Math Day's Purpose
- stimulate interest in mathematics among Nebraska high school students,
- encourage them to pursue mathematics or mathematics-based science as a career and
- recognize mathematical ability by awarding scholarships, certificates and trophies.
Hotel Accommodations
We have some funds to help with travel and/or motel expenses for schools whose distance to Lincoln necessitates an overnight stay on November 20th.
Campus Tours
Short tours of the UNL City Campus and Avery Hall, home of the Department of Mathematics, will be available. There is no need to sign up; simply look for the undergraduate students from the Office of Admissions near the Command Centers in the second floor of the Union.
Department Displays
During the afternoon, students will have the opportunity to participate in mathematical games and puzzles and to visit with representatives from many of our science departments on campus.
Welcome
UNL Math Day will celebrate its 24th anniversary on Thursday, November 21, 2013, on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus. Join the more than 100 Nebraska high schools for a day of fast-paced mathematics. Registration will be only $6.50 per student, which includes the cost of lunch.
In 2012, we hosted 1,389 students from 99 Nebraska high schools. Our record-breaking year occurred during our 10th Anniversary celebration in November 1999, when we hosted 1,434 students from 103 Nebraska high schools.
Math Day consists of one individual and two team mathematics competitions. All students participate in a multiple-choice, preliminary exam called PROBE I (Problems Requiring Original and Brilliant Effort). The top 50 students then move on to take the now famous essay exam called PROBE II. The top 10 Nebraska high school students on PROBE II are awarded a total of $34,000 in four-year scholarships to UNL.
Opening Ceremony
As part of our celebration, the opening ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 21 in the Nebraska Coliseum located at 14th and Vine streets, and it will truly be the beginning of an exciting, competitive day with plenty of room for all 1,400 (or so) of us. After the opening ceremony, students will walk to the Nebraska Union to take the PROBE I exam.
Nebraska Coliseum
Nebraska Union
PROBE I and II
PROBE is the name of the individual competition. It is in two parts. The first part, PROBE I, is a one-hour, multiple-choice exam that is machine-graded. All participants are asked to enter this event. Plaques are awarded to the top three female and top three male students on the PROBE I exam. The top 50 students are invited to enter the second part, PROBE II. PROBE II is a one-hour essay exam that emphasizes knowledge, depth of understanding and written expression. It is graded by faculty in the UNL Department of Mathematics. The PROBE top 10 students (sum of I and II) are awarded scholarships to UNL totaling $34,000. All the questions assume only two years high school algebra and one year geometry. However, the answers to PROBE II questions require the creativity and originality that we expect from only the very best students. The PROBE Team Competition is based on the PROBE I exam. Schools are divided into the same divisions as in the Math Bowl competition. In Class A, the top five scores from each school are added to determine the winners, and in Class B, the top four scores, and in Classes C and D the top three scores. Plaques are awarded to the schools placing first and second in each division.
Math Bowl: Team Competition
The Math Bowl is a double-elimination tournament pitting three-member teams against each other. The team competitions are divided into four classes (smallest, small, medium and large schools) with trophies given to the top two teams in each.
- More details on the procedures of the Math Bowl rounds
- Acceptable Answer Forms for Math Bowl
- Sample Round of Questions
Past Results
Register Online
Registration for the 24th annual Math Day will begin in September, 2013.
Contact Us
Lindsay Augustyn
Outreach and Communications Director
402-472-8979
mathday@unl.edu
Center for Science, Mathematics & Computer Education
251 Avery Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0131
Parking Permits Required
Parking permits are required for all cars, vans and buses that will be parking on the designated UNL parking grounds by the Devaney Sports Center (aka Innovation Campus). Permits for cars and vans cost $6.00 per vehicle, while a permit for a bus costs $18.00 each. Parking on any university owned parking lot without a university parking permit is a parking violation and will result in tickets and possibly towing, at the owner's expense.
Rules
- No calculators allowed.
- Bring sharpened pencils with you - there are no pencil sharpeners available at Math Day.
- Academic dishonesty is a violation: It has been brought to our attention that some students have rearranged the order of the pre-set PROBE I exams on the tables so that students from the same school are working on the same version of the exam. This is considered academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated. If a student is caught switching an exam for this purpose, he or she will be removed from the testing area and escorted directly to their teacher/sponsor.
