Competition Rules
New policies for ARML 2009 are denoted by *
- A team will consist of 15 members.
- All team members must have been in the 12th grade or lower during the school year ending in the year the ARML meet takes place.
- Please see the document titled "Some Mathematical Ideas Used in the Competition" for a complete description of the concepts that are assumed for the ARML competition. Changes have been made in recent years.
- * Calculators will not be allowed on any part of the ARML contest. Why is ARML not allowing calculators? The problem committee felt that allowing calculators with symbolic algebraic capabilities was making it increasingly difficult to write challenging algebra and geometry questions that students could reasonably approach during the team round. In addition, we worried about disparities between different teams' level of equipment.
- * There will be five Individual Rounds for a total of ten individual problems. Why did ARML increase the number of Individual Rounds from four to five? The problem committee suggested ten individual questions as a way of balancing two competing interests: the desire for a genuinely challenging contest, in which few students would get perfect scores, and the need to make enough problems approachable that very few (if any) students arriving prepared would get at a score of zero. By adding two questions, we give another chance for students to get at least one question right, while making it slightly less likely that a student would get all questions correct.
- * In order to keep the proportions of points as they were prior to the addition of the fifth individual round, the scoring structure will be altered as follows.
- Individual Rounds: The Individual Rounds consists of five rounds, each with two questions. One point is awarded for each question answered correctly for a total of 10 points possible per person and 150 points possible per team.
- Team Round: The Team Round consists of ten questions. Each correct answer is awarded five points for a total of fifty possible points per team.
- Power Round: The Power Round is worth fifty points.
- Relay Rounds: A correct answer submitted in three minutes will be awarded five points, a correct answer submitted in six minutes will be awarded three points. Thus, there are twenty five points possible per team for Relay 1 and twenty five points possible per team for Relay 2. There was an error in the email that was sent to all coaches on March 27, 2009. This error has been corrected.
- No substitutions can be made once the Team Round has started. All substitutions must be reported to the Head of the Scoring Room or the Site Chairperson prior to the beginning of the Team Round.
- If a team arrives at the meet with fewer than 15 members, they can participate as a team. During the Relay Round the team would form as many complete three person teams as possible. If a team is short one member then the two students will receive only questions two and three. If they are short two members then the single member will receive only question three. Should these abbreviated teams have the correct answer they will get credit for it.
- Should a pre-registered student arrive late for any reason, he/she may join the team on which they are registered during the next official break in the meet. (Between the Team and Power rounds, before the beginning of any Individual round, before the beginning of either Relay round.)
- The use of “borrowed” students is prohibited. No student can participate on a team he/she is not registered with for housing.
- No teams can be added to the competition later than 15 days prior to the Friday the meet begins.
- Use of a dictionary in book form will be allowed for participants whose first language is not English. Electronic dictionaries or translators are not allowed.
- Use of a visual aid such as a magnifying glass is allowed for participants with a visual handicap. These must be inspected prior to the beginning of the Team round by the Team proctor. If any question arises as to the legitimacy of the device, the Site Chairperson will have the final word.
- During the Individual round there is to be absolutely no communication between students once the questions are handed out.
- The rules that were established for the relay round for the 2008 competition will remain in effect. Click here for clarification.
- During the Relay round only the answer to the question in the student’s possession can be passed on to the next person on the team. The answer may be underlined to show orientation but that is the only mark that can be on the paper. The method of passing of answer(s) should, in no way, indicate anything besides the answer to the question. No comments or any other information may be communicated at any time during the Relay round. In the past, we have found that ARML participants have devised methods to communicate with members of their team. These practices are violations of the rules of the competition. Such practices include, but are not limited to: passing back multiple pieces of paper with the same answer at the same time in an effort to communicate that the participant is very certain of their computation, or a participant audibly crumpling and/or throwing a piece of paper on the floor to communicate to another participant that their submitted answer cannot be used in subsequent problems. Participants may underline answers so that they will be read correctly, to distinguish between a 6 and a 9, for example. In the spirit of fair and honest competition, and so that all individual teams are competing on the same playing field, we hope that all participants will abide by the rules as they were originally intended. Relay teams that are found to be communicating more than the answer to the problem will possibly face disqualification. Specific penalties will be decided by the ARML officials.
- Once seated, Relay groups will remain unchanged until the end of regular competition.
- Teams can ONLY submit exactly one solution to the Power Question. If additional solutions are submitted, then all solutions will be corrected and the team will be assessed the lowest score obtained.
- Cell phones are not allowed in the Team or Power Question rounds. If a cell phone is discovered in the room then the team will be disqualified from that round. Proctors will collect cell phones before the Team/Power Rounds and will return them at the end of the Power Round. Also, all cell phones must be in the off mode during all competition and award events.
- Students are expected to obey the above rules. They are also expected to respect the property of the University, ARML, and their respective teams. Failure to comply can lead to deletion of those students’ scores for the round or disqualification of those involved for the entire competition. If deemed serious enough by the Site Chairperson, Coach, and/or Head Judge, a student may be removed from the premises by a coach, parent, or guardian.