Winchester Thurston MathCounts 2010-2011

Last updated 14 March 2011.

Online resources

• Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)
• "FTW" on AoPS.

Proposed schedule

• The focus below is on individual, as opposed to team performance. This is because (1) it would be nice to encourage our whole group to learn together as a "team", as opposed to just a subset of four, and (2) National qualification is purely determined by individual scores. (Although only 4 students are registered as our Chapter team, we are permitted to register up to 6 additional students as individual contestants. All 10 have equal opportunity to qualify for Nationals.)

• When we meet together, we will generally either use a 20- or 30-minute Sprint time limit, and a 4-minute Target time limit.

• Self-study at home is purely optional! I purposely made my study list so long that it can even suit the student who wants to spend an extra hour per day on math, plus some more time on weekends. I do not expect that any/all of you wish to do this, and I will not judge anyone on the basis of their choice. Please do not be scared away by the list.

• If you elect to work extra at home, I suggest the following priority order for your limited time:
  1. Problems from the sections of the book covered at the meeting earlier that week. This will ensure that you have a solid foundation to build upon.
  2. Finish working through the actual competition rounds which we started at our meeting, and make sure you understand the solution to every problem.
  3. New MathCounts competition rounds which are distributed.
  4. AMC competitions (distributed)

• We apply tighter time limits when we practice together, to discover that it is actually possible to work more intensely. When practicing competition rounds at home, you can complement this by using a stopwatch instead of time limits (but work as fast as you did when we were together). Compete against yourself, and try to beat your record times. Really try to solve every problem, in order, unless it is clear that you will not be able to solve it because you have not learned the technique. Don't worry, that is not your fault.

• Ask each other in school for hints on problems that you were unable to solve. It is fun to consider the whole group as a big team!

Date	To do together	Additional self-study for week afterward (optional!)
Sun Oct 10	Overview 93-94 Chapter Sprint, Target	Get book Competition Math For Middle School Rest of 93-94 Chapter Sprint, Target
Sun Oct 17	Algebra 1.1, 1.2 99-00 Chapter Sprint, Target	98-99 Chapter Sprint, Target 00 AMC-8
Sun Oct 24	Counting 2.1, 2.2 00-01 Chapter Sprint, Target	96-97 Chapter Sprint, Target (via email if interested) 01 AMC-8
Fri Oct 29	Probability 3.1, 3.2 95-96 Chapter Sprint, Target	94-95 Chapter Sprint, Target 02 AMC-8
Sun Nov 7	Number theory 4.1, 4.2 92-93 Chapter Sprint, Target	91-92 Chapter Sprint, Target 03 AMC-8
Sun Nov 14	Geometry 5.1, 5.2 90-91 Chapter Sprint, Target	89-90 Chapter Sprint, Target 04 AMC-8
Sun Nov 21	Algebra 1.3, 1.4 88-89 Chapter Sprint, Target	87-88 Chapter Sprint, Target 05 AMC-8
Sun Nov 28	Counting 2.3, 2.4 86-87 Chapter Sprint, Target	85-86 Chapter Sprint, Target 06 AMC-8
Sun Dec 5	Probability 3.3, 3.4 84-85 Chapter Sprint, Target	83-84 Chapter Sprint, Target 07 AMC-8
Sun Dec 12	Number theory 4.3, 4.4 97-98 Chapter Sprint, Target	01-02 Chapter Sprint, Target 08 AMC-8
Sun Dec 19	Geometry 5.3, 5.4 02-03 Chapter Sprint, Target	03-04 Chapter Sprint, Target 00-01 Chapter Team (done individually)
Wed Dec 22	Algebra 1.5, 1.6 04-05 Chapter Sprint, Target	05-06 Chapter Sprint, Target 01-02 Chapter Team (done individually)
Sun Dec 26	Counting 2.5, 2.6 99-00 State Sprint, Target	98-99 State Sprint, Target 02-03 Chapter Team (done individually)
Thu Dec 30	Probability 3.5, 3.6, 3.7 97-98 State Sprint, Target	96-97 State Sprint, Target 03-04 Chapter Team (done individually)
Sun Jan 9	Number theory 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 95-96 State Sprint, Target	94-95 State Sprint, Target 04-05 Chapter Team (done individually)
Sun Jan 16	Geometry 5.5, 5.6 93-94 State Sprint, Target 05-06 Chapter Team (as team) 09-10 Chapter Countdown	92-93 State Sprint, Target 06-07 Chapter Team (done individually)
Sun Jan 23	Algebra 1.7, 1.8 91-92 State Sprint, Target 07-08 Chapter Team (as team) 07-08 Chapter Countdown	90-91 State Sprint, Target 09-10 Chapter Team (done individually)
Sun Jan 30	Counting 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 89-90 State Sprint, Target 08-09 State Team (as team) 08-09 Chapter Countdown	88-89 State Sprint, Target 09-10 State Team (done individually)
Sun Feb 6	Algebra 1.9, 1.10 00-01 State Sprint, Target 00-01 State Team, Countdown	01-02 State Sprint, Target, Team
Sun Feb 13	Review Geometry 09-10 Chapter Sprint, Target, Team 06-07 Chapter Countdown	06-07 Chapter Sprint, Target
Sat Feb 19	Chapter competition (date confirmed)
Sun Feb 20	Review Number theory 02-03 State Sprint, Target, Countdown	03-04 State Sprint, Target, Team 02-03 State Team
Sun Feb 27	Review Probability 04-05 State Sprint, Target, Countdown	05-06 State Sprint, Target, Team 04-05 State Team
Sun Mar 6	Review Counting 06-07 State Target, Countdown 07-08 State Team	07-08 State Sprint, Target 06-07 State Sprint, Team 87-88 State Sprint, Target, Team
Sun Mar 13	Review Algebra 09-10 State Target, Countdown 99-00 State Team	08-09 State Sprint, Target 09-10 State Sprint 98-99 State Team
Tue Mar 15	97-98 State Team 97-98 State Countdown
Fri Mar 18 + Sat Mar 19	State competition (date confirmed)