AMO case studies
AMO · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) is a competition built around non-routine problems rather than routine computation. According to the organiser's page, AMO is an affiliate of Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools, USA (MOEMS), which the page describes as one of the oldest and most established primary and secondary school math competitions in the world, and the Singapore International Math Contest Centre (SIMCC) is the main organiser of AMO in ASEAN and Hong Kong, working with local Country and Territory Partners. The contest is offered by grade level from Grade 3 (Primary 3) through Grade 8 (Secondary 2), so a candidate sits the paper for their own grade band. The stated goals are to stimulate enthusiasm and a love for Mathematics, introduce important Mathematical concepts, teach major strategies for problem solving, develop Mathematical flexibility, strengthen Mathematical intuition, and foster creativity and ingenuity. The AMO case studies are 5 cases and about 2,647 words.
1Sticker Sharing with Distinct Amounts
Rivera is preparing reward bags for five students: Ana, Ben, Chloe, Diego, and Ella. She has exactly 24 stickers to distribute.
500 words, about 3 min2Fencing a Rectangular Pen Against a Barn
Farmer Joe has exactly 20 meters of fencing to build a rectangular pen for his sheep. One side of the pen will be placed against a straight barn wall, so he only needs to fence the other three sides.
510 words, about 3 min3Rumor Spreading by Phone
Five students-Priya, Quinn, Ravi, Sofia, and Tomas-want to spread a piece of news to everyone in their group. They communicate only by phone calls.
567 words, about 3 min4Cracking a Three-Digit Safe Combination
A safe has a three-digit combination. The digits are all different and are chosen from 0 through 9.
460 words, about 2 min5The Misleading Average Salary
A small company has 9 employees, including the owner. The owner claims that the average (mean) salary is 45,000 per year, hoping to attract new workers.
610 words, about 3 min