The Purpose.
The International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM2C) promotes the teaching of mathematical modeling and applications across the globe. Established on the firm belief that students and teachers need to experience the power of mathematics to help better understand, analyze, and solve real world problems outside of mathematics itself – and to do so in realistic contexts, the IM2C continues to grow in participation and impact of promoting educational change.
Why a School Level Contest?
Universities, governments, and industry recognize the importance of mathematical modeling. Modeling courses have proliferated in undergraduate and graduate mathematical science and STEM departments worldwide. University level modeling competitions have grown and are flourishing. At the school level, however, there are few courses and fewer such contests even amid signs of the growing recognition of modeling’s centrality.
One important way to influence secondary school culture, and its teaching and learning practices, is to provide the opportunity for a high-level, prestigious secondary school contest – one that will have broad international recognition. In this effort COMAP partnered with NeoUnion ESC Organization to create the IM2C.
The Challenge:
The IM2C is a true team competition and a true challenge. Real problems require a mix of different kinds of high-school level mathematics, along with conceptual thinking and logic, for their analysis and solution. Real problems take time and teamwork. The IM2C provides students with the enriching experience of working as a member of a team in applying mathematics learned in school in order to solve a relevant real-world problem.
Contest Process:
Countries/Regions involved in IM2C have differing processes in regional preliminary rounds of the challenge. Each country/region may choose up to two teams to compete in the international judging round of the IM2C. Interested schools and students must contact their country/region representative. Click here for country/region contacts.
The IM2C contest window is from mid-February through late-April. Teams of up to four students choose five (5) consecutive days to download the problem, work together on their modeling solution, and electronically prepare their solution document. Advisors submit solution papers to IM2C. We encourage you and your students to contact your country/region representative to participate in this prestigious, fun, and challenging international competition.
Note About USA Participants:
The USA Regional IM2C is a by-invitation competition. COMAP invites teams who excelled in COMAP’s fall HiMCM or MidMCM. COMAP will contact team advisors with an invitation and instructions for participation in February. Teams participating in the USA Regional Round compete to be one of the two teams the USA sends to the IM2C International Round.