Mathematics & Statistics

There are a number of competitions which take place through the UWL Mathematics Department. Information about each individual competition can be found below:

• Regional Mathematical Modeling Challenges (WMMC)
• COMAP Modeling Competition (MCM & ICM)
• UW-La Crosse Calculus Competition
• William Lowell Putnam Competition
• Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC)

Regional Mathematical Modeling Challenges (WMMC)

Each October, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Mathematics hosts an annual mathematics contest called the Wisconsin Mathematical Modeling Challenge (WMMC).  This regional math contest gives undergraduate students the opportunity to apply their math skills to real world problems. The WMMC is currently one of three regional mathematical modeling contests.

In teams of three, students have 23 hours to develop and test a model and write a two-page summary of their findings; teams have one additional (24th) hour to finalize a 10 minute presentation explaining their results. Soon after preparing their presentations, teams present their findings to other student WMMC participants. The event concludes with an award ceremony that highlights the work of winning teams as determined by students and advisors. In the past, cash prizes have been awarded.

For more information about the WMMC (or other regional MMCs), visit our WMMC website. Talk to Dr. Song Chen or Dr. Chad Vidden if you are interested in participating. 

COMAP Modeling Competition (MCM & ICM)

Each spring, thousands of college students worldwide take part in the annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM) sponsored by COMAP (the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications). These competitions, held in mid February, require students to provide solutions to open ended real-world problems using mathematics.  Teams have 96 hours (4 days) to develop a model, test their model, analyze their results, and prepare a complete written report explaining their findings.

At the end of the 96 hours, teams send their papers to the judging committee, who rates papers based on readability, appropriate use of methods, and overall effectiveness of the paper using the following scheme:

• Successful Participant - The report responded to the requirements of the contest problem and communicated those results to the judges.
• Honorable Mention - (Top 40-50%) The team's report contained elements that were judged to contain good progress in modeling and problem solving.
• Meritorious - (Top 15-20%) The team's report was judged to be excellent in many aspects of modeling and problem solving. The report showed elements of modeling, problem solving, and communication that are exemplary for the scope of the contest.
• Finalist - (Next 0.5-1.0%)The designation Finalist recognizes those papers that reached the final round of judging. After 7 rounds of judging, those papers reaching the final round of judging constitute at most two percent of all papers.
• Outstanding Winner - (top 0.5-1.0%) The team was a Finalist whose report was judged to be at the highest level in terms of modeling, solving the contest problem, and communicating the solution. These reports are generally published and used as examples of outstanding student work.

If you're a student interested in participating in the MCM/ICM, or if you're an advisor hoping to recruit a team, check out some of these resources. Talk to Dr. Bennie if you are interested in participating.

UW-La Crosse Participation

Below is a summary of UWL participation in the MCM and ICM since 2009.

UW-La Crosse Calculus Competition

The UWL Calculus Competition consists of a 2-hour exam, with content based solely on materials from MTH 207 - Calculus I. The top participants are awarded a certificate as well as cash prizes, generously funded by the College of Science and Health. An informational flyer can be found here.

This year's upcoming Calculus Competition will take place on November 7th, 2015. Anyone interested should talk to Dr. Huiya Yan before October 31st.

UW-La Crosse Participation

Below is a summary of UWL participation in the Calculus Competition since 2012.

Previous Exams/Solutions

William Lowell Putnam Competition

The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is an annual contest for undergraduate college students established in 1938. Each year on the first Saturday in December, over 2000 students from the United States and Canada spend 6 hours (two 3-hour sittings) attempting to solve twelve problems (10 points each). The exam is considered to be very difficult; in 2012, the median score was 0 points out of 120 possible.

Cash prizes for the top five teams in recent years ranged from $5,000 to $25,000. Recent cash prizes for the top five individuals have been $2,500 each.

The next competition will take place on December 6, 2018.  If you would like to participate, please see Dr. Huiya Yan no later than October 1.

UW-La Crosse Participation

Below is a summary of UWL participation in the Putnam Competition since 2011.

Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC)

Unlike the other competitions, the MUDAC has a primary focus on statistics and data analysis. This competition gives students an opportunity to apply their data analysis skills to a problem of interest from a local outside organization. Students working in teams of 3-4 and have approximately 24 hours to carry out an analysis, provide a written summary of their findings, and prepare a brief oral presentation of their results to the organization. 

More than $1,000 in prizes are awarded to members of the top teams and all other participants are eligible for door prizes. 

More information is available at www.mudac.org. Talk to Dr. Bennie, Dr. Bingham, or Dr. Toribio if interested in participating.

UW-La Crosse Participation

Below is a summary of UWL participation in the MUDAC Competition since the first annual MUDAC in 2012.