Competition date: Thursday 2 August 2012	

    Primary and secondary school students in New Zealand will join hundreds of 
thousands of students from more than 40 countries to take part in the 35th 
annual Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) on Thursday 2 August. 

    Students of all levels of ability, from all types of schools in vastly 
different locations around the country will sit a 75-minute secondary paper or 
60-minute primary paper, which contains quirky questions with an emphasis on 
fun and problem solving.   

    The AMC is the first and believed to be one of the largest competitions of 
its kind in the world, with more than 1100 prizes and 60 medals awarded 
annually.  Since it began in 1978, it has become a truly international event, 
attracting more than 14 million entries over that time. 

    This year, there are entries from more than 40 countries across the Asia 
Pacific area, where it is regarded as the benchmark event, Europe, and Africa. 
Entries from Iran doubled and both Hong Kong and Indonesia had a significant 
increase in their numbers. There was an increase in both schools and overall 
numbers in Trinidad and Tobago. 

    Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the not-for-profit Australian 
Mathematics Trust, which administers the Competition, said, ‘The AMC is able to 
test a student’s normal classroom skills and further, their ability to adapt to 
new situations, using known mathematics to solve a problem in a new context’.

    ‘The AMC identifies many talented young mathematicians who go on to 
participate in Olympiad programs, can lead to them competing in the 
International Olympiads in Mathematics and Informatics and bringing home medals 
for New Zealand. Ultimately it opens up vastly more career opportunities as the 
demand for a technologically skilled work force increases’, he added.

    Students who are outstanding both within their country or Australian state 
and overall in the Competition are awarded medals at annual ceremonies. This 
year the New Zealand AMC Medals ceremony is being hosted by the Minister of 
Education, the Honourable Hekia Parata, in the Parliament Buildings in 
Wellington in early November.

    The Trust is under the Trusteeship of the University of Canberra. Support 
for the AMC also comes from the Canberra Mathematical Association.

    The following sample question appeared in the 2011 Intermediate paper (NZ 
Years 10 and 11).
		
    Problem:
    Three people play a game with a total of 24 counters where the result is 
always that one person loses and two people win. The loser must then double the 
number of counters that each of the other players has at that time. At the end 
of three games, each player has lost one game and each person has 8 counters. 
At the beginning, Holly had more counters than either of the others. How many 
did she have at the start?
(A) 9 (B) 11 (C) 13 (D) 16 (E) 24

    Answer:  (C) 13 
 
    Method: 
    At the end of the game, each player has 8 counters, so 24 counters are used 
in the game. Working backwards with players A, B and C, assume C lost the last 
game, B the second and A the first.
 									
    Last Game: A8, B8, C8
    2nd game:  A4, B4, C16
    1st game: A2, B14, C8
    Beginning: A13, B7, C4.

    This means that Holly started with 13 counters.


    For further information or to arrange interviews and photographs, please 
contact:

    Professor Peter Taylor, Australian Mathematics Trust
    pjt013@gmail.com
    +61 2 6201 2440 
    +61 412 258 699 

    Gus Gale, AMC Director for New Zealand
    gus.gale@paradise.net.nz 
    +64 3 354 3348

    Jan Collins, Australian Mathematics Trust
    jan.collins@amt.edu.au 
    +61 2 6201 2954
    +61 415 922 433

    Or visit www.amt.edu.au 

    SOURCE: The Australian Mathematics Trust