The Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC) is an annual competition run by the Princeton University Math Club. PUMaC is an entirely student-run competition; Math Club volunteers have organized PUMaC since 2006.
Teams of eight high school students compete in individual, team, and proof-based math assessments.
Syllabus & Schedule
syllabus
Including but not limited to
- Arithmetic and Logic - Algebra - Geometry - Number Theory - Counting and Probability
Schedule
PUMaC this year will be held on the following days (in-person):
TBA
Criteria & Format
The format of the test consists of several competition rounds outlined below. Refer to the official PUMaC website for more information.
Criteria to Qualify
There are no prerequisites to participate in this competition.
Please note, however, this is a competition students who are at most in the 8th grade.
Format
Individual Rounds Team Round Guts Round
More Information About Format
The format of the test consists of several competition rounds outlined below.
Individual Rounds
Each participant of PUMaC will take two Individual Tests from a choice of four: Algebra, Combinatorics, Geometry, and Number Theory. The Individual Tests will have eight problems in the subject areas chosen by the participants. Each Individual Test is 60 minutes.
For teams not composed of Individual applicants, when computing scores, the top 5 scores per subject are summed per team. This means that if more than 5 people take the same test, the team is implicitly put at a disadvantage. Teams composed of Individual applicants have no restrictions on test numbers.
Team Round
The Team Test is an on-site test in which collaboration is allowed (and encouraged). Each team will be given a set of instructions and problems, and they must do their best to finish the exam within the time limit given. This round is not proof-based.
The questions will mostly be unrelated to each other, but some of them may be strung together by a common theme.
The Team Test traditionally has a “game” component in which teams have the opportunity to increase their score.
Power Round
The Power Round is a way for PUMaC to expose a team to what proof-based mathematics is about – questions that may take more than an hour or two and require creative thinking to solve. The Power Round will be made available online for teams a week before the competition date. The exact date and time will be announced to teams via email.The eight students comprising a single team may collaborate on this test. There is no time limit, except that the day of the competition is the due date. As such, the team will have approximately a week to work on the exam.
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