MaPP Challenge 2024: Dahlia in the Riddling Realm
Saturday, March 2 from 9am-3pm
The MaPP Challenge is a team-based mathematical puzzle competition for high school students held at multiple college campuses across the country. Unlike traditional math competitions, our puzzle hunt rewards players’ problem-solving ability over their previous mathematical background, pulling ideas from outside the usual arithmetic-to-calculus sequence.
Puzzles
MaPP shredded the multiple choice tests, and instead designed several mathematical puzzles which will give your students a taste of real mathematical problem solving. Rather than solving for x, players will be challenged with cracking codes and uncovering hidden messages using their critical thinking and ingenuity. Here is a sample puzzle to get your students excited about puzzling. Find the solution on the main mappmath.org page.
Team-building
The MaPP Challenge is a team-based competition, emphasizing collaboration and communication over individual work, as teamwork is crucial for success in both industry and academia. SLU welcomes up to two teams per school, with 2-6 players on a team.
Fun
These challenges won’t all be solved sitting down – you'll find clues all over SLU's campus, giving players the opportunity to explore and connect with SLU. This year's hunt features GPS- location based puzzles unlocked by players' cell phones!
In addition to all of the above, MaPP designs its programs to fit the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice. Successful players will...
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Model with mathematics.
- Use appropriate tools strategically.
- Attend to precision.
- Look for and make use of structure.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Teams will be presented with puzzles testing their deductive reasoning ability and introducing concepts from mathematical fields such as cryptography, game theory, or others. Solving puzzles will require the team to run out and interact with Saint Louis University’s campus. For more details about the puzzles, see http://mappmath.org/programs/challenge/
The 2024 challege will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 9am-3pm on the campus of Saint Louis University. All Saint Louis area high schools are invited to compete. Schools may register up to 2 teams of 2-6 players. Register by February 16 to ensure your spot. Registration fee is $20/team and includes lunch.
Contact Dr. Bryan Clair (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to register.