For Teachers
How do I work with a talented young student?
Where can I get materials?
The best way to get your student ready for the all-state math team is to support his or her interest in math. Just as talent needs to be developed in sports, so it needs to be developed in mathematics. In the USA and in Georgia there are many resources to help. We are one. We can help you with that special student and can be contacted at
Math tournaments help. Math projects help. Reading about math helps. The page on Team Selection explains how the all-state team, called the Georgia ARML Team, is selected. Remember that the ARML team looks at the most positive things your student has done, not the most negative. A poor test is something to learn from, not something to despair.
Here are specific resources that will help your students take tournaments at a high level.
Math Tournaments
The tournament in Georgia are listed at the Georgia Teachers of Mathematics website.
The tournament in Georgia are listed at the Georgia Teachers of Mathematics website.
There are tournaments in other states that are excellent practice, although results from these cannot be used to qualify for the Georgia all-state team.
For 9th and 10th graders the State JV tournament is important. It is usually held in March. This year it will be March 31, 2007.
The ARML team is announced at the GCTM state tournament (date not set but traditionally the last weekend in April). This tournament is by invitation. To be invited you team should be one of the top scoring teams in your division at any Georgia tournament during the year. From the ARML team’s point of view your student should compete as often as possible.
The American Mathematics Competition (AMC) tests
These tests are very important to the ARML team since almost everyone takes them. A good score really helps the student but a bad one does not disqualify. The four AMC tests are the AMC10, AMC12, American Invitational Mathematics exam (AIME), and the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO).
Very important. Have your student(s) take the AMC tests twice. If a 9th or 10 grader, have them take the AMC10 the first time and the AMC12 the second.
Tutorials and Books
Secrets of Georgia ARML – this is a set of tutorials, mostly written by previous members of Georgia ARML, teaching advanced mathematical topics. Some of this is in xeroxed form and frequently distributed to coaches at tournaments. Some is on a website. Contact us for details. Link to Secrets of Georgia ARML 1, compiled by Angelique Allen, the GACS math team coach.
Art of Problem Solving -- this organization at www.artofproblemsolving.com is dedicated to making you good at mathematics. Buy the books The Art of Problem Solving. These books are so important in the US as to almost represent a second, more advanced mathematics curriculum.
High level tests
The AIME – Probably the single best thing you can do is to get your student to work old AIME or AMC examinations. They represent the correct level of difficulty for the ARML team. These can be ordered from www.amc.org.
The AIME – Probably the single best thing you can do is to get your student to work old AIME or AMC examinations. They represent the correct level of difficulty for the ARML team. These can be ordered from www.amc.org.
Tests taken in school during the year
Mandelbrot test www.mandelbrot.org
We recommend these highly. The Mandelbrot test is of appropriate difficulty for ARML preparation and includes a proof. It has two parts: a 40 minute 8 question test, taken by as many students as the school wishes, and a 1 hour proof, done by a special team of four chosen by the coach.
The ARML Power question is an hour long proof type question done by as many students as the teacher wishes at the same time. It consists of many parts of varying difficulty, most requiring some proof. Very good for your whole math team.
