- Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge
The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is a
mathematics competition held inCanada that is one of the most often-used ways to determine participants for theCanadian Mathematical Olympiad . [ [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/open.shtml CEMC - Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge ] ] It is run by theCanadian Mathematical Society in collaboration with the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing and sponsored bySun Life Financial . The competition is targeted mainly at senior-level students, though younger students often participate. [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/brochures/2008/COMC2007(E).pdf page 1, "Fast Facts"]History
The COMC was founded in
1996 by current chair Larry Rice. The current committee also includes Bill Bisset, Mike Eden, Brian McBain, Ian McGee, Mike Mosca, Daryl Tingley and Bruce White. [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/brochures/2008/COMC2007(E).pdf "Contest Committee"]Qualification
"Official" qualifiers for the COMC must satisfy the following criteria:
*They are less that 19 years of age at the time of the contest.
*They have been registered at a Canadianschool since the beginning of the year of the contest.Participants (known as "unofficial" participants) whom do not satisfy this criteria cannot win any rewards. [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/brochures/2008/COMC2007(E).pdf "Eligibility"] Students from foreign nations like the
USA can participate as "unofficial" participants through a mathematics program in their school or otherwise.Format
The
annual ly held COMC is two and a half hours long with 12 problems. The questions are divided into two sections; the first section, known as Part A, has 8 problems and generally has easier problems, with each question being 5 points. Part B has 4 problems, and each problem is worth 10 points. The total score is out of 80, and the cutoff for CMO qualification is generally somewhere around 70. [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/brochures/2008/COMC2007(E).pdf "The Paper"] Approximately 7,000 people take the COMC annually. [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/open.shtml "Statistics"] [ [http://camel.math.ca/New/2007/comc-res.f Eleventh Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge Champions ] ]Awards
There are three types of
award s for scoring well on the COMC.
*For eachprovince , a Provincial Champion is named, who receives a plaque.
*Approximately fifty high scorers on the COMC are selected as participants for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad each year.
*A number of high ranking students receive agold medal . [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/past_result/2007/comc_results.pdf] [ [https://mail.cms.math.ca/pipermail/cmath/2005/000171.html Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge Champions ] ]Notes
ee also
*
List of mathematics competitions
*Canadian Mathematical Olympiad References
External links
* [http://www.math.ca/Competitions/COMC/ The official COMC website]
* [http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/open.shtml A University of Waterloo information page for the competition]
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