CANTON -- SUNY Canton will be hosting a Mathematical Association of America (MAA) American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 8 at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in Dana Hall, Room 230.

The competition provides an opportunity for middle school students to apply classroom skills to real-world problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment. Participants develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics, skills that can significantly contribute to their future careers.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice examination in middle school mathematics for students in grades 5-8 who are 14-and-a-half or younger (as of the end of January 2024). Designed by the MAA, this competition aims to foster problem-solving and creative quantitative thinking skills among students in grades 5-8. It is the initial step in a series of international contests, including the one that determines the U.S. team for the International Math Olympiad.

The material covered in the AMC 8 includes various topics from a typical middle school mathematics curriculum. These may include but are not limited to counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry (including the Pythagorean Theorem), spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. The exam may also involve more advanced topics such as linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other concepts traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to register their children for the AMC 8 through the MAA websiteprior to the event.

For those looking to help prepare their child for the AMC 8 competition, SUNY Canton Professor Jiayuan Lin is offering a free review book. Lin teaches mathematics for the college's Canino School of Engineering Technology and is reachable by email at linj@canton.edu.

The event is one of the initial community offerings orchestrated by SUNY Canton's new Center for Workforce, Community and Industry Partnerships.