FAQ
What exactly is the WMMC?
The Wisconsin Mathematical Modeling Challenge (WMMC) is a regional
modeling contest for undergraduate students. In 2008, the
University of Iowa hosted the first such regional contest,
(called the Midwest Mathematical Modeling Competition, or MMMC), which involved 13
teams from 5 different schools. Starting in 2009, the
contest expanded to include two satellite sites: one at
UW-La Crosse (WMMC) and one at Shippensburg University (CVMMC).
How is the WMMC different from the COMAP MCM
and ICM contests?
The original WMMC arose through an attempt to address some of
the (very few) shortcomings of the COMAP contests.
Primarily, the WMMC was designed to provide students with
immediate feedback for their solutions and to give them an
opportunity to interact with students from other institutions
and observe the different solution approaches from other teams.
In order to implement this structure, there needed to be several
key changes from the COMAP model:
- All student teams work on their solutions at a regional host site.
- Teams have only 24 hours to prepare a solution to one of the given problems.
- Each team prepares a brief oral presentation of their model and a one-page summary of their results.
- An advisory panel reviews and provides feedback for summaries; students peer-review the oral presentations.
Who may participate and what exactly constitutes a team?
An WMMC team consists of three undergraduate students.
Is there a registration fee?
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Mathematics
has generously offered to provide all contest resources for
competitors this year. A registration fee of $75 per team will
be imposed to help defray the cost of food.
How do I register my team(s)?
To register a team, first contact Dr. Eager with the number of teams your institution plans to send.
Once arrangements have been made, you will be sent additional information about how to make a secure online payment.
Is there a limit on how many teams can a school enter?
Yes.
Due to space limitations we will (initially) impose a two team
per school cap. More teams may be allowed to participate but
this will not be determined until we have a better understanding
of overall interest in the contest. Please respond with the
number of teams you would like to bring (this number may be
greater than 2) by October 12, 2012.
Each team will be provided with
- An independent workspace (a classroom)
- One computer with internet access and Microsoft Office software.
- Food and drink
Will sleeping arrangements be made for the student teams?
No. This is a 24-hour contest, students may bring items to make
their room more comfortable but it is their decision how/if they
choose to sleep.
- A computer (or computers) loaded with preferred modeling software and preferred word processing software
- Reference materials (helpful textbooks, notes from past classes, etc.)
- Lots of energy
When and
where do we find the problems?
The problems will be revealed at
11 a.m. on site on the day of the contest. The problems
will be announced to all participants simultaneously.
Who are the judges?
Team advisors (primarily math faculty) will judge the abstracts.
Students will judge each other's presentations.
How long are the presentations expected to be?
10 minutes.
How long are the summaries expected to be?
No more than one page using single-spaced 12 point font.
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NOTE: This list is not
complete, as questions are asked they will be added to this list.