The Internet Math Challenge began in 1996 as a project undertaken
by the Mathematics Department at the University of Idaho. Our goal has
always been to
- provide a way for pre-college students to get excited about
mathematics and mathematical problem-solving,
- provide some exposure for these students to topics they may not
see in their usual classwork, and
- provide a tool that teachers can use to enrich the mathematics
curriculum in their classes.
Our theory is that students enjoy a challenge, and that they will
build excitement for mathematics through working on challenging problems.
We think they will also enjoy corresponding with a college math department
about their problem solving, so we try to answer every email we
receive. We even try to give hints when we can if a student's solution
is not correct on the first try. We get to know some of our regular
participants pretty well and enjoy lively exchanges with them over
their mathematical pursuits.
We originally publicized the contest only to schools in Idaho and eastern
Washington, but participation has grown steadily until now we hear
regularly from schools all over the country, as well as from many students
outside the US.
The UI Mathematics Department has provided operating funds to purchase
the T-shirts as prizes and pay for student help in administering the
contest. For each of the last five years Micron Technology Foundation
has donated
equipment or provided funding for other prizes. This year (2002-2003) we are
excited to have Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories join us as a sponser as
well. We are grateful for the support of these excellent companies.
