Each December, when others are hiding chocolates, MATH+ challenges high school students, university students, teachers, and everyone interested with tricky mathematical brainteasers.
The MATH+ advent calendar consists of 24 puzzles, which are released in both German and English. In a simple but fun way, they illustrate that math is fascinating, creative, and useful. Every year, the puzzles are invented by MATH+ researchers and their colleagues from the Dutch initiative 4TU.AMI.
The MATH+ Advent Calendar invites you to discover the beauty and power of Math beyond the subjects covered in school. The calendar offers fascinating insights into recent application oriented mathematical research and into the everyday professional life of mathematicians.
Anyone can participate in the MATH+ Advent Calendar. The puzzles are intended for high school students, teachers, university students, and everyone else interested.
The challenges are open to read and download (as PDF) for everyone. If you would like to being able to submit your solutions and vote for the best challenge and image, you need to register for an user account with a nickname, password, and a legitimate email address. Further information will be necessary if you want to take part in the contest.
The registration is free of charge and possible from 1 November until 31 December.
The registration is open from 1 November until 31 December. For a simple registration, you need to choose a nickname and password, and give a legitimate email address. If you would like to take part in the contest, you need to provide further information.
There are four status groups applicable:
| Status | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Students | (1a) Last year of high school | Any student in their last year of secondary school before receiving a college/university entrance certificate |
| (1b) Second to last year of high school | Any student in their second to last year of secondary school before receiving a college/university entrance certificate | |
| (1c) Other Students | Any other student in a primary or secondary school that offers a formal education | |
| (2) University students | Students in a higher/tertiary education, e. g. in colleges, universities | |
| (3) Teachers | Teachers at a primary or secondary school that offers a formal education | |
| (4) Others | Adults, students of adult educational programs, and any person not matching the descriptions above |
As teacher, i. e. a person in status group (3), you may participate with your class or course in the class contest. After successfully registering as a “teacher” and completing the mandatory information in the entry form, you are able to add your class(es) or course(s). For each class/course, you will receive a class contest code, with which your students can enroll in this particular class/course. To be able to enroll in a class/course, the students need to register as a “student” (i. e. as status group (1a), (1b), or (1c)) and complete the mandatory entries in the information form.
Each class consisting of at least five properly registered students takes part in the class contest. The number of points appointed to each class is the arithmetic mean of the points acquired by the students in the class. In case of a draw of points, the class with the higher number of participants will be ranked higher. In case of a draw of points and number of participants, lots will be drawn.
With your/their individually acquired points, you and your students will also take part in the individual contest. However, only your students points count for the class contest.
In order to add a class or course, you need to be registered as a “teacher”, i. e. a person in status group (3).
You can check and change your status under “My Profile”.
In order to enroll in a class or course, you need to be registered as a “student”, i. e. as a person in status group (1a), (1b), or (1c). Furthermore, you have to enter the correct class contest code provided by your teacher.
You can check and change your status under “My Profile”.
All registered participants have access to the discussion board. Here, the authors of the 24 challenges and the members of the MATH+ Advent Calendar team are happy to answer your questions regarding the understanding and possible ambiguities of the challenges. The discussion board will be moderated by the MATH+ Advent Calendar team. It will be supervised during the following times: Mon-Fri: 4-8pm (CET), Sat-Sun: 4-6pm (CET).
Outside of these hours, the discussion board will only be moderated irregulary. Deviating terms will be published with the respective challenges.
The discussion board is not intended to give you hints or answer questions regarding the solution or solution path. Addionally, the board does not serve as a platform for discussing (parts of) solutions with one another or to join in groups with other participants.
We ask our participants to adhere to the internet’s code of conduct. Most importantly, discriminatory, hostile or intimidating messages or language will not be tolerated, whether they are based on a person’s race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social or economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical ability.
Furthermore, in order to avoid spoiling a fair competition and a challenging game for everyone, it is not allowed to hint on any part of the solutions.
Any violation of these rules may lead to an expulsion from the discussion board and the competition.
The discussion board is not intended to give you hints or answer questions regarding the solution or solution path. The board does not serve as a platform for discussing (parts of) solutions with one another or to join in groups with other participants. Furthermore, in order to avoid spoiling a fair competition and a challenging game for everyone, it is not allowed to hint on any part of the solutions.
Any violation of these rules may lead to an expulsion from the discussion board and the competition.
The discussion board does not serve as a platform for discussing (parts of) solutions with one another or to join in groups with other participants. Furthermore, in order to avoid spoiling a fair competition and a challenging game for everyone, it is not allowed to hint on any part of the solutions.
Any violation of these rules may lead to an expulsion from the discussion board and the competition.
All 24 challenges have been examined thoroughly by the respective authors and the MATH+ Advent Calendar team. For each challenge, exactly one of the ten given answers is correct. Please check your solution again! If you still believe there is a mistake in one of the challenges, you can voice your suspicion on the discussion board. Alternatively, write a message to Margarite Kostré & Lukas Protz.
If your question is not answered after reading the FAQ, please contact the MATH+ Advent Calendar team.