The population of UNL will swell Nov. 21 as more than 1,700 high school students descend on campus for the 24th annual Math Day.
This year, 112 Nebraska schools will be represented in the contest by a total of 1,728 students. This is the largest Math Day in UNL history. The past record for participation was set in 1999, when 1,434 students took part for the 10th anniversary. Last year, 1,389 students from 99 schools participated.
Students will get the opportunity to compete in mathematical competitions, explore their interests in math and discover what UNL’s Department of Mathematics and a career in the field can offer. A total of $34,000 in four-year scholarships to attend UNL, plaques and trophies also will be awarded to top-performing participants.
Competitors in Math Day demonstrate their skills through both individual and team contests. The PROBE exam — or Problems Requiring Original and Brilliant Effort — serves as the individual contest. Students complete a multiple-choice exam and the top 40 scorers move on to take an essay exam. Students in the top 10 following the essay exam are awarded scholarships to UNL.
The Math Bowl team competition is a double-elimination tournament involving 110 three-member teams from six classes. Trophies are awarded to the top three teams in each class.
Competition starts following an 8 a.m. opening ceremony in the Nebraska Coliseum.
Math Day is sponsored by the UNL Department of Mathematics.
