What happens when the answer isn’t obvious, the usual formula doesn’t quite fit, and you have to think your way through the problem? You take on the Australian Mathematics Competition!
On Thursday 6 August, students from Years 7–12 at Kolbe Catholic College swapped their usual maths routines for a series of challenging problems designed to test their logic, creativity and ability to think differently.
The AMC isn’t about simply remembering a formula and plugging in numbers. Students are often required to recognise patterns, make connections, test ideas and approach a problem from a completely different angle. It is mathematics with a little more mystery, and plenty of opportunities to get stuck, rethink and try again.
For Isaac in Year 8, the experience was about building confidence.“Participating in the AMC really built my confidence to solve challenging math problems and to think outside the box.”
Year 11 student Pavinyasre also saw the value of taking mathematics beyond the classroom, explaining that the AMC helped her see how “maths is needed in many different scenarios and to think outside of the box.”
And for Eisshan, Year 12, who has participated each year, the competition has become a way to see his problem-solving skills develop over time: “Watching as my impromptu problem-solving skills develop over this time has also been fun to see.”
The AMC gave our students a chance to challenge themselves, think differently and discover that sometimes, the most interesting part of mathematics is finding a way to the answer.
