The Conditions of the Problem Solving Competition, 1999/2000
The competitions start annually and last from September to May, but you can enter any time during the academic year.
In mathematics, there are three different contests, in physics there are two. The conditions of the mathematics and physics contests are different. See below for details.
Every primary or secondary school student is eligible to participate in the competitions. Students in different grades might find the same problems but in most cases their work is evaluated within their age group, they compete with students of the same age only. Therefore, it is essential that the paper should indicate the 1 to 12 grade of the contestant in the current school year. The KöMaL contests are individual competitions, solutions produced by a group are not accepted. If two papers turn out to be practically identical, none of them will be marked.
MATHEMATICS
C contest: exercises for practice, easier than those in the B contest; 5 per month. Correct solutions worth 5 marks.
Age groups:
- up to 10th grade students
- 11 to 12th grade students (preferably those not studying mathematics in a special advanced class. Those in advanced classes are advised to take part in the B contest).
B contest: 10 problems per month. You can send any number of solutions, but only the highest six scores are entered.
Age groups:
- up to the 8th grade
- 9th grade
- 10th grade
- 11th grade
- 12th grade
A contest: advanced problems, 3 per month. More demainding than the B contest, for those who are preparing for national or international competitions. Here are no separate age groups.
PHYSICS
M contest: Experimental problems: One measuring task is set each month. Each of them is worth 6 points. The report must contain a description of the method, the data obtained sufficient in quantity and quality, the analysis of the data, and the estimation of the error. There are no separate age groups.P contest: 10 theoretical problems per month.
Age groups:
- up to the 8th grade;
- 9th grade;
- 10th grade;
- 11th grade;
- 12th grade.
Every age group may send solutions to all kinds of problems but at most 5 theoretical + 1 experimental problem a month. More than 5 + 1 solution sent by one contestant will not be evaluated.
Deadlines, adresses
The deadline of mailing or e-mailing the solutions is indicated in every issue next to the new exercises and problems. In mathematics, it is the 15th of the month following the publication of the current issue, in physics it is the 11th. Should that be a weekend or bank holiday, the deadline is the next workday.
Send your solutions to the following address:
KöMaL Szerkesztőség (KöMaL feladatok), Budapest Pf. 47. 1255, Hungary
or by e-mail to: megoldas@komal.elte.hu.
The actual state of the contests appears on our web-site (http://komal.elte.hu/eredm/index.e.shtml) and it is updated regularly. These data are not official, only for your information. The final results will appear in August on our Internet home page and in the September issue of the following academic year. The cca 10 top contestans are rewarded by a certificate in each category and this is going to be mailed to their schools, and their portraits, additionally, will be presented in the December issue and the Internet. Entry for the contests
The layout of the papers:
By ordinary mail:
- Write the solutions to different problems on separate A4 sheets of paper. (This is important because different people are responsible for the marking.)
- The header of every sheet must contain the following in the upper left corner (see sample 1):
- Fold each sheet in four separately so that the heading should be on the top.
- Solutions to geometry problems should include diagrams.
- Enclose with your solutions a separate sheet listing your data and the contents of your mail. See sample 2.
-the letter code (A, B, C, M, P) and number of the problem in red
-the full name and the grade of the sender
-the name of the school and the town (and country)
| Sample 1. Header of a sheet | Sample 2. Enclosed list |
|---|---|
|
C. 547. Varga 783 István, 10th grade Révai High School, Győr |
Varga 783 István, 10th grade Révai High School, Győr
I send the following 3 papers in: |
By e-mail:
- Send the solutions of different problems as separate e-mail messages.
- The "subject" field of the e-mail message should contain the letter code and number of the problem.
The content of the papers:
It is not enough to state the answer. Results with detailed explanations only will receive full credit. (Reference to standard school math is accepted without proof.)