Mathematical Puzzle Program
Hosted at UNC Asheville
Saturday, February 24, 2024
What is the MaPP Challenge?
The Mathematical Puzzle Program (MaPP) Challenge is a team-based mathematical puzzle competition for high school students held at multiple college campuses across the country. Unlike most math competitions, MaPP Challenge doesn’t require any knowledge beyond basic algebra and rewards players’ problem-solving ability over their previous mathematical background.
Schedule
The event will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at UNC Asheville
11:00am-11:30am: Sponsor Registration on 1st floor lobby of Rhodes Robinson Hall (RRO)
11:30am-11:45am: Orientation in RRO 125
11:45am-2:45pm: Puzzles & Pizza
2:45pm-3:15pm: Closing and Awards
Cost
The cost is $20 per student, which includes pizza lunch and access to national MaPP materials.
Deadline
Registration deadline for teams is Friday, February 16, 2024. If you would like to add additional students to existing teams after that date, please check with the organizers by emailing jwebste2@unca.edu.
Some past participant groups:
Asheville Homeschool Math Club, Audrey Kell High School, Bessemer Academy, Carolina Day School,
Cherokee High School, Community House Middle School, Jackson County Early College,
Nesbitt Discovery Academy, North Buncombe High School, Odyssey School, Thinking Feet
Math
MaPP’s mathematical content is pulled from various areas unrepresented in the usual secondary curriculum, such as design theory, game theory, or topology.
Puzzles
MaPP shredded the multiple choice tests, and instead designed several mathematical puzzles which will give your students a taste of real mathematical problem solving, and prepare them for the types of questions asked in many job interviews.
Team-building
MaPP HSC is a team-based competition, emphasizing collaboration and communication over individual work, as teamwork is crucial for success in both industry and academia.
Fun!
These challenges won’t all be solved sitting down – players will find themselves running around campus to track down clues and uncover new puzzles to solve.
Teaser Puzzle
Download and solve the teaser puzzle to try your hand at our mathematical challenges!
Why should my school participate?
In addition to being a lot of fun, MaPP has designed its events to fit the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice:
Successful players will…
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Want More Information?
See our FAQ page or contact Julia Webster, jwebste2@unca.edu