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Department ofMathematics and Computer Science

High School Math Day

Since 1958, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Santa Clara University sponsored an annual High School Mathematics Contest. Designed to test mathematical ingenuity, the contest rewarded winners with cash prizes. For most of its history, the contest was directed by Professor Leonard Klosinski. Professor Klosinski’s retirement (and advancement to the status of Professor Emeritus) and the pandemic have disrupted the regular rhythm of the contest, and no competition was held in 2020. We plan to reinvent the contest as a different kind of outreach activity, possibly in conjunction with the Julia Robinson Math Festival.

Watch this space for our new activity, which, like the contest, will be held annually on campus on a Saturday in early November. We do hope to be able to welcome high school students to visit our campus by November, 2021.

To be sure you hear news of our plans, please enter your contact information here.

The first twenty-five exams were published in the book, Santa Clara Silver Anniversary Contest Book, by G.L. Alexanderson, A. Hillman, L.F. Klosinski, D. Logothetti (Palo Alto: Dale Seymour Publications, 1985). (This book is now out of print.)

Statistics about recent exams are:

DateContestContestants
November 15, 2014 57th Contest 184
November 16, 2013 56th Contest 223
November 10, 2012 55th Contest 233
November 12, 2011 54th Contest 201
November 13, 2010 53rd Contest 215
November 14, 2009 52nd Contest 332
November 15, 2008 51st Contest 231
November 10, 2007 50th Contest 277
November 11, 2006 49th Contest 255
November 12, 2005 48th Contest 275
November 13, 2004 47th Contest 258
November 8, 2003 46th Contest 230
November 9, 2002 45th Contest 238
November 10, 2001 44th Contest 143
November 11, 2000 43rd Contest 254
November 13, 1999 42nd Contest 232
November 14, 1998 41st Contest 363
November 15, 1997 40th Contest 384
November 16, 1996 39th Contest 358
November 11, 1995 38th Contest 296
November 12, 1994 37th Contest 298