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This page serves as an overview of the Mandelbrot Competition and
Team Play. Once you are familiar with their general format, meet the author
of the contests or read the story behind the creation of the Greater Testing
Concepts.
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Overview
The goal of Greater Testing Concepts is to provide a challenging, engaging mathematical experience which is both competitive and educational. We now offer two contests within four geographic regions, encompassing students from across the United States and several foreign countries. Most gratifying, we continue to hear good things from Mandelbrot participants and coordinators:
“First, many kudos for your highly entertaining, challenging, creative problems which our students and I enjoy very much.”
-David Hankin, coach, Hunter College High School, New York, NY“You are the only guys (AHSME and AIME excluded) who are challenging the kids anymore... I love your stuff and the kids know they've been involved in real math.”
-John Titterton, coach, Syosset High School, Syosset, NY.“Thanks for a wonderful year. Your competition is absolutely head and shoulders above the others... Keep up the good work!”
-Joe Holbrook, coach, AAST, Hackensack, NJ.
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The Mandelbrot Competition takes place in five rounds spaced throughout the school year. Each round consists of seven short-answer questions valued by difficulty at one, two, or three points. The questions on the Mandelbrot Competition cover a variety of non-calculus topics such as algebra, geometry, exponents, probability, and a few others such as number theory or classical inequalities. The tests last forty minutes and are graded by the school coordinator, who then enters scores at the web site. The database that powers the Scorecenter pages makes it possible to view comprehensive standings only a few days after the contest is given and ensures accurate, current results.
The contest is offered at the national level for more advanced students
and the regional level for less experienced problem solvers. Since the
tests at each level have several questions in common and are conducted
simultaneously, a student may not compete at both levels. However, schools
may participate in both levels, as many schools did last year. (But schools
new to Mandelbrot must enroll in the regional level.) To decide which
level is most appropriate, read the answer to this Frequently
Asked Question or try out some of the Sample
Tests available online.
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The Mandelbrot Team Play is designed for students who enjoy working on more open-ended problems or who are preparing for events such as ARML or the USAMO. On this contest groups of four students work together on a series of proof-style questions. The students write out their explanations to the successive parts, which build upon one another to develop a mathematical result. The Team Play lasts one hour and student responses are mailed to a panel of graders for evaluation. Scores and comments are posted on-line shortly thereafter. For more details peruse the official Rules.
There are three rounds of the Team Play which take place in early January,
February, and March. The particular subjects of the three tests are provided
prior to their occurrence along with a set of practice questions and answers
(these are made available along with other Forms)
so that coaches and students may prepare beforehand. Extensive solutions
are provided for all problems to demonstrate mathematical techniques and
to serve as examples of proof-writing style. Our goal is for students
to broaden their understanding of mathematics and develop scientific writing
skills through their involvement in the Mandelbrot Team Play.
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