Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge

[aXiom_dt]

Has anyone here done the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge? It's my first time writing it this coming Wednesday and I would like to do well.

http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/open.shtml

In particular, I was wondering how leniently they are marked. What kind of marks will I earn for let's say showing the initial steps in a Part A question, but not getting the correct answer? And, more importantly, how detailed should my solution for Part B questions be in order to earn full marks? The solutions they have posted are so detailed and well organized that mimicking them would eat away all my time.

 

[Atomos]

not very lenient at all from what I gather. Myself and some others would get everything in part B (except for, usually, the last part of the last question), but make petty little mistakes in part A and ended up not doing very well. They really don't like giving part marks. As for B, if you just spit out a stream of consciousness you will be penalized. They are looking for elegant, clearly stated solutions since that is the only way they can distinguish between the top students who will be able to solve every question

 

[aXiom_dt]

Everything in Part B? I am not capable of that at the moment, but I do have 3 days to prepare - I really want to qualify for the CMO. Do you have any recommendations as to how I should spend the time I have left?

 

[Atomos]

The COMC is pretty accessible as in you don't need to know obscure number theorems or symmetries. Just do a few past exams to build confidence and get a good sleep.

 

[aXiom_dt]

What kind of mark would I get if I only had the answer for a Part B question?

(rather than showing the full solution that is)

 

[Atomos]

If you just wrote down the answer I doubt you would get anymore than 5/10, though I really don't know.

 

[aXiom_dt]

How did you get to the point of solving almost all of it? Did you prepare for a long period of time?

I tried doing Part A of an old contest and got 7/8 of them in an hour and 15 min, but only because I was lucky in that the hard ones involved combinations; I don't see myself doing anywhere as well as that in Part B. I know I don't have much time (2 afternoons now) but I'm also doing the Euclid in April and I need to get perfect on that one.

Anymore advice as to how I can guarantee 100% or near that would be great.

 

[mgiddy911]

no offense, but I wouldn't ask people for advice on how you can get near 100% on an exam 2 or 3 days before the exam. If it was known exactly what needed to be done to get near 100% the more and more people would do so.

 

[aXiom_dt]

no offense, but I wouldn't ask people for advice on how you can get near 100% on an exam 2 or 3 days before the exam. If it was known exactly what needed to be done to get near 100% the more and more people would do so.

Didn't.

 

[Junghoo]

well

did anyone get Part B 3 c) and 4 c)?

the answer to 3 c) is supposedly 2^x for positive integer values of x, but my friend forgot his proof, so...

 

[Junghoo]

for Part B question, you usually get 1 for an answer, which sucks.
and I got

Part A
1. 36
2. 180
3. 36
4. 1300
5. 134
6. 17
7. (4,9,-6); (9,4,-6)
8. 14,252

Part B
1. a) 1 b)36 c) 5, -1/3 d) 972, 4/3
2. a) 324 b) proof c) 144 d) 72
3. a) Alphonse (1,1,1,1,1,1,1) b) Beryl (2, 2, 2, 2)
4. a) 7.5 seconds b) (x,y) is on 120x^2 + 120 y^2-58800x-176400=0

 

[Junghoo]

Shoot

Turns out I'm wrong for 4 b). Damn it.