Meet General Info
Please note that the online meet process continues to be refined. As currently defined, a meet has the following parts:
- Individual Events Each mathlete will take two of the four individual events (A, B, C, and D). There will be two 15-minute time intervals during which each mathlete will take their two events, with a fixed short time interval (about 2 minutes) in between. For example, a mathlete taking individual events A and B would take event A during the Individual Event 1 interval, and take event B during the Individual Event 2 interval. Another mathlete taking individual events B and D would take event B during the Individual Event 1 interval and event D during the Individual Event 2 interval. No calculators are allowed during Individual Events.
- Team Event After a variable time interval to establish communication with subteammates (about 10 minutes), each mathlete will take the team event as part of a predesignated subteam within the ISM/ERA team, either the "Scoring Team" (8 mathletes) and the "Alternate Team" (everyone else, even it is just one mathlete or twenty). One mathlete per subteam will be predesignated to be the recorder, who will enter the answers. The Team Event time interval is 30 minutes. Upon completion of the team event, the meet is done for the day. Calculators are allowed during the Team Event.
- Challenge Period On the morning following the day when all Minnesota teams have completed the meet (hopefully Tuesday, but could be delayed by various reasons), the solutions will be posted statewide. Mathletes have the rest of that day to review the solutions and contact their coach if they feel a challenge is warranted. A challenge may be warranted for several reasons, including (a) the posted solution is incorrect, (b) the posted solution is incomplete (i.e., there exist one or more additional unstated solutions), (c) the problem itself is ambiguous, in that there are multiple interpretations which lead to different solutions. Upon being contacted by a mathlete, the coach and mathlete will discuss, and, if the mathlete and coach agree a challenge is warranted, the coach will submit a challenge to the appropriate Math League contact (the Division Coordinator, I think). The Math League problem-writing team will review the challenge, issue a ruling to the coach and, if appropriate, modify the mathlete's score (and, if appropriate, the team's score). The coach will then inform the mathlete (and team) of the ruling and possible score change(s).
Meet Timeline
For example, if we get together at 4:30p sharp on Monday and officially begin the meet at 4:40 pm, the timeline might look like this:
- 4:40-4:55 pm Individual Event 1
- 4:55-4:57 pm Between-Event Interval (fixed)
- 4:57-5:12 pm Individual Event 2
- 5:12-5:22 pm Set up communication (variable)
- 5:22-5:52 pm Team Event. Meet complete. Done for the day.
- 12 noon Tuesday Solutions are posted and Individual and Team results are posted.
- 12:00-11:59 pm Tuesday Mathletes review solutions
- 12:00-11:59 pm Tuesday Mathlete contacts coach with challenge. They discuss.
- 12:00-11:59 am Wednesday If mathlete and coach agree, coach submits challenge to Math League
- Thursday Math League reviews challenge and responds to coach
- Friday Coach responds to mathlete regarding challenge and informs team if team score changes
Uniform Grading Procedure, Terms, and the Challenge Process
The official uniform grading procedures, terms, and challenge process are available on the MSHSML website. This document addresses the a*sqrt(b) and p/q rules, defines terms you are assumed to know, and outlines the challenge process (similar to above). A conveniently named PDF file is given here:
uniform_grading_procedures_and_challenge_process__league_manual_appendix_f__-_mshsml_-_2020-10-22.pdf |
Determination of Team and Individual Points and a Team's Rank within its Division and Section
For each individual event, problem #1 is worth 1 point and problems #2-4 are each worth 2 points. Thus each mathlete may individually earn up to 7 points on each of two events, and 7 + 7 = 14 points total for the meet. For the team event, problems #1-6 are each worth 4 points. a team may earn up to 6(4) = 24 points. The maximum possible total team score for a (school) team is (8 scoring-team mathletes) (14 points / scoring-team mathlete) + 24 points = 112 + 24 = 136 points.
These total team score points are used to determine the ranking points within the (geographical) division and (virtual, generally similar school-size or capability) section. The team that finishes first in each section at the end of the regular season (5 meets) receives an automatic invitation to the state tournament. This is one of our team goals.
With each meet, all schools' total team scores are compared. Teams are then ranked, and ranking points are awarded. The last-place team is awarded 1 ranking point, and each increase in ranking position results in additional ranking point, with an extra ranking point for the first-place team. For example, in an eight-team division, the ranking point scores would be: 1 point (8th place), 2 points (7th place), 3 points (6th place), ..., 6 points (3rd place), 7 points (2nd place, and 9 points (8 + 1 bonus, 1st place). It's good to finish first. If two or more schools have the same value of total team scores, they split the ranking points. For example if two teams tie for second place, each would receive (6 + 7) / 2 = 6.5 ranking points.
Because both individual events and particular problems within an individual event vary in difficulty, the Math League has established a method to determine a weighted point score for each individual event problem. The method is described in the following note.
These total team score points are used to determine the ranking points within the (geographical) division and (virtual, generally similar school-size or capability) section. The team that finishes first in each section at the end of the regular season (5 meets) receives an automatic invitation to the state tournament. This is one of our team goals.
With each meet, all schools' total team scores are compared. Teams are then ranked, and ranking points are awarded. The last-place team is awarded 1 ranking point, and each increase in ranking position results in additional ranking point, with an extra ranking point for the first-place team. For example, in an eight-team division, the ranking point scores would be: 1 point (8th place), 2 points (7th place), 3 points (6th place), ..., 6 points (3rd place), 7 points (2nd place, and 9 points (8 + 1 bonus, 1st place). It's good to finish first. If two or more schools have the same value of total team scores, they split the ranking points. For example if two teams tie for second place, each would receive (6 + 7) / 2 = 6.5 ranking points.
Because both individual events and particular problems within an individual event vary in difficulty, the Math League has established a method to determine a weighted point score for each individual event problem. The method is described in the following note.
math_team_note_on_weighted_points_-_maclennan_-_2020-10-27.pdf |
Weighted points are used to determine the ranking of individual mathletes within the division and within the state. The top 10 students in the division receive an award (typically a certificate for the top 10 and a plaque for the top 3), and the top student receives an automatic invitation to the Invitational Event at the state tournament.
The top 75 or so students in the state receive an invitation to the Invitational Event at the state tournament as well. (Note that the weighted points are generally different for a each division and for the entire state, as they depend upon the particular population's number of scoring-team students that answered the problem correctly.)
Note that a mathlete's inclusion on the school's scoring team has no effect upon that mathlete's pursuit of individual awards. Weighted points are determine in the same manner for all mathletes within a division (for division ranking) and within the state (for state ranking).
The top 75 or so students in the state receive an invitation to the Invitational Event at the state tournament as well. (Note that the weighted points are generally different for a each division and for the entire state, as they depend upon the particular population's number of scoring-team students that answered the problem correctly.)
Note that a mathlete's inclusion on the school's scoring team has no effect upon that mathlete's pursuit of individual awards. Weighted points are determine in the same manner for all mathletes within a division (for division ranking) and within the state (for state ranking).