marks.Again, the top 40% of students taking this challenge get a certificate. There are two follow-on rounds to this competition: The European Kangaroo and the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad.
European Kangaroo
The European Kangaroo is a competition which follows the same structure as the AMC (Australian Mathematics CompetitionAustralian Mathematics Competition
The Australian Mathematics Competition is a mathematics competition run by the Australian Mathematics Trust for students from year 3 up to year 12 in Australia, and their equivalent grades in other countries...
). There are twenty-five multiple questions and no penalty marking. This paper is taken throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
by over 3 million pupils from more than 37 countries.
Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad
To prevent this getting confused with International Mathematical Olympiad, this is often abbreviated to the IMOK Olympiad (IMOK = Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo).The IMOK consists of three papers,'Cayley
Arthur Cayley
Arthur Cayley F.R.S. was a British mathematician. He helped found the modern British school of pure mathematics....
', 'Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. The Maclaurin series, a special case of the Taylor series, are named after him....
' and 'Hamilton
William Rowan Hamilton
Sir William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician, who made important contributions to classical mechanics, optics, and algebra. His studies of mechanical and optical systems led him to discover new mathematical concepts and techniques...
' named after famous mathematicians. The paper the student will undertake depends on the year group that student is in. Each paper contains six questions. Each solution is marked out of 10 on a 0+ and 10- scale; that is to say, if an answer is judged incomplete or unfinished, it is awarded a few marks for progress and relevant observations, whereas if it is presented as complete and correct, marks are deducted for faults, poor reasoning, or unproven assumptions. As a result, it is quite uncommon for an answer to score a middling mark (e.g. 4–6). This makes the maximum mark out of 60. For a student to get two questions fully correct is considered "very good". All people taking part in this challenge will get a certificate, either of Participation, Merit or Distinction. The mark boundaries for these certificates change every year, but normally around 30 marks will gain a Distinction. Those scoring highly (the top 50) will gain a book prize; again, this changes every year, with 44 marks required in the Maclaurin paper in 2006. Also, the top 100 candidates will receive a medal; Bronze for Cayley, Silver for Hamilton and Gold for Maclaurin.
In addition to the book prize, each year approximately two x forty students are chosen to go to The Queen's College, Edgbaston
The Queen's College, Edgbaston
Queen's College , Somerset Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, is an ecumenical theological college which, with the West Midlands Ministerial Training Course, forms the Centre for Ministerial Formation of the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education...
for a National Mathematics Summer School in July (two separate summer schools each of 1 week). At this summer school the students are stretched, with daily lectures going beyond the normal GCSE syllabus and exploring some of the wider (and more appealing) aspects of mathematics.
Senior Mathematical Challenge
The Senior Mathematical Challenge (SMC) is open to students who are in Year 13 (aged 18) or below. The paper has twenty-five multiple choice questions. A correct answer is worth 4 marks, while 1 mark is deducted from a starting total of 25 for an incorrect answer. This gives a score between 0 and 125 marks.As for the JMC and IMC, the top 40% get a certificate, and the 800 (approx.) highest scorers are invited to compete in the British Mathematical Olympiad
British Mathematical Olympiad
The British Mathematical Olympiad forms part of the selection process for the UK International Mathematical Olympiad team. There are two rounds, the BMO1 and the BMO2.-BMO Round 1:...
. Mathematics teachers may also, on payment of a fee, enter students who did not score quite well enough in the SMC, but who might cope well in the next round.
British Mathematical Olympiad
Round 1 of the Olympiad is a three-and-a-half hour examination including six more difficult, long answer questions, which serve to test entrants' puzzle-solving skills. As of 2005, a more accessible first question was added to the paper; before this, it only consisted of 5 questions. Around one hundred high scoring entrants from BMO1 are invited to sit the second round, with the same time limit, in which 4 questions are posed. The twenty top scoring students from the second round are subsequently invited to a training camp at Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
for the first stage of the International Mathematical Olympiad
International Mathematical Olympiad
The International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...
UK team selection.
Team Challenge
The UKMT Team Maths Challenge is an annual event. One team from each participating school, comprising four pupils selected from year 8 and 9 (ages 12–14), competes in a regional round. No more than 2 pupils on a team may be from Year 9. There are 46 regional competitions in the UK, held between February and May. The winning team in each regional round, as well as a few high-scoring runners-up from throughout the country, are then invited to the National Final in London, usually in late June.http://www.mathcomp.leeds.ac.uk/team-challenges/There are 4 rounds:
- Group Questions
- Cross-Numbers
- Head-to-Head (NB: The previous Head-to-Head Round has been replaced with another, similar to the Mini-Relay used in the 2007 and 2008 National Finals.)
- Relay
In the National Final however an additional 'Poster Round' is added at the beginning. The poster round is a separate competition, and does not count towards the main event.
| Year | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School is an independent school for boys aged 7 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, located on The Plain in Oxford, England. It was founded as part of Magdalen College, Oxford by William Waynflete in 1480.... |
St Paul's Girls' School St Paul's Girls' School St Paul's Girls' School is a senior independent school, located in Brook Green, Hammersmith, in West London, England.-History:In 1904 a new day school for girls was established by the trustees of the Dean Colet Foundation , which had run St Paul's School for boys since the sixteenth century... |
| 2nd Place | Queen Elizabeth School | Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School is an independent school for boys aged 7 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, located on The Plain in Oxford, England. It was founded as part of Magdalen College, Oxford by William Waynflete in 1480.... |
| 3rd Place | Clifton College Clifton College Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated... |
City of London School City of London School The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School... |
Senior Team Challenge
A pilot event for a competition similar to the Team Challenge, aimed at 16-18 year olds, was launched in the Autumn of 2007. The format is much the same, with a limitation of 2 year 13 (upper sixth-form) pupils per team. There were 19 regional heats held in November, with the winning team from each heat going to a national final held in London on 7 February 2008, with the winners being Torquay Boys' Grammar School. The 2009 final was held in February, with the winners this time being Westminster School. The 2010 final was held in February, and Westminster School retained their title.On February 2, 2011, the Harrow School team consisting of Kirby Lam (captain), Takehiro Fujita, Clement Woo and Richard Chen won the 2011 final, after scoring 178/180 in the main competition itself.
See also
- European Kangaroo
- British Mathematical OlympiadBritish Mathematical OlympiadThe British Mathematical Olympiad forms part of the selection process for the UK International Mathematical Olympiad team. There are two rounds, the BMO1 and the BMO2.-BMO Round 1:...
- International Mathematical OlympiadInternational Mathematical OlympiadThe International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...