Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) is a mathematics competition held in Canada
that is one of the most often-used ways to determine participants for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad
. It is run by the Canadian Mathematical Society
and sponsored by Sun Life Financial
. The competition is targeted mainly at senior-level students, though younger students often participate.
Participants (known as "unofficial" participants) who do not satisfy these criteria cannot win any rewards. Students from foreign nations like the USA can participate as "unofficial" participants through a mathematics program in their school or otherwise.
Calculators of any sort are not permitted on the COMC.
s for scoring well on the COMC.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that is one of the most often-used ways to determine participants for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad
Canadian Mathematical Olympiad
The Canadian Mathematical Olympiad , is, as the name suggests, the national mathematical Olympiad of Canada. It is run by the Canadian Mathematical Society and sponsored by the company Sun Life Financial...
. It is run by the Canadian Mathematical Society
Canadian Mathematical Society
The Canadian Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and education in Canada.It was originally conceived in June 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress...
and sponsored by Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial Inc. is an international financial services company known primarily as a life insurance company. Based in Toronto, Canada, Sun Life and its partners provide insurance, retirement and investment solutions for individuals and businesses around the world including Canada, the United...
. The competition is targeted mainly at senior-level students, though younger students often participate.
History
The COMC was founded in 1996 by current chair Larry Rice.Qualification
"Official" qualifiers for the COMC must satisfy the following criteria:- They are less than 19 years of age at the time of the contest.
- They have been registered at a Canadian schoolSchoolA school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
since the beginning of the year of the contest.
Participants (known as "unofficial" participants) who do not satisfy these criteria cannot win any rewards. Students from foreign nations like the USA can participate as "unofficial" participants through a mathematics program in their school or otherwise.
Format
The annually held COMC is two and a half hours long with 12 problems. The questions are divided into two sections; the first section, known as Part A, has 8 problems and generally has easier problems, with each question being 5 points. Part B has 4 problems, and each problem is worth 10 points. The total score is out of 80, and the cutoff for CMO qualification is generally somewhere around 70. Approximately 7,000 people take the COMC annually.Calculators of any sort are not permitted on the COMC.
Awards
There are three types of awardAward
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
s for scoring well on the COMC.
- For each provinceProvinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, a Provincial Champion is named, who receives a plaque. - Approximately fifty high scorers on the COMC are selected as participants for the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad each year.
- A number of high ranking students receive a gold medalGold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
.