This contest allows students to experience mathematics at a higher level by considering problems for individuals and teams that require significantly more thought than the average high school level problems they may be used to.  Though the problems are accessible to those who have not yet had college level classes, the work and originality of thought required for such problems give students a better understanding of the effort and joy that is associated with higher level mathematics and related fields. This contest is also an opportunity for teachers to supplement their lesson plans and provide students with creative and competitive outlets. Students study patterns, analyze relationships, draft and refine their solutions.

2026 Contest

Award Ceremony: April 24, 2026

The keynote speaker at the Award Ceremony was Dr. Andrei Martínez-Finkelshtein from Baylor University who gave a presentation on “Math is in the eye of the beholder: how mathematics helps doctors see better, detect disease earlier, and correct vision”:

The human eye presents a surprisingly rich collection of mathematical problems. This talk traces four areas where mathematics drives modern ophthalmology: reconstructing the 3D corneal shape from distorted reflections (an inverse problem solved via Zernike polynomials and anisotropic Gaussians); detecting keratoconus early by tracking Placido ring centers — a simple geometric idea that outperforms standard clinical indices; measuring and correcting optical aberrations in real time using Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensors and adaptive optics; and harnessing AI and digital twins to read eye scans and simulate disease progression. Throughout, the same core toolkit — approximation theory, linear algebra, and optimization — turns indirect, noisy measurements into clinically actionable insight. 

Prizes

In 2026 there were 70 individual submissions as well as 18 team submissions from 10 different high schools. The contest's material (list of winners, problems and their solutions) can be found here. The prizes included

• $300 and a full four-year academic tuition scholarship (first place)

• $150 and a $2,500 per year scholarship for four years (each second place)

• $100 and a $2,500 per year scholarship for four years (each third place)

• $200 to the teachers of the winning team

• $150 to the teachers of the 2nd and 3rd place teams

• $100 to the teachers of teams receiving an honorable mention

Individual Results

1st Place: Jonas Eklou, Avon High School

2nd Place: Shuva Adhikari, Hamilton Southeastern High School; William Howe, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Kathir Vel Karunamurthy, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Hayeon Kim, Canterbury High School; Shayen Maun, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School; Rendy Zhong, Columbus North High School

3rd Place: Thomas Bezza, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Madelyn Boyd, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Lila Greer, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Jayden Hwang, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Lauren Krack, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Meng Zhen Lian, Franklin Central High School; Rahul Mehta, Hamilton Southeastern High School; William Pence, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Alessandro Salermo, University High School of Indiana; Hojin Shin, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Shaurya Singh, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Yukthasri Vasa, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Meera Venugopal, Hamilton Southeastern High School

Honorable Mention: Fortunate Agboola, Avon High School; Abigail Bullington, Signature School; Dara Bush, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Maryam Hasanuddin, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Taibah Hussain, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Sarim Kahoot, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Amiel Liwanag, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Laith Mohamed, Avon High School; Rithek Shankar Sudhakar Sankar, Avon High School; Priya Singh, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Justin Tran, Avon High School; Hannah Turner, Hamilton Southeastern High School; Andra Veleta, Center Grove High School

Team Results

1st Place: Small Turtles - Kenneth Chen, Henry Guo, Kieran Rosenfeld, Srijan Basireddy - Zionsville Community High School

2nd Place: The Alge-Bros - Shayen Maun, Henry Cooper - Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School 

3rd Place: The CalcBros 2.0 - Srujan Athmaram, Yonathan Bezza, Rahul Mehta - Hamilton Southeastern High School

Honorable Mention: Columbus North - Wendy Zhong - Columbus North High School

School Award 

Hamilton Southeastern High School: Lisa Boyle, Mary Carson, John Drozd, Letitia Mccallister & Erica Kelly (teachers)

Spirit Award 

Center Grove High School: Becki Kerr and John Moore (teachers)