Math Jams

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:31:46
Tonight, we will have several guests from Canada/USA Mathcamp to discuss their outstanding program. Many AoPS instructors, assistants, and students are alumni of Mathcamp, including two of tonight's (eventual) guests.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:31:54
With us tonight are (or will be; some will jump in later):

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:32:10
Marisa Debowsky, the Program Director of Mathcamp.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:32:17
Yasha Berchenko-Kogan, current AoPS instructor, graduate student at MIT, and a past USAMO winner.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:32:28
Dan Zaharopol, current AoPS instructor, executive director of the Art of Problem Solving Foundation, and creator of the Foundation's Summer Program in Mathematical Problem Solving for under-served students in New York City.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:32:36
David Savitt, professor of math at the University of Arizona, Deputy Director of Mathcamp, and recent recipient of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 19:32:52
I'll turn the room over to Marisa now; she'll re-introduce the others as they arrive.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:32:57
Hi, everybody!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:33:03
I'm Marisa Debowsky; I'm the Program Director of Canada/USA Mathcamp. I've been teaching at camp since 2006, and the director since 2009.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:33:25
Today's Math Jam will be a little introduction to Mathcamp; I'm mostly here to answer your questions, but I'll start with a few words about the program--

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:33:32
Canada/USA Mathcamp is a summer program for mathematically talented middle and high school students. We welcome applications from students ages 13 - 18 from all over the world.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:33:41
Mathcamp 2014 will be at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR from July 6 to August 10, 2014.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:33:59
We're accepting applications now! Early applications are due March 15th; regular admissions due April 15th.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:34:23
And now let me turn it over to you: who's got questions?

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:34:31
do we have to qualify for it?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:34:48
Yes! The application centers around the Qualifying Quiz: http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/index.php .

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:35:12
There is also an essay, two letters of recommendation, and some math background information in the application.

ak12 2014-03-12 19:35:15
Where can we get more information about the actual application?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:35:30
Here's lots more information: http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:35:38
Ah, a housekeeping question:

firemike 2014-03-12 19:35:41
will there be a transcript of this avalible?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:35:45
Yes, I believe so.

csmath 2014-03-12 19:35:58
Is there a greater chance of getting in if I apply early?

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 19:35:58
what are the advantages of an early application?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:36:10
There is no advantage to applying early: the admission rates for early and regular admission are the same.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:36:19
The two deadlines are just for your convenience (and to spread out our grading).

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:36:24
what is the early application for?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:36:40
Lots of international students apply early, so they have extra time to arrange for visas and plane tickets.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:36:50
Plus students who want to know early what their options are for the summer!

csmath 2014-03-12 19:36:55
But doesn't that technically give a disadvantage to early applications because they would not have as much time to work on the Qualifying Quiz?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:37:07
Indeed, and the primary reason people apply in April is to have as much time as possible to work on the Quiz.

DigitalKing257 2014-03-12 19:37:12
If you're not completely finished with the Qualifying Quiz, but planned to enter early, is it still a good idea to enter early?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:37:38
Unless you have a particular reason to apply early, I'd suggest working on the Quiz until you feel satisfied with your solutions!

amwmath 2014-03-12 19:37:44
Do conjectures and partial work count?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:37:48
They most certainly do.

countdownking28 2014-03-12 19:37:53
what do you mean by OR from JULY 6 to AUGUST 10, 2014

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:38:02
It's in Portland, Oregon (OR).

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:38:07
is there some sort of cutoff for the quiz?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:38:35
There is not; we use the Quiz as a tool to see how you think about math.

SkinnySanta 2014-03-12 19:38:53
Hey everyone, I'm Luis (mc '13) , I'll be on and off throughout the session

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:38:58
(Hi Luis!)

lucylai 2014-03-12 19:39:08
what is the acceptance rate?

1023ong 2014-03-12 19:39:08
How many people can qualify?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:39:46
We bring 65 - 75 new students per year to camp. (There are 115 - 120 students in total; the balance is made up by alums.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:40:04
The acceptance rate, of course, depends on how many applications we get, but it's usually between 25% and 30%.

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 19:40:17
About how many international students are there?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:40:33
About 10-15% of the students are from outside the US and Canada.

countdownking28 2014-03-12 19:40:44
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST

countdownking28 2014-03-12 19:40:44
how much does it cost

countdownking28 2014-03-12 19:40:44
what is the cost

whatsupmyninja 2014-03-12 19:40:47
What's the cost

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:41:01
The full tuition is $4000, but generous scholarships are available:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:41:14
Mathcamp is free for families with household income up to $60,000 US,

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:41:35
and we offer travel grants to subsidize airfare for those who need it.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:42:01
Sorry, I should clarify: free for US & Canadian families with household income up to $60,000.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:42:24
For US & Canadian families with income at or above $60,000, and for international families, there is lots of need-based aid available (including full scholarships).

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:42:41
The financial aid packages are determined on an individual basis, taking special circumstances into account.

jap23 2014-03-12 19:43:11
What resources can we use for the quiz?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:14
Good question!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:21
You're welcome to look up theorems and definitions.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:27
(In books or online.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:42
What we *don't* want you to do is ask someone how to do the problems, online or offline.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:57
More details about getting help:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:43:58
http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/honesty.php

aifusenno1 2014-03-12 19:44:06
For the quiz, do we have to use Latex? Can I write them on paper and photocopy them?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:44:41
We're flexible. You can handwrite & scan, type in MS Word, typeset in LaTex - whatever you prefer.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:44:54
We do want the solution files to come as PDFs, if possible.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:45:03
But you can also mail in solutions by snail mail if you want!

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 19:45:26
Even if we don't do well in the quiz but have a good background, recommendations etc., do we have a chance to get in?

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:45:26
oh, what if i get like only 1 problem right on it? Then what?

csmath 2014-03-12 19:45:26
Is it possible to score fairly low on the quiz in terms of number of correct answers, but demonstrate mature mathematical thinking and get in?

Addicted2math 2014-03-12 19:45:26
I can only answer like one or two questions. The questions are too hard and I've already attended Mathpath?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:45:37
Good questions.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:45:50
Most successful applicants solve several problems on the Quiz.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:45:55
Few people solve every problem!

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:45:58
What part of the application process do you feel carries the most weight in decisions?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:46:02
The Quiz, for sure.

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 19:46:12
how many questions of the quiz have to be done correctly on an average?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:46:23
Really, it's hard to say, because we take partial solutions into account.

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:46:28
so, if i am in the 8th grade, how many questions do you think i should get right for me to be able to qualify?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:46:40
It's the same for all applicants, regardless of age.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:47:05
(Which means we typically have more successful applicants ages 15 - 18, but we do bring a handful of new students ages 13 - 14 each year.)

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 19:47:10
About what percentage of the camp is usually 17 - 18?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:47:13
About 20%.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:47:24
The mean, median and mode of the age distribution are all 16.

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 19:47:35
So is the qualifying quiz like USAMTS?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:47:50
Check out the problems! They're a little like USAMTS, in that they're proof based.

alohamaui 2014-03-12 19:47:57
what percentage is 13-14?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:48:01
About 10%.

amwmath 2014-03-12 19:48:18
"The mean, median and mode of the age distribution are all 16." This is the only context in which someone would ever feel comfortable saying something like that.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:48:19

DigitalKing257 2014-03-12 19:48:26
What if you're really bad at writing proofs (i.e. this is the first time you're writing proofs)? Or if some of your proofs are really messy?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:48:42
We expect that not everybody is completely fluent in proofs!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:48:52
We're looking for good insights as well as clear communication.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 19:49:05
Roughly how many pages explanation are you looking for in each solution?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:49:17
As long as it takes for you to explain your ideas at their natural length.

jap23 2014-03-12 19:49:23
Where can we find info about the essay portion of the application?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:49:35
See http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/essay.php .

Johnzh 2014-03-12 19:49:41
Usually how long the Personal Statement should be?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:49:56
Similarly: As long as it takes. Usually about 3-5 paragraphs.

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 19:50:01
Can 12 year olds join? I'm at the brink....

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:50:09
Sorry, no! You need to be 13 by the time camp starts.

simranK 2014-03-12 19:50:31
What math courses are the applicants usually in? Or does that not matter?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:50:54
We use "has finished precalculus" as a benchmark. Some but not all of our students have finished calculus before coming to Mathcamp.

lucylai 2014-03-12 19:51:11
what is the scoring system for the quiz?

jap23 2014-03-12 19:51:11
How much credit can a partial solution get you?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:51:18
Those are private, sorry.

Johnzh 2014-03-12 19:51:21
what about the Personal Statement? how much does it weight?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:51:25
A lot, actually!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:51:51
Okay, I'm going to put application process questions on hold for a moment and talk about the camp, because I'm getting "What is it like?" questions. We'll come back to the application in a bit.

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:52:07
What sets MathCamp apart from other summer programs?

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:52:07
In what ways do the academics at Mathcamp make it unique?

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:52:07
How much in depth do the classes at MathCamp go into?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:52:17
These are all great questions. Let me take a stab:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:52:53
At Mathcamp, we present a huge variety of choices, academically and nonacademically.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:52:58
*nonacademically

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:53:35
You choose how many classes you want to take, and what type of classes:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:53:48
lecture, by discovery, independent study, projects;

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:53:58
pure math, applied math, problem solving.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:54:12
There are classes at every difficulty level, from "recreational math" to "graduate seminar."

simranK 2014-03-12 19:54:19
Is it similar to MathPath? As in, the format, breakout courses, the amount of activities, etc?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:54:23
It's much more flexible.

borntobeweild 2014-03-12 19:54:25
Will Po-Shen be visiting again ;)?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:54:27
Yes.

borntobeweild 2014-03-12 19:54:47
Hi potential Mathcampers! I'm Yonah, and I went to Mathcamp last year. You should definitely apply, but you definitely shouldn't do what I did and write a 6 page personal statement!

Tan 2014-03-12 19:54:54
what are the types of classes provided?

csmath 2014-03-12 19:54:54
Can I drop classes/switch classes during camp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:55:06
You can indeed switch classes, and as often as you like.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:55:12
(Alums, want to chime in here?)

alohamaui 2014-03-12 19:55:34
what's the girl/boy ratio?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:55:49
We usually have about 30% girls. (We'd like it to be higher!)

amwmath 2014-03-12 19:55:52
Around how many Jews are usually there? (Also, שלום.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:56:16
Lots! Of many difference levels of observance. And there's Shabbat dinner every Friday.

gamjawon 2014-03-12 19:56:19
Around how mnay French are usually there?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:56:31
Usually 1.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:56:52
(But more would be great! We love bringing students from all over.)

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 19:56:57
Chinese?

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 19:56:57
any asians?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:57:01
Yep!

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:57:04
How is residential life at camp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:57:29
Well, it's a diverse and interesting bunch of people! We live in dorms at the college, and eat meals in the college dining hall.

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 19:57:34
is it like 99% asian?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:57:37
Nope, a mix.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 19:57:39
Is transportation provided to religious services on the weekends?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:57:43
Yes, of course.

WillisCool 2014-03-12 19:57:46
any africans?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:57:48
Sometimes, yes!

ssilwa 2014-03-12 19:58:15
Do we have access to the college facilities such as play grounds/gym during our free time?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:58:17
Yes.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 19:58:47
Have campers been able to find time daily for musical practice?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:58:49
yes!

rb12 2014-03-12 19:58:52
do you think we would need to bring computers and such

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:00
That's up to you. Some students do, some don't.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:06
You'll have access to a computer lab in the dorm.

simranK 2014-03-12 19:59:08
Can you have a hot plate in the dorms? Say if someone had dietary restrictions and couldn't eat the cafeteria food

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:10
Sure.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:35
And for specific dietary restrictions, talk to us in advance -- we can accommodate almost anything (including strictly kosher and severe allergies).

kj2002 2014-03-12 19:59:39
Can you give us a schedule (overview)? (or link)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:44
Yes! Well, sort of. So:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:48
http://www.mathcamp.org/gettoknowmathcamp/atypicalday.php

MarisaD 2014-03-12 19:59:54
...is the overall schedule, and:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:00:09
http://www.mathcamp.org/2013/academics/Week3Schedule.pdf

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:00:12
is a typical academic schedule.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:00:25
What you don't see from that schedule is that your time is completely yours to schedule:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:00:33
you choose when to go to class and when to take a break.

AMN300 2014-03-12 20:00:38
wait - it lasts from early July ALL the way until late August?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:00:42
Yep, it's 5 weeks.

jws16 2014-03-12 20:00:45
How often would you have free time a day?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:01:10
So, any time you want!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:01:12
Well, again, almost:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:01:17
* On Tuesdays, we require all campers to come to an all-camp assembly from 9am to 10am: that's when we describe the academic schedule for the coming week, introduce new guest speakers, talk about upcoming field trips, and make general announcements about things coming up (like the yearbook or the talent show). The other 23 hours are flexible.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:01:42
* On Saturdays, sometime between 12:30pm and 2:30pm, we require each camper to meet with her or his academic advisor. The meetings usually last between 5 and 15 minutes, and the purpose is just to check in, see how math is going for you at camp, and talk about the schedule for the upcoming week. The other 23.75 hours are flexible.

ahuhn 2014-03-12 20:01:47
Hi, I'm Anika. I went to Mathcamp in 2003 and 2004 and loved it! I learned a lot of interesting material and met a bunch of people I'm still friends with. I majored in physics at MIT and now develop software at AoPS.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:02:36
* On all other days, there are 24 free hours per day. We require each student to check in once a day, in the evening sometime between 8 and 10pm: it's a chance for you to show up and say hi to a staff member; you write down a few notes about the math you did that day, and if there's anything we need to tell you (like "you have a package at the office"), that's a guaranteed opportunity for us to get information to you. But that's the only activity that's required; everything else is optional.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:03:12
Now, when I say that time is free, what I mean is that you get to decide how you spend your time. There's an academic schedule (that looks something like this: http://www.mathcamp.org/2013/academics/Week3Schedule.pdf), in which there are roughly 4 hours of class per day (with 5 or 6 classes running concurrently), 2.5 hours in the afternoons of office hours / time to work on problems, and 1 hour of an all-camp colloquium talk. You don't have to register for classes; you just show up to the classes you want to attend. You can choose to go to 4 classes a day, or to zero. (Most students choose to attend 2 or 3 classes.) Similarly, you're not required to do homework; you work on the problem sets you want to work on. (And most students choose to do the problem sets for their classes.)

rb12 2014-03-12 20:03:55
How would weekends be used?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:04:01
For recreation or math or both!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:04:15
There are field trips, and both students and staff schedule lots of fun activities.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:04:23
But any math that happens on the weekends is informal.

rb12 2014-03-12 20:04:31
will you have tests/quizzes in your class

kj2002 2014-03-12 20:04:31
What would the classes be like?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:04:45
No tests! But the class style varies widely:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:05:03
some are lectures (and most of those are very interactive); others are by-discovery; some are Moore Method.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:05:24
Most classes are 1 hour long, but some (as you can see from the sample schedule) are 2-3 hours.

david_sun 2014-03-12 20:05:27
What is Moore Method?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:06:04
It's an inquiry-based learning style in which the students prove theorems (solo or in groups) outside of class, and present their findings in class.

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 20:06:09
Will you be able to get the handouts for all of the classes?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:06:11
Most, yes.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:06:20
(Not every instructor provides handouts, but many do.)

bengals 2014-03-12 20:06:24
What are the difficulty levels of the classes?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:06:44
It varies widely! Everything from introductory combinatorics/number theory to graduate courses on algebraic topology.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:06:49
Do you use the Moore Method in all your classes?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:06:59
No, we have a variety of class styles.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:07:10
The idea is that we want you to be able to pick what works best for you!

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:07:17
Are we allowed to do some side activities during classes (like working on a math packet or something)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:07:41
Well, if you're sitting in a class, it's nice to participate. But you get to choose how many classes you go to, and which ones.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:07:50
And you can always add or drop a class.

kj2002 2014-03-12 20:07:53
How educated/trained are the instructors of the class?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:08:00
Good question. In short: highly!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:08:17
The instructors are PhD students, Postdocs, and Professors.

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 20:08:26
can we play pranks on others?

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:08:26
Do you get in trouble or are the teachers fine with it?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:08:33
You should ask Steve about that.

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 20:08:39
do i have to know precalculus to get in?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:08:51
Not a hard-and-fast rule, but it's a benchmark we use.

csmath 2014-03-12 20:08:58
Do we have access to pianos to practice?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:09:00
Yes!

simranK 2014-03-12 20:09:02
Are there refrigerators available in the dorms for personal use?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:09:04
Yes!

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 20:09:08
do we get internet access(as in on our own devices using wifi)?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:09:10
Yes!

rb12 2014-03-12 20:09:14
is there a trial session at the first week at campy to see what classes we like best

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:09:27
That's a good question. There's something like a trial session:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:09:43
On your first (full) day of camp, you choose an academic advisor from among the instructors.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:10:01
You sit down (usually for 15-20 minutes) with your advisor and map our your goals for the summer.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:10:32
For example, if you come into camp knowing that you want to study Topology, then your advisor will point out the topology classes on the schedule, and you'll look together at what the prerequisites are.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:10:40
Do you offer fairly comprehensive classes in number theory and combinatorics?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:10:42
Yes!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:06
So, your meeting with your advisor is a chance to think through the schedule in depth.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:14
But then you try out some classes, see how they go,

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:20
and if you want to, you can always switch.

AMN300 2014-03-12 20:11:24
are there olympiad math classes

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:26
Yes!

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:11:29
What is the range of math topics and levels?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:37
The range of topics is huge:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:11:45
http://www.mathcamp.org/gettoknowmathcamp/academics/topics.php

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 20:12:06
The application asks for our AoPS usernames. Do you like monitor what we write here?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:12:09
Not at all, no,

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:12:23
but sometimes we have members on the Mathcamp admissions committee who are also AoPS instructors,

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:12:28
and they recognize names from classes.

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 20:12:34
phew!!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:12:36

rimal 2014-03-12 20:12:39
On average, how many kids are there per class?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:12:50
Varies widely, from 1 to 60. But typical classes have 15.

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:12:53
is it from 1st grade math to post ap or more?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:13:34
No, it's from courses like "Intro to Proof Techniques" and "Elementary Number Theory" to courses like "Metric Spaces" and "Quantum Mechanics."

StarlightStarbright 2014-03-12 20:13:41
I read about doing research on the website, could you explain a bit more about it?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:13:56
Absolutely. So, we invite each student at Mathcamp to do a project:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:14:11
(See http://www.mathcamp.org/gettoknowmathcamp/academics/projects.php for lots of details.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:14:38
Projects can be (and often are) independent research, and sometimes that even turns into publishable work.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:14:44
Do you think research can be a way to learn elementary topics, or are you better off taking classes until you're at a higher level?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:14:54
I think both can (and do) work!

dsi411 2014-03-12 20:15:00
What if you aren't very social and/or you are shy? Will it be bad if you can't participate in class?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:15:13
Lots of students at Mathcamp are shy! It's not a bad thing at all.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:15:21
You can participate in any way that makes sense for oyu.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:15:22
*you

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:16:16
For example, in the afternoons (usually 2 - 4:30), we hold communal office hours: Time, Academic, Unscheduled.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:16:54
The instructors hang out in classrooms or outside under trees, and students---individually or in groups---work on problem sets.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:17:07
It's a nice chance to interact with your instructor one-on-one to talk about math.

Johnzh 2014-03-12 20:17:33
usually how many roommates we get?

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 20:17:33
Which instructors @MC are AoPS Instructors?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:17:41
Oh, sorry, two unrelated questions--

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:17:46
Usually, students live in doubles, and:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:18:04
off the top of my head: Dan Z, Yasha, Laura Zehender...

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:18:28
And speaking of Dan Z, everybody, say hi to DanZ! He just arrived, and will join me in answering questions.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:18:58
Hi everyone! I'm Dan. I've been at Mathcamp in one way or another since 1999, when I was a student there. Then I was a counselor, a mentor, and faculty, and now I come back to visit every year.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:19:14
It's good to meet you, or for a few of you, see you again! (If you've been in my AoPS classes at any time.)

rjw98 2014-03-12 20:19:20
laura zehender was my counsoler at MP!!

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:19:20
HI DANZ

1023ong 2014-03-12 20:19:20
Hello good sir Dan, pleased to meet you

lucylai 2014-03-12 20:19:20
hi DanZ

amwmath 2014-03-12 20:19:20
שלום!

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:19:20
cool yay!! go dan!

CurrrrrrryD 2014-03-12 20:19:20
hi Danz

forthegreatergood 2014-03-12 20:19:20
Hi dan!

derpli 2014-03-12 20:19:31
hello

niraekjs 2014-03-12 20:19:31
Hi

david_sun 2014-03-12 20:19:49
Do you give a grade for courses taken in Mathcamp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:19:55
We do not, no.

aifusenno1 2014-03-12 20:20:00
some of the projects on the website don't seem to be purely on math(like I saw they mention computer programs not only once). Do we have chances to study other math-related stuff?? Like algorithms

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:20:01
(Marisa, you forgot Ari Nieh!)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:20:47
I did forget Ari!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:05
And, everybody, that ztbb character is David Savitt, Mathcamp's deputy director and long-time instructor.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:13
To answer aifusenno1's question:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:14
Yes, you can study other math-related stuff!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:27
We teach some theoretical computer science and physics every year,

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:46
and bring visiting speakers who talk about other applications of math -- e.g. to computational cognitive science, or economics.

niraekjs 2014-03-12 20:21:52
Can one go to math camp 4 times? As my brother might want to go this year also?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:21:59
One can, and some do.

beanielove2 2014-03-12 20:22:02
Do we stay at the Mathcamp 24 hours a day?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:22:07
Yes, it's residential.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:22:30
Will he be at MathCamp for the whole time this year?

beanielove2 2014-03-12 20:22:30
So we can't leave to go home, and then come back, right?

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:22:57
How many AoPSers are there in Mathcamp?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:22:59
I would say that the vast majority of Mathcampers are on AoPS. Not everyone is, but this is pretty much the place to be for high school mathy people, right?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:23:11
Re leaving and coming back: You are indeed allowed to leave and come back. (For lunch, or even for a few days.)

infiniteloop 2014-03-12 20:23:25
Do we get some kind of a certificate after and completion, and is it useful in the future, for example to get into MIT?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:23:32
There's no certificate of completion;

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:23:55
Can you explain about the residential life there?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:23:56
many Mathcamp students go on to be very successful (in college applications and elsewhere), but they were on a great path well before camp.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:23:57
Oh, I totally love this question. Mathcamp is a huge community of people who love math. There's a ton of stuff always going on --- our philosophy is that you can create your own schedule, so we let you do that.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:24:23
There's a huge schedule board of events, and anyone --- students and staff --- can put things up. So if you're ever looking for something to do, you can go to the schedule board to see if someone set anything up for that time.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:24:44
But most of the time people are hanging out. They're playing soccer or ultimate frisbee, they're playing board games of all kinds, or just talking about math or other stuff.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:24:52
It's very relaxed, like the rest of camp.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:25:17
There's always lots to do, but it's all optional, which is the key part. If you want to take a break and retreat to your room or do some quiet studying, it's easy to do so.

pi37 2014-03-12 20:25:28
Also bughouse

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:25:30
If you want to do something with a bunch of other people, you can do that too. So people will be doing math, or playing games, or wathever.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:25:42
Hah, no kidding --- yes, there is sometimes *lots* of bughouse!

kkpanu9 2014-03-12 20:26:02
How hard would it be to get in to the camp? On an amc level, where should I be? What math courses should I have taken?

csmath 2014-03-12 20:26:02
This isn't exactly mathcamp related, but how do you expect us to bring all the recommended items on the plane?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:26:19
@csmath: Usually one suitcase will do it.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:26:47
@kkpanu9 --- there's no easy answer to this one. To be clear, we have both accepted people who never made AIME and rejected people who made USAMO.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:27:09
We're looking for different things than the contests are. We want to see you think deeply about mathematics and solve problems that you might not be able to do in a few minutes, or even an hour.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:27:14
We want to see how you do with abstract math and with proofs.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:27:30
So if you like playing around with stuff, trying lots of things, and understanding very deep questions, this is a good place for you. That's different than contests.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:27:50
My suggestion is to try out the qualifying quiz. If you like the problems, if you feel like you can answer them and justify without a doubt why each one is true the way it is, then the program is a good fit for you.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:27:58
Let me grab another admissions question while I'm here ---

distortedwalrus 2014-03-12 20:28:03
do I have more of a chance of getting in if I got rejected last year?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:28:37
In short, yes. Not a huge extra chance, but an extra chance. By doing two different qualifying quizzes, you've definitely demonstrated to us that you like this stuff and you're determined. That means something, and your chances will be higher.

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:28:44
This might have been answered already, but, what are the acceptance rates for early and regular admission?

DigitalKing257 2014-03-12 20:28:44
Do we have to report a "bad" AMC score?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:29:09
You can leave out scores if you want!

atmath2011 2014-03-12 20:29:14
the qualifying quiz is required rt?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:29:22
Yep, it's our primary tool for evaluating applicants.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:29:29
Hi everybody: let me introduce Yasha, another Mathcamp alum and long-time staffer.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:29:49
How many people are accepted each year?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:29:56
It's usually about 75.

rjw98 2014-03-12 20:30:00
If we've gone to other mathcamps, do we have a higher chance of getting in?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:30:01
And hey, another admissions question! I'd say that having gone to other math camps is a mixed thing. On the one hand, you've absolutely demonstrated that you like mathematics and that you enjoy math camps, so that's a big plus. On the other hand, it'd be nice to see that you know how to write a good proof based on that! (Depending on the camp, of course. We expect different things from a contest program like Awesome Math vs. a theoretical math program like PROMYS.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:30:42
@checkmake1 Re early vs regular: admissions rate is approximately the same (so as to avoid favoring one admissions cycle over the other).

DigitalKing257 2014-03-12 20:32:18
Semi-random question: by what time on Saturday must we submit our solutions?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:32:23
11:59 pm Central Daylight Time (UTC -5) on the date of the deadline.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:33:19
Hi, all, one more introduction: ztbb is David Savitt, and as the longest-time member of Mathcamp (since 1996?) in the room, he can answer questions, too.

TheCrafter 2014-03-12 20:33:30
Sorry if this has been asked before (I just got here), but are you allowed to live off-campus and still attend mathcamp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:33:43
Sorry, nope, everybody lives on campus.

1023ong 2014-03-12 20:33:51
If one doesn't get accepted this year but earnestly wants to be accepted, what should one do to prepare for next year?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:33:52
So, Marisa is assigning me questions to answer (thanks Marisa!), and she seems to like giving me the admissions questions! I think the answer to this one is pretty simple: do lots of math. Explore abstract topics, and explore questions you have to really think about, where you can explore and play around and find interesting things. In particular, do proof-based mathematics.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:34:07
AoPS courses are a good place to go, especially (for example) the group theory course.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:34:26
I think combinatorics and number theory are also generally useful tools on our qualifying quiz, but really, just learn interesting and abstract math.

WillisCool 2014-03-12 20:34:39
If I love math and love doing long hard problems (like what Dan said), and i get a 17 for amc8 in 6th grade (im in 6th grade) whats the probability ill get in?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:34:44
Well, you have to be 13 this summer.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:34:49
That's a minimum!

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:35:10
So it depends how old you are. You might want to look at MathPath, which is similar to Mathcamp but for middle school students. (Although I think they're full for the year.)

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:35:42
In general, contest scores correlate imperfectly with MC admissions!

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:35:45
What's the usual age range?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:35:49
It's 13 - 18.

pinkrock 2014-03-12 20:36:11
If you are 12 but will be 13 by this summer, is that ok?

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:36:11
Do you just get less 17-18 yr old applicants, or do you hold them to higher standards?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:36:19
13 by this summer is ok!

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:36:32
To add to what Marisa is saying: we tend to have very few 13 and 14 year-olds, because admissions is the same for all ages.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:36:45
The majority of our students are in high school, just because everyone has the same mathematical standards.

lucylai 2014-03-12 20:36:58
what if your birthday is in the summer after the camp ends?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:37:13
By "13", we mean "turns 13 by the first day of camp."

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:37:29
What would be a good description of a regular day?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:37:32
Get up in the morning, go to classes, have lunch. Maybe an afternoon class, and then TAU, which is time when you can work on homework, ask mentors questions, or just relax. Then there's colloquium, a large lecture often by a visiting speaker. After that, there's dinner, followed by fun activities organized by staff or students. The lounges close at midnight, or 10pm for some halls.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:37:46
As with almost all Mathcamp activities, everything is optional.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:38:10
On weekends, there are no classes, and there are field trips!

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:38:24
Oh, and I forgot to mention breakfast

atmath2011 2014-03-12 20:38:35
wait so there's no breakfast?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:38:38
There is.

rjw98 2014-03-12 20:38:40
Will there be trails we can run on?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:38:47
Yes! Portland has great running trails.

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:38:50
What field trips are there?

simranK 2014-03-12 20:39:07
What Number Theory classes are offered?

niraekjs 2014-03-12 20:39:07
Does math camp give a reasonable amount of 'freedom' to the students?

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 20:39:07
Hi Yasha!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:39:09
We haven't decided yet for this summer, but we'll definitely do some hiking, and probably some whitewater rafting.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:39:33
And of course we'll go to Powell's! (A fantastic bookstore.)

SkinnySanta 2014-03-12 20:39:48
depends on the year, last year there was hiking and bowling and white water rafting and a whole lot more!

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:39:53
For the introverts, are there opportunities to, say, go on a solitary walk?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:39:54
YES.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:39:56
Definitely.

billnye72 2014-03-12 20:40:12
Where is mathcamp taking place.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:40:20
At Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:40:24
There's a lot of freedom at Mathcamp. There are a very small number of rules and policies, and almost everything at camp is optional.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:40:28
For what it's worth, you're allowed anywhere on-campus whenever you want. Going off campus requires a group of 3, but otherwise you have total flexibility in taking solitary walks. (Well, not late at night, but otherwise.)

aifusenno1 2014-03-12 20:40:38
When does the result come out for regular application?

SkinnySanta 2014-03-12 20:40:38
also niraekjs you can do whatever you want (within reason, like nothing illegal and don't break the (relatively few)) rules, so long as you are back by sign-in

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:40:50
Regular applications are due 4/15 and we announce decisions 5/1.

peterdragonking 2014-03-12 20:40:53
is there any vegan or vegetarian food?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:40:55
YES!

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:41:01
I heard lounges. What lounges?

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:41:03
On the qualifying quiz, is it worth trying to give partial solutions on a lot of problems, or just to focus on a particular group to get full solutions?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:41:06
More quiz questions! The quiz is untimed -- I know you all have lots of obligations, but ideally you can put in enough time to try your best on all the problems. Solve the problems fully that you can fully solve, and take the partial credit on ones you can't solve fully.

rjw98 2014-03-12 20:41:20
Are the professors and other students LGBT supportive?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:41:22
YES!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:41:24
Very.

Johnzh 2014-03-12 20:41:29
do you offer transportation from the airport to the camp?

Johnzh 2014-03-12 20:41:29
which airport should we fly to?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:41:52
The local airport is PDX; we greet students at the airport and bring them back to the airport at the end of camp.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:41:55
I know this might sound stupid, but are we required to attend to all meals?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:41:58
Nope!

0_o 2014-03-12 20:42:02
Sorry if I'm repeating; Second-time returnees (people who have gone once) get priority admission?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:42:12
Admissions for alums are separate from new applications.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:42:19
(Alums don't have to reapply!)

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:42:28
You can sleep through breakfast if you need to, but most people do manage to wake up in time.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:42:40
And Im not trying to sound rude, but are things ever stolen/lost? If so, how often?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:42:43
Very, very rarely.

beanielove2 2014-03-12 20:42:46
Is there Gluten-free meals?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:42:49
Yes!

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:42:51
Are there opportunities to buy our own food and/or cook?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:42:58
Yes! This year, there are kitchens on each floor of the dorm.

firemike 2014-03-12 20:42:59
Do you weight my age when you grade my submission? I am thirteen.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:43:01
No, actually, we don't. So you do have to meet the same mathematical standard as the older students.

billnye72 2014-03-12 20:43:10
When does camp start and end, like the date, not time.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:43:15
July 6 - Aug 10.

niraekjs 2014-03-12 20:43:18
Is the qualifying test significantly looked at more than the recommendation letters and such?

firemike 2014-03-12 20:43:18
If my parents live in Portland, can i stay with them?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:43:20
Yes. The quiz is the main thing -- though people have definitely gotten in on strength of essay alone.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:43:38
@firemike You're welcome to visit your parents (and vice-versa), but all Mathcamp students live on campus.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:44:00
what kind of "fun" activities?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:44:02
Soccer or other sports, board games and other games, singing, dancing, just to name a few.

SkinnySanta 2014-03-12 20:44:07
@firemike, even if you could, you will not want too, residential life at mathcamp is amazing and one of the central parts of the experience

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:44:22
Mathcamp makes it very convenient for students to organize events, so it really depends on what the students are passionate about organizing.

DigitalKing257 2014-03-12 20:44:25
Are their more complete "partial proofs" than others?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:44:26
Yes, absolutely. And if you know that your proof has some holes in it, tell us what they are! I promise you that we'll notice them, but if we know you saw them as well, we'll trust your mathematical judgment more.

atmath2011 2014-03-12 20:44:39
are bikes allowed

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:44:41
Yes!

firemike 2014-03-12 20:44:43
What is your policy on electronics?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:44:56
Bring valuables at your own risk, of course.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:45:04
These days, most students bring cell phones and some bring laptops.

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:45:07
Speaking of meals/food, is there a sample cafeteria menu? Sounds stupid, i know

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:45:11
Actually, yes: https://www.lclark.edu/about/facilities_and_resources/dining/

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:45:21
How can we avoid coming off as pretentious/arrogant in the personal statements?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:45:24
Haha! Oh, this is a great question. My suggestion to you is to be confident but not superior. In other words, it is not about being stronger than other people; it is about what you enjoy doing and what you feel you're good at doing.

bengals 2014-03-12 20:45:30
Is precalculus necessary for mathcamp?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:45:33
Nope!

amwmath 2014-03-12 20:46:10
How old is MathCamp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:46:12
Mathcamp was founded in 1993.

TheCrafter 2014-03-12 20:46:25
How deep would a class like Topology, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, etc. (courses you might take in college) go? Would they introduce the topic, or would they be almost like part of an actual course?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:46:28
Depends very much on the subject. Typically we don't want our two-week topology course to be just the first two weeks of whatever topology course you might take later. The hope would be to find a creative way to get somewhere you might usually take a bit longer to get. But there are a few classes like linear algebra, basic number theory, etc offered each year where it's just the basics, because those basics are needed as pre-requisites for other classes.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:46:40
I want to add on to Yasha's answer there on precalculus. Precalculus isn't absolutely necessary, but it will limit your choices in classes and I'd say we generally assume you'll know it. In theory, high school algebra is enough for the program, but certainly there'll be some trigonometry that is just randomly assumed in the courses.

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:46:45
(not to imply that there's always a two-week topology course. just an example.)

bengals 2014-03-12 20:47:12
Is precalculus necessary for mathcamp?

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:47:12
(Sorry if already answered) What math minimum do you need to have? (eg Algebra 1, Trig, etc.)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:47:35
Dan said it well: Precalculus opens doors.

shenmaster88 2014-03-12 20:47:49
what is the age range

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:47:53
It's 13 - 18.

shenmaster88 2014-03-12 20:47:56
what is the grade range

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:48:05
Rising 8th graders through rising College freshmen.

phil9047 2014-03-12 20:48:08
The topics listed on the website seem advanced. Are there any classes that introduce new topics?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:48:10
Many of the classes are designed to be introductory. They are fast, but introductory. So a point-set topology course will start from the beginning. You need to be ready to do proofs and to understand abstract mathematics, but you don't need any background in the subject. We often have classes that need background in other topics---for example, they might need linear algebra or group theory or something else. We'll offer those courses in the first couple of weeks so that you can get all the background you need.

billnye72 2014-03-12 20:48:23
How much money does mathcamp cost?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:48:25
The full tuition is $4000, but there is lots of need-based financial aid available.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:48:34
Please don't let financial considerations deter you from applying!

1023ong 2014-03-12 20:48:40
Does MathCamp have a mascot?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:48:43
Not yet!

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:48:44
At the beginning of the program, we also have courses on basic methods of proof, and we have a lot of classes that are low-key, easy to jump into and just enjoy.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:48:49
I think that it's safe to assume that if you get accepted to Mathcamp, you'll be able to find courses at Mathcamp that you can handle.

pinkrock 2014-03-12 20:48:52
Is there a certain requirement of what you must do by the end of camp?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:48:55
There is exactly one requirement at Mathcamp (attending the Tuesday morning assemblies). Math-wise, we may have some strong opinions about things you should probably learn about if you don't know them already, but we aren't going to require you!

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:49:08
In other words, don't worry if you don't know any of the topics. Plenty of people come to the program who've never heard of this stuff, but they have the right mindset for abstract thinking.

billnye72 2014-03-12 20:49:22
How much do you need to know to pass the test, is there precalculus, and trigonometry?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:49:29
The qualifying quiz may involve these topics.

pinkrock 2014-03-12 20:49:53
can you attend only some weeks of the camp

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:49:54
Most students attend for the full 5 weeks. Our policy is that it's okay to miss a couple days for any reason (e.g. a family reunion), and up to a week to attend another summer program. We've made exceptions in unusual cases (e.g. to attend the IMO).

niraekjs 2014-03-12 20:50:12
But I thought in the top it said high school algebra and geometry and a bit of njumber theory

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:50:19
It'll help to have a good grasp on functions.

Johnzh 2014-03-12 20:50:28
which airport should we fly to? is there transportation from the airport to the camp?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:50:39
Yup, there's transportation from the airport to camp.

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:51:00
Is the staff amiable?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:51:02
Very!

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:51:47
Would sciences like physics help?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:51:49
Hmmm... so, I'm not sure if you're referring to the qualifying quiz or to the program itself. I think physics isn't terribly helpful for the qualifying quiz, but the kind of thinking you do in advanced physics is similar to the kind of thinking you do in advanced math, and we also have several physics classes throughout the summer!

billnye72 2014-03-12 20:52:14
Is the flight payed for or do we need to pay

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:52:16
The flight isn't included in the cost of camp, but financial aid might.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:52:17
If your family needs help paying for plane tickets to Mathcamp, we have some travel subsidies available.

shenmaster88 2014-03-12 20:52:33
how big is the staff

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:52:58
It's about 30 people! 8 undergrads ("JCs"), 10-12 grad students ("Mentors"), 4-6 faculty, and the camp nurse.

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:53:18
I think I accidentally passed a question about number theory at camp a few minutes back. Short answer is, it depends on who's teaching that summer. There's always a basic modular arithmetic class, because it's so useful. I've taught classes about continued fractions, Bernoulli numbers, quadratic reciprocity, Diophantine equations, among others... but unfortunately I won't be there for very long this summer! Ruthi Hortsch, a number theory grad student at MIT, will be there the whole time, but I don't know what she has up her sleeve for this year.

firemike 2014-03-12 20:53:33
I am interested in number theory

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:53:35
We are, too!

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:53:42
Out of curiosity, are there college courses or other camps happening there concurrently?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:53:51
Yes! There are quite a few programs on campus at the same time as ours.

1023ong 2014-03-12 20:53:56
Is the camp nurse trained in CPR, asthma treatment, and allergic reactions?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:53:59
Yes, to all of the above.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 20:54:22
who are the teachers?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:54:24
Mathcamp has three primary groups of instructors. Most of the teachers are mentors. These are graduate students working towards their PhD in math or a related field. They will teach about all kinds of topics including possibly their own research. We also have a lot of full-time faculty who are older than the mentors and are typically professors at a university. (They have their PhD.) Finally, there are visiting speakers who will come anywhere from a few days to a week and teach about whatever they're working on. A lot of the visiting speakers are scientists instead of mathematicians, so you can learn about math in biology, physics, economics, etc.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:54:53
We all really enjoy what we're doing, and at least from what past students have said, I think we're pretty good teachers, too!

murfel 2014-03-12 20:55:14
Question about recomendation: my math teacher doesn't speak English. It's OK, if I translate her recommendation into English by myself? I also can add link to scanned copy of the original letter in Russian with school stamp and blazon and .txt file with letter in Russian (you will be able to use translator to roughly understand the letter). And what about phone number? (As my teacher doesn

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:55:24
The admissions committee speaks Russian.

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:55:29
last year, wasn't john conway a visiting speaker?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:55:35
Yes! And he's visiting again this summer.

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 20:55:36
How does Mathcamp compare to AMSP?

dsi411 2014-03-12 20:55:36
So technically you could just attend the Tuesday morning assemblies and do nothing else?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:55:38
Well, there are another 167 hours in the week, so.... But how you spend them is up to you. We assume that you're there because you want to think about math, and we know from experience that thinking about math is an intensely personal thing -- we're there to provide an immersive mathematical environment, but it's up to you to use it in the way that's best for you.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:56:07
I meant in the program itself. What parts of physics are offered? I'm just wondering because Im taking AP physics next year and want to know if theres anything that might prove helpful

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:56:08
Hmmm... maybe, but not very much. The kind of physics we've often covered (quantum mechanics, relativity, etc.) is not usually part of the AP Physics curriculum. Sometimes we do something related, but we're not teaching to the AP test.

mathandcheesewhiz 2014-03-12 20:56:43
what are your specific areas of expertise?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:56:45
Me -- number theory, specifically Galois representations, modular forms, and p-adic Hodge theory.

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:57:06
My areas (although I'll only be there for 1.5 weeks this year) are algebraic topology and computer science.

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:57:31
are there classes in computer science?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:57:33
Yes! It varies each year --- sometimes there's a lot, sometimes less, depending on who we hire to teach. (Everyone designs their own courses.) There'll always be some, though!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:57:33
Me -- topological graph theory.

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 20:57:43
Is it common for there to be computer science classes?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:57:46
Yes!

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 20:57:52
Will we get to meet you guys?

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:57:53
Me -- differential geometry, specifically gauge theory and Yang-Mills equations.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:57:55
If you come to camp, yes!

alohamaui 2014-03-12 20:58:01
what percent of admitted applicants actually go?

ztbb 2014-03-12 20:58:04
It's pretty high. At least 90%.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:58:12
You can see the list of some of the staff at https://www.mathcamp.org/currentstudents/thestaff.php along with their research interests.

Yasha 2014-03-12 20:58:22
Not all of the staff have been hired yet, so you can check back there later, too.

peterdragonking 2014-03-12 20:58:46
can you get lost around the campus

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:58:52
Unlikely! It's not that big: http://www.lclark.edu/visit/directions/maps/campus_overview/ .

MarisaD 2014-03-12 20:58:59
But if you get lost, you can call the Mathcamp office and we'll help you.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 20:59:13
Is there a big focus on preparation for STEM careers?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:59:14
We're not exactly career focused. I mean, you will get preparation for STEM careers, but we're not explicitly trying to prepare you to, say, calculate error bars in your physics experiments. However, you will learn a lot about math research and how it's used in many careers.

Anya_Kulikov 2014-03-12 20:59:45
If one does not go, does someone else get their place?

DanZ 2014-03-12 20:59:47
We maintain a waitlist. We ask you to decide within a couple of weeks of being admitted so that we can admit someone off the waitlist.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:00:05
are there any chemical experiments?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:00:07
Not usually.

phil9047 2014-03-12 21:00:10
are there research topics on science?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:00:12
The mentors and faculty propose projects, in pure and applied math. Students can suggest their own projects, too; if there's something you want to work on, talk to your academic advisor and she or he will help you get matched up with an instructor who's a good fit.

IsabeltheCat 2014-03-12 21:00:15
How does mathcamp compare to AMSP?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:00:17
The most honest answer is, I have no real idea -- I've never visited AMSP. But I think if you look at the websites and the curricula you'll see some obvious differences.

billnye72 2014-03-12 21:00:38
What is the average number of people that usually atend?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:00:39
It's usually 65-75 new students, and 45-55 alumni.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:00:45
what is AMSP

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:00:53
Awesome Math. It's a competition preparation program.

CornSaltButter 2014-03-12 21:01:12
What kind of security is at the camp?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:01:13
The dorm itself is locked, and we won't let other people in. The campus is open, however, so there will be non-Mathcampers around.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:01:19
Portland is not a high-crime area.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:01:45
It's the third safest city in the US, says one source: http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/26/safest-cities-ten-lifestyle-real-estate-metros-msa_chart.html .

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:02:01
(And I live in Portland. It really is safe.)

billnye72 2014-03-12 21:02:41
Where does the test take place?

peterdragonking 2014-03-12 21:02:41
what will the dorms look like

sojourner1 2014-03-12 21:02:41
Is it cold and rainy?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:02:59
It's not cold and rainy during the summer! It's sunny and warm.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:03:16
The dorms are these:

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:03:17
http://college.lclark.edu/student_life/campus_living/residence_halls/platt-howard/

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:03:33
Best metric: Call the nearby pizza place and ask if they deliver there. If they say "not after dark" or just "no", it's not safe.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:03:33
//s3.amazonaws.com/aops-cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/icons/smilies/smile.gif

shenmaster88 2014-03-12 21:03:36
How much should you expect to learn

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:03:39
Hmmm... so looking back, I'm not sure if we've really addressed a question like this, and I really want to! You will learn a lot at Mathcamp. To this day, I still think of both point-set and differential topology in the basic way that I learned to think about them at Mathcamp. [My answer is going to continue, but since we split this up, I apologize if it gets broken up!]

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:03:44
can my parents live in that camp

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:03:49
No, sorry.

firemike 2014-03-12 21:03:52
Can I get access to course materials before the camp so I can prepare?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:03:54
If you're coming to camp and you want to do something to prepare, shoot us an email and we'll give you some advice based on your application.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:03:58
[Sorry, Dan, we interrupted you!]

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:04:08

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:04:12

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:04:16
(I expected that!)

peterdragonking 2014-03-12 21:05:26
are ztbb and marisaD normally like this?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:05:28
Now, the math that you'll learn is typically a tour of very advanced stuff. So the material might be taken from college or graduate school, or from somewhere else entirely. You won't cover the full-semester course in a week of Mathcamp classes, but you will understand the topic in a rigorous way and you'll get a strong sense for how that mathematics is done.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:05:56
(Do we normally interrupt Dan? Not in regular conversation!)

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:06:05
(Well, sometimes I talk a lot...)

billnye72 2014-03-12 21:06:28
Is the test online?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:06:28
You kinda have to interrupt Dan if you want get a word in (-:

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:06:31
Basically, if what you want is to pass out of a bunch of classes, Mathcamp is not the place for you. But if you want to learn some amazing mathematics really well, to get a sense of how that mathematics is used, and to get a way of thinking about mathematics that can guide you throughout college and beyond, then Mathcamp is a great place for you.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:06:45
@billnye72 - The Qualifying Quiz? Yes, you do it at home. It's here: http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/index.php .

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 21:06:49
Are there opportunities for learning a full semester's worth of material, in more elementary levels that is? Or is it more geared to introducing you to a bunch of stuff?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:06:55
Yeah, it makes sense I'd get that question next!

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:07:31
We don't cover the introductory college stuff in any detail. We won't do a calculus class, for example, or even a full-semester linear algebra class. That's just not interesting enough for us, it doesn't show you what mathematics really is.

mathandcheesewhiz 2014-03-12 21:07:46
does it matter at all if you attend the classes on Aops and will it affect your chances in anyway?

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:07:50
The math you learn on AoPS might help you on the quiz, and the feedback you get on your writing will definitely help. Other than that, no.

rjw98 2014-03-12 21:07:58
I don't have a math teacher that knows me very well, is it ok if I have my chemistry teacher write the recomendation instead?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:08:01
How about a math teacher from last year? Or a math team coach, math club faculty advisor, math circle director, instructor from a summer program or other math enrichment activity, tutor... The idea is that we want the academic recommender to be able to speak to your mathematical maturity. Any adult who has (reasonably recently) interacted with you directly about mathematics, and knows how much math you know (and can talk about how you think about math), would be a good recommender.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:08:08
I have personally taught a computer science class which, with some work, could more or less be the equivalent of what I took when I was at MIT. But I wouldn't recommend that --- it's not the point of what we're doing, and we'll miss stuff you might want to see.

maxwellfl 2014-03-12 21:08:37
Would There Be Time To Take A Class On AOPS, Such AS AMC Or AIME Problem Series

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:08:38
We've had people do that. They regretted it.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:08:50
Mathcamp just has so much more, it's not what you want to be spending your time on.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:09:00
So, yes, in theory. Your time is your own.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:09:06
We don't make you do anything.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:09:12
But... you probably won't want to.

maxwellfl 2014-03-12 21:09:38
How Difficult Is The Qualifying Quiz. AIME, AMC, USAMO, Etc...

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:09:39
All of the above, depending on which problem on the quiz it is.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 21:09:56
But would you cover, say, a full course's worth of number theory?

firemike 2014-03-12 21:09:56
RE: Explore abstract topics, and explore questions you have to really think about, where you can explore and play around and find interesting things. In particular, do proof-based mathematics. - can you be more specific - what books to read, videos to watch, etc

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:09:58
It could happen, but a place like PROMYS or Ross (where you actually spend the whole summer on number theory) is more likely to do that than us! We really want you to see a lot of different mathematical fields.

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:09:59
And, I suppose which problem on the AIME, AMC, and USAMO.

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:10:30
They are slightly different though: A problem that's intended to be solved in ten minutes is going to be very different from a problem that you can think about a little bit each day.

bengals 2014-03-12 21:11:12
How long should the essay be?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:11:15
As long as it takes for you to express your ideas at their natural length. Say, more than a paragraph, less than 5 pages?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:11:19
We're flexible.

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:11:22
How rigorous is(are) the class(es)? The homework?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:11:24
Most of the classes are very rigorous and strongly driven by proof-based mathematics. So you will prove (almost) all your results. The homework is generally also proving results. We expect that you're learning how to do proofs, but we also expect that you will learn how to do proofs!

firemike 2014-03-12 21:11:36
As course materials publicly available?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:11:38
Not really. It actually wouldn't be fair to the instructors to ask that of them. It takes much more work to polish the course materials to the point that one is willing to make them public than it does to polish them to the point where you can give a class. Since the instructors are mostly grad students who are going to be looking for jobs soon, we can't ask them to do all that extra work.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:11:40
I generally cover proofs at the same level of rigor as, say, a college course.

Naysh 2014-03-12 21:12:49
Does cost of tuition go done if you live in Portland and can drive to Lewis and Clark?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:12:52
Unfortunately, we don't allow students to attend Mathcamp without boarding. An important part of the camp experience is participating in dorm life, and a day student would miss out on this crucial social aspect of camp.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:12:56
can i talk to my parents any time

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:12:58
Yes!

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:13:05
(sorry, that last sentence was garbled, I mean that if you aren't in a permanent job yet then you're much more concerned about putting your name on something public that might have typos, etc)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:13:06
And we encourage people to call home frequently.

cedarwax 2014-03-12 21:13:23
Did i miss it all?

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:13:23
Can anybody private message me a transcript of the whole chat?

firemike 2014-03-12 21:13:34
Can you give a pointer to a good book that teaches proof-based mathematics

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:13:36
firemike, I'm not sure if anyone suggested specific books to you or if that got lost in the flow. If you want to learn proof-based mathematics... let me think about this a second (and look at my bookshelf). I would encourage you to try out "Conjecture and Proof", "Real Mathematical Analysis", or a basic book on number theory.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:13:36
I believe there will be a transcript after the event is finished!

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:14:16
Yes, you can find the transcript by going to School->Math Jams and then clicking on "Math Jam Transcripts" in the top-right.

billnye72 2014-03-12 21:14:26
How many problems do you need to get correct to qualify.

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:14:28
It depends on how hard the quiz ends up being, as well as on the other parts of the application. Also, your mathematical writing style and way of approaching problems can make a substantial impact, regardless of whether your answer is correct.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:14:56
There's no set cutoff, since we're taking into account partial results, conjectures, ideas, and how you communicate about mathematics. But to give you a ballpark: most successful applicants solve at least a few problems. Very few applicants solve all of them.

firemike 2014-03-12 21:15:04
how competitive is application process?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:15:06
It is, I'm afraid, very competitive. We generally get around 200-300 applicants for 75ish new spots. (Marisa, correct me if I'm wrong.) That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, but it does mean you should think carefully about the qualifying quiz!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:15:23
That's right, Dan.

firemike 2014-03-12 21:15:41
thanks - can you take a picture of your bookshelf and post it on the chat?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:15:52
I'm afraid that most of the books on my bookshelf are not the place to start to learn proofs.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:16:19
But now that I look at it, "Glimpses of Algebra and Geometry" is another good one for learning proofs.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:17:09
So, I'm starting to lose track of which questions we have and haven't answered. (It's been kind of a madhouse!) If you still have any questions you haven't had answered, it might be worth reposting?

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 21:17:15
how does mathcamp compare to PROMYS?

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:17:18
If I have selected in AMC12 in 10th grade,whats the probability ill get in?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:17:18
We know the folks at PROMYS pretty well -- a fantastic program, and pretty similar in spirit to Mathcamp. The main difference is the academics. At PROMYS, all the first year students do the (Ross) number theory problem sets. So you're doing one topic very deeply. At Mathcamp everyone is doing something a little bit different, and you'll learn a big variety of things. I kinda think that everyone should go to each program at least once instead of picking one program and sticking with it! Though of course I understand that having lots of friends going back to the same program makes that harder to want to do.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:17:28
is calculus needed in the quiz

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:17:29
Nope.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:17:42
RE probability of getting in: Hard to say! We do take competition achievements into account, but the Qualifying Quiz is the tool we use to determine whether an applicant is ready for Mathcamp.

lucylai 2014-03-12 21:18:11
can we use calculus in our solutions?

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:18:13
Yes!

billnye72 2014-03-12 21:18:18
What is PROMYS?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:18:20
PROMYS is another math summer program. They focus on an in-depth number theory curriculum.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:18:23
(We like them a lot!)

firemike 2014-03-12 21:18:27
Do you have some sort of social network (facebook group) for the alumni?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:18:30
Yes!!

firemike 2014-03-12 21:18:43
it is open

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:18:49
Alum-only, sorry.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:18:51
We're on Facebook, we have an e-mail list, we have reunions, there's a newsletter... yes.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:19:11
But lots of alums hang out on the Mathcamp Facebook page, and anybody can "like" us there!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:19:20
https://www.facebook.com/canadausamathcamp

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:19:22
What's your favorite (solved) math problem (not on the Quiz, of course!)?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:19:25
Gotta go with Mordell's conjecture.

firemike 2014-03-12 21:20:10
do you track alumni success

firemike 2014-03-12 21:20:10
how many of them become mathematicians?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:20:14
We don't do this formally.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:20:23
But I'm always impressed by the cool things Mathcamp alums go on to do.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:20:28
But a number have become mathematicians, and our alumni tend to be successful people for what it's worth.

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:20:32
That's solved?

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:20:32
What is that?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:20:35
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faltings'_theorem

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:21:44
Falting's Theorem (Fixed the link for you. Unless I didn't. I can't tell yet.)

Benjamin621 2014-03-12 21:21:47
is this camp prestigious all around America?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:21:52
We hope so!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:22:05
But more importantly, it's a great place to be immersed in mathematics.

dipenm 2014-03-12 21:22:30
What are the general subjects that are needed on the quiz?

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:22:44
You can use resources while working on the quiz as long as you cite them, so you can learn any background you need to understand the questions. You also probably would benefit from being able use basic proof techniques like induction and proof by contradiction.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:23:10
Okay, everybody, we're going to wrap up in just a few minutes (around 9:30 ET) - any questions you'd like to bump up in the queue, just to make sure we get everything? (Feel free to repost.)

dipenm 2014-03-12 21:23:26
I just came here, how long is the camp?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:23:29
It's 5 weeks.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:23:41
can I get previous year quiz questions?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:23:44
Yes! http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/pastquizzes.php

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:23:46
There's a transcript of this, right?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:23:48
Yes!

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:24:11
How?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:24:18
We'll post a link from the Mathcamp website.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 21:24:25
The transcript will be online about 10 minutes after we wrap up.

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 21:24:45
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/mathjams.php?past=1

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:24:50
(Thanks, Richard!)

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:24:53
3 words to describe Mathcamp?

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:24:55
If you aren't ready for Mathcamp, say that you lack some math knowledge, what other camps do you suggest?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:24:58
It depends on what you mean by not being ready. Technically, all you really "need" for Mathcamp is high school algebra, although there's a certain amount of mathematical sophistication that you need. For younger students, there's MathPath (middle school), Awesome Math (competition-focused), and Epsilon Camp (elementary age). There are also lots and lots of other math camps. A big list can be found here: http://www.ams.org/programs/students/high-school/emp-mathcamps

firemike 2014-03-12 21:25:31
how is the most famous alumni?

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:25:33
I would do stuff on AoPS too to be more ready for Mathcamp.

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:25:34
Hm. In math contest circles, there are a bunch of people who were on the IMO team (like Tiankai Liu, Ricky Liu, Alex Zhai). But that's a pretty narrow circle. I think the most successful academic who's a Mathcamp alum is Scott Aaronson, in CS at MIT (you may have seen his blog Shtetl-Optimized). Am I forgetting anyone who's, like, actually famous?

rjw98 2014-03-12 21:25:35
Are you looking at our skills of writing proofs, or our mathematical thinking?

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:25:37
Both! In some sense, proof writing skills are the way in which you communicate your mathematical thinking.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:26:14
Macky's pretty famous for fast blindfolded rubik's cube solving.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:26:16
Dave, we have some early employees at tech companies, but I don't know if they want their names posted places. No one else immediately comes to mind.

firemike 2014-03-12 21:26:38
Are you planning to have an online version of your camp?

firemike 2014-03-12 21:26:38
this way you can reach thousands of kids !! - AoPS seems to be have an excellent platform for doing this .

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:26:44
Zach Abel also did IMO, and is reasonably known for his mathematical sculpture.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:26:47
Well, I think AoPS has this covered to some degree.

checkmate1021 2014-03-12 21:27:06
With the AIME coming up soon, if we know what we got because of answers posted on AoPS, but the score isn't official yet, can we still give the score as long as we note that it could be incorrect based on bubble-filling errors or AoPS somehow being wrong?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:27:11
Official scores, please.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:27:21
(But you can update us later when you get official scores!)

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:27:27
Re three words to describe Mathcamp -- great question. I vote for: Creativity, immersion, exploration.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:27:31
I want to add to what Marisa is saying --- there's nothing wrong with an unofficial score, but it's really not going to have a huge impact on our decision.

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:27:41
(I agree with Dan's point here.)

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 21:27:55
Is there someone here of whom I can ask a quiz question? Or should I wait and direct that to the MC email?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:28:02
Use http://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/quiz_contact.php to ask Quiz questions.

Satyaprakash2009rta 2014-03-12 21:28:09
are the quiz questions for this year released

Yasha 2014-03-12 21:28:12
https://www.mathcamp.org/prospectiveapplicants/quiz/index.php

dipenm 2014-03-12 21:28:18
Is the MathCamp symbol a logarithmic spiral?

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:28:20
I think it's supposed to look like one, but those might actually be quarter-circles inside those squares.

AbsoluteFriend 2014-03-12 21:28:59
This is a hard question to answer I know, but are basically all campers planning for a career in the maths/sciences? Is there a lot of discussion of STEM career paths? Would someone who's probably not going to go into science be comfortable there, and find the courses to be relevant in a broader context outside of math/science?

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:29:16
Mathcamp is a really welcoming place. Not everybody goes on in STEM!

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:29:38
And if you are excited about spending a summer studying mathematics, then you'll love it.

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:29:43
We've had panels where alumni talk about different STEM or non-STEM opportunities.

amwmath 2014-03-12 21:30:11
Just call it a Fibonacci spiral. I'm pretty sure that refers both to the logarithmic spiral and the one made out of quarter circles (though I may be wrong).

DanZ 2014-03-12 21:30:13
I know one Mathcamp alum who's a musician now.

ztbb 2014-03-12 21:30:26
(yes, Fibonacci spiral is exactly it, thanks amwmath!)

thatmathgeek 2014-03-12 21:30:33
Nooooo 2 minutes....

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:30:36
If you have more questions after the Jam is over, feel free to email us: http://www.mathcamp.org/contact.php .

MarisaD 2014-03-12 21:31:21
Okay, l think that about wraps it up. Thank you so much, everybody, for the great questions!

rrusczyk 2014-03-12 21:31:28
Thanks much to Marisa, Dan, David, and Yasha for sharing all their insights, and for all their work on Mathcamp!

Canada/USA Mathcamp Math Jam

Facilitator: Marisa Debowsky