At the Bard Math Circle contest program, we mainly focus on the AMC contests and Purple Comet. We are excited to host a new proof-based contest called AMM-Local, and we think it will be fantastic!
Date: Sunday, January 17, 2027
Location: 40+ sites around the USA, including Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
Registration: https://www.omegausa.org/programs/amm-local
Contest Format: Two 90-minute sessions, each session consists of 3 problems that require a math proof-style justification.
Is AMM-Local For You?: The answer for most students is no. This will be an extremely challenging contest, and we recommend reading the “Is AMM-L right for you” document before you register. Even high school students who are acing AP Calculus would not be prepared to succeed on this contest without specific preparation, and might become discouraged. Each AMM-L problem will require the student to make non-obvious connections between several key ideas, and then justify their solution in a detailed narrative. Look at page 2 of the document for a list of 4 sample problems. If you gain insight into even one of them in less than 90 minutes of focused work, then AMM-Local might be for you.
So why do it? Well, it’s not for everyone. But some students are motivated to dive deeply into mathematical discovery. The immense amount of learning to face these challenges is invaluable. They’ll also connect with other mathematically ambitious young people in our area and build community. And for adults, I have to admit that it is truly a thrill to witness Gen Z and Gen Alpha youngsters in deep concentration, with paper and pencil, but device free, thinkly profoundly about mathematical ideas.
The contest description states that the challenge level of AMM-Local is “roughly the ARML or BAMO-12 level”. What does that mean? The quick answer is that if this is the first time that you are hearing about ARML and BAMO-12, then this contest would likely not be a good experience. And if you have heard of them, then you already know if AMM-L the answer.
ARML is the American Regions Math League, and here is a link to their 2026 contest. I travel to ARML each year with the top high school math students from Upstate New York, and I can vouch for the extreme challenge level of this contest. We regularly turn students away from this experience, because it is too difficult, and they will gain nothing from trying. We even think that for the un-prepared, ARML will be a harmful experience.
BAMO is the Bay Area Math Olympiad. Here is a link to their 2026 contest. The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotbed of mathematical thought, with an overactive pre-college math enrichment culture. Sigh
Students who would thrive in this contest have typically been participating in math team contests like the AMC 8, MathCounts, Math Kangaroo, and Purple Comet since their middle school years. They likely have traveled to ARML already, or are eager to do so. In high school, they are the students at the top of the local math leagues (ours is the DUSO Math League). By thriving, I mean that the students might earn partial credit on even 1 of the 3 problems per session, and walk away with an intense feeling of accomplishment. To put this in perspective, there are likely fewer than 10 high school students across the country who will be able to solve 2 of the 3 problems in each of the sessions. It is very hard.
That said, the Bard Math Circle is very excited to be among the inaugural AMM-L host sites. We hope you will join us. And if not directly in the competition in January, let’s look through the problems together afterwards, when we can enjoy the challenge without the time pressure.