High School / Junior High School Math Contest

Math Bowl 2008

A special note of thanks and sincere appreciation goes out to Professor James Osterburg, who has served as Math Bowl Co-chair for the last five years. He has decided to step down from this role to give someone else a chance to reap the rewards he has: working with Co-chair Susie Lewis; designing challenging tests for hundreds of Cincinnati jr. high and high school students; and sharing his love of mathematics. Well done, JO!

The University of Cincinnati Department of Mathematical Sciences sponsored the 23rd Annual Academic Competition in Mathematics - Math Bowl 2008. More than 80 teams from 27 schools in the Cincinnati area gathered at U.C.'s Clifton campus on Saturday, March 1, 2008. Students had the opportunity to work collaboratively in teams and explore interesting and challenging math problems. The contest is designed with three levels, from pre-algebra to Calculus.

Please join us every year as we celebrate mathematics, youth, and the future!

Number of Participants

Teams of two - five students each (Grades 7 - 12).  The contest is limited to a maximum of 80 teams.

Nature of Contest

Teams receive two sets of problems, which must be solved using mathematical skills, concepts, and problem-solving strategies. Each team has a fixed amount of time to study each set, devise mathematical solutions, and prepare written statements for the judges.

Judging

The panel of judges considers the efficiency, quality, and creativity of the solutions. There are three levels of competition. Each team selects the level at which it wishes to compete (see below.) As each set of problems is completed, team solutions are sent to the judges for review. Awards are presented at the end of the competition.

Resources Needed

Paper, pencils, and calculators.  Note: Graphing calculators, such as the TI-81,
TI-82, TI-83, or TI-85 are welcome, but those with symbolic manipulation, such as the TI-89 and TI-92, are not permitted.

Length of Competition

Competition begins in the morning and ends in time for lunch. A break is provided between the first and second parts. Following the competition, students have free time to interact until the judging is complete.

Level 1: Algebra I through Calculus
Level 2: Algebra I - Algebra II and Plane Geometry
Level 3: Up through Algebra I (Algebra I not required, although would be helpful)

Date, Time, and Location

Saturday, March 1, 2008  8 am - 3 pm
University of Cincinnati (Clifton Campus)

More information: (print these MS Word documents)
Competition Rules; Registration Form; Registration Instructions

Or contact Susie Lewis at : lewiss@countryday.net

Solutions for Math Bowl 2008
Solutions for Math Bowl 2007
Solutions for Math Bowl 2006
Solutions for Math Bowl 2005
Solutions for Math Bowl 2004
Solutions for Math Bowl 2003
Solutions for Math Bowl 2002

Photos from Math Bowl 2008
Photos from Math Bowl 2007
Photos from Math Bowl 2006
Photos from Math Bowl 2005: Page 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8;
Photos from Math Bowl 2004

© Copyright 2003, University of Cincinnati
839 Old Chem (ML:0025), Cincinnati, OH 45221-0025
Phone: 513.556.4050 Fax: 513.556.3417
Email technical questions or comments