Concordia Students Win Big at American Mathematics Competition

At Concordia Shanghai, we do much more than help our students pass the next test. By focusing on fostering deeper learning in our students, we are enabling them to apply their acquired knowledge to new situations.

This is especially relevant when it comes to math learning, not only in their math classes, but also through various internal and external platforms including competitions.   

The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are a series of examinations and curriculum materials that build problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge in middle and high school students. Today, the competition has grown to over 300,000 students worldwide participating annually.  

Huge congratulations to all our Middle School and High School participants at the 2022 AMC (with medalists named below), with 14 making it to the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination).   

AMC 8 Winners 

AMC 10 Winners  

AMC 12 Winners  

“My favorite thing about AMC exams is that the AMC committee does not give out questions which use insignificant details to trick students. Instead, it tries to give questions which really demonstrate skill level,” says G8 student Connor. “I also appreciate how AMC extends and connects concepts to encourage students to think deeper.” 

For G 10 student Cathy, one of the top AIME qualifiers, the more problems she worked on, the more she realized that the core of competition math wasn’t memorization of procedures but the logic and connections behind axioms and theorems. “This change in mentality revamped my understanding of math as a process of induction and deduction, opening a new world of mathematical exploration to me,” says Cathy.  

What she likes the most about math is how it permeates countless other subjects and fields of study. By applying math to a recent biomedical engineering project, she was able to create a device that could diagnose Parkinson’s disease patients with empirical calculations and provide feedback with gait assistance. In addition, as a lover of art, she recognizes that many famous artists rely on underlying geometric and spatial concepts to create their masterpieces. “Overall, math acts as a fundamental element in many of my interests and hobbies,” says Cathy.   

For Connor, math is a fascinating subject. He says, “All the concepts are interconnected and link to each other, which makes exploring concepts and thinking deeper interesting.”  

Read more on “How Concordia teachers approach math teaching”

Both Connor and Cathy started engaging in competition math at a younger age. As Connor was going to middle school, the math club supported his interest, and he also became a participant in HighFour competitions.   

Cathy’s interest in math was spurred by the Honors Precalculus class. “Throughout the past year, Dr. Tong has continuously challenged me to ask the question ‘why?’ every time he introduces new ideas or methodologies to our class. He has pushed me to dig deeper into how concepts are interconnected with one another,” shares Cathy.  

“In addition, our high school math club Society of Unique Mathematicians (SUM) has also played a significant role in my engagement with math and participation in competitions,” she adds. As a SUM member for two years and a co-leader for one year, she regards it as a fascinating experience full of new opportunities: “My favorite aspect of the club is its seminar series, in which we organize lectures from staff members where they discuss the real-world application of mathematics in their careers.”