The Opportunity
COMAP'S High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) and Middle Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MidMCM) are international contests designed to provide high school and middle school/level students with the opportunity to work as team members to engage and improve their modeling, problem solving, and writing skills. Contest problems are accessible using the mathematics taught at the respective levels of the contests.
Who can participate?
2025 marks the 28th HiMCM and the 5th MidMCM. All students in high school grades or below can participate in the HiMCM. Students 14½ years or younger on the start date of the contest can participate in the MidMCM. During the contest period, teams of up to four students apply mathematics to model and develop a solution to a real-world problem. There is no limit to the number of teams from any one school and no limit to the number of teams any one advisor can advise.
Why participate as a team member?
Students enjoy putting the mathematics learned in the classroom to the test of a real-world application problem. Students also improve interpersonal skills through teamwork and technical writing and communication skills as they prepare a written report. Students report feeling a great sense of accomplishment as they send their final solution paper to COMAP for judging.
Why participate as an advisor?
Some teachers use the contest as part of a mathematics or modeling course, some as an extracurricular math club activity, and some simply encourage student teams to participate just for fun. Educators enjoy watching students apply the mathematics and problem-solving skills learned in the classroom to a real-world problem. We encourage educators to share information about HiMCM and MidMCM with all mathematics teachers, as well as other high school and middle school/level STEM educators.
Previous HiMCM Problems Include:
- Roller Coasters: Develop an Objective Ranking System
- Drone Clusters as Sky Light Displays: Design an Aerial Drone Light Show
- Shop and Ship: Optimal Placement of Warehouses for 1-Day Ground Shipping
- Swim, Bike, and Run: Minimize Congestion and Road Closures for a Triathlon
- Art Gallery Security: Determine Most Secure Configuration for an Art Exhibit
Previous MidMCM Problems Include:
- Dog Park: Design a dog park
- Polygon Paradise Park: Develop a schedule to make the group’s day at the park the best possible.
- Preparing for Olympic Medal Ceremonies
Contest Process:
Teams have a 14-day window in which to download and choose their problem, complete their modeling solution, and electronically submit their solution document to COMAP for centralized judging. Teams are not required to use the full 14-day window. We encourage you and your students to form one or more teams to represent your school in this prestigious and fun international contest.
