2026 MathCats Olympics

The second annual MathCats Olympics is set to take place in Spring 2026! This page details the official rules and details of competition.

There is no registration process for the Olympics. Simply show up to join!

Overview

The MathCat Olympics will consist of 3 events over the course of two weeks. 

The competitions will be:

1. Fermi Questions - first week

2. Calculator Game - first week

3. Trivia - second week

Note: The rules of each event are subject to be modified before or during the events if deemed necessary by the organizers.

Dates and Times

The MathCat Olympics will take place over the course of two MathCats Meetings on Wednesday, April 15th and Wednesday, April 22nd, each of which will be from 5pm-6pm in Math 402.

Fermi Questions

For this event, contestants will work together in groups of 3-4 to answer Fermi questions, science related questions that seek fast, rough estimates of quantities which are seemingly impossible to calculate.

More information about Fermi Questions: 

• https://www.dam.brown.edu/math-coop/presentations/Fermi.pdf

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_problem

There will be 4 questions total. For each question, the round will commence as follows:

1. A question will be projected onto a screen for everyone to view, upon which a 5-minute timer will begin. Teams will have until the timer runs out to work together and answer the question.

2. Once the timer runs out, teams will write their answer on the chalkboard at the front of the room. Each team’s answer will recorded and points will be awarded for each team’s answer.

Points for each question will be awarded as follows:

• 10 - 2|log10(your answer) - log10(actual answer)| 

• Teams can earn a maximum of 10 points and a minimum of 0 points per question.

Items that are NOT allowed for this round:

• Calculators.

• Electronic devices that connect to the Internet or assist with calculation, including but not limited to smartphones and computers.

• Any printed materials that provide an unfair advantage.

• Other tools that assist with calculation or provide information which give an unfair advantage.

Further notes:

• Questions will state what units answers should be in, so it is not necessary to provide units with answers.

• For this round, paper, pens, and pencils will be provided for teams to work on the question and present their answer.

• We may not get to all 4 questions for time's sake.

Calculator Game

For this event of the olympics, individuals will work as 'calculators' trying to quickly produce a 3 digit number given 6 random numbers and only the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).

There will be 10 rounds in total for this game. For each round:

1. Six numbers will be drawn at random, these are the only numbers that the contestants may use in their computations and they may only use each number as many times as it appears (typically only once). The six numbers will be selected from the following set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100}. They will be written on the board so everyone can see.

2. A three digit random number (in range 101-999) will be generated using an online random number generator and the 50 second timer will begin.

3. If a contestant is able to achieve the solution within the time limit, they must declare this as soon as they have reached their answer. If they are able to show the work behind their computations and have followed all rules as stated above, they will be awarded 10 points.

4. If no one reaches the exact solution within the time limit (Note: it may not always be possible to get the number exactly) all contestants must stop writing immediately!

5. Each contestant will then state the closest value they were able to achieve (written work must be provided). The closest solution must then present their work and if it follows all rules they will be awarded 7 points.

• If two contestants have equally close solutions the one using less numbers to achieve the solution will win the 7 points

• If the contestants are still tied both will be awarded 7 points

Items that are NOT allowed for this round:

• Calculators.

• Electronic devices that connect to the Internet or assist with calculation, including but not limited to smartphones and computers.

• Any printed materials that provide an unfair advantage.

• Other tools that assist with calculation or provide information which give an unfair advantage.

Further notes:

• If participants would like we can also play a 60 second practice round before the MathCat Olympic event begins.

• If time permits we may play additional rounds 

• For this round, paper, pens, and pencils can be provided any one who does not have some already.

Trivia

There will be 40 questions. We may not get to all of them. Each question is worth one point, two undisclosed questions will be worth five points. We will use the online buzzer system: https://buzzin.live/. We will call on whoever buzzes first and then go down the line if they get it wrong. The person with the most points is the winner.