On Oct. 17, Bemidji State University will host 900 high school mathematics students from across northern Minnesota for the 45th Annual Northern Minnesota Math Contest.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. in the Gillett Wellness Center’s Hall of Fame lobby, and activities for students begin at 10:15. The one-hour test begins at 11:30, and the afternoon features an optional campus tour for students and advisers.

The contest is being held by Bemidji State’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

The contest is divided into two mathematics tests: a lower-division test primarily open to freshmen and sophomores consisting of arithmetic, elementary algebra and geometry; and an upper division designed for juniors and seniors covering higher algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Each test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, and many of the test problems utilize general problem-solving skills rather than rote memorization and application of formulae. Students may enter a division above his or her grade level, but not below.

Participating schools will compete in class A or AA, according to their Minnesota High School League classification, for team awards. Team awards will be given to the top four teams in Class A and the top two places in Class AA in each division. Team finishes in a respective division and class are determined by a sum of the scores of a school’s three highest-scoring individuals. There will be no awards ceremony and awards will be sent to the schools after the contest.

Awards will also be sent to individuals with the 10 highest scores in each division without regard to class, and the top three individuals on each team will receive a Northern Minnesota Mathematics Contest t-shirt.

CONTEST SCHEDULE

10–11 a.m. — Registration — Physical Education Complex Hall of Fame Lobby
10:15–10:55 a.m. — Activity for Students — John Glas Field House
11:10–11:30 a.m. — Test Instructions — Wellness Center

11:30 a.m. — Test Begins — Wellness Center
1–2:30 p.m. — Optional Campus Tour

Calendar

Oct. 17 – 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. — 45th Annual Nothern Minnesota Mathematics Contest, a regional high school mathematics competition. Gillett Wellness Center, BSU campus.

Contact

• Dr. Heidi Hansen, associate professor of mathematics; (218) 755-2820, HHansen@bemidjistate.edu

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding.