Overview. The contest promotes mathematics education in New Mexico by rewarding students, teachers, and their schools for mathematics excellence. Between 700 to 1200 New Mexico students benefit from this program annually. The contest is designed at high-school level, and New Mexico students from grades 5 through 12 have been participating. It has two examination rounds, each testing mathematical potential and ingenuity in addition to formal knowledge. Round I is administered at testing centers throughout NM and online. The top finalists from Round I are invited to the UNM Campus in early February to compete in Round II, administered as an in-person written exam. Prior to the Round II examination, a prominent mathematician or statistician gives a presentation available to all. Recent invited guest speakers for Round II of the contest include Yuliya Gorb of the National Science Foundation, Stefan Steinerberger of the University of Washington, and Poh-Shen Loh of Carnegie Mellon University.

2025-2026 Team.The 2025-2026 contest is co-directed by Professor James Degnan and Associate Professor Stephen Lau of UNM Mathematics and Statistics. Professor Cristina Pereyra is volunteering as an advisor and co-director. Sean Choi will serve as a coach for student participants.

Support. Sponsorship of the UNM-PNM Statewide High School Mathematics Contest comes from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and a grant from the PNM. The contest also awards prizes, through gifts from Mu Alpha Theta (the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society) and a generous discount from the American Mathematical Society.

To find out more about Mu Alpha Theta, their scholarships, grants, free math competitions, and other benefits, please visit www.mualphatheta.org. NCTM, MAA, SIAM, and AMATYC are sponsoring organizations of Mu Alpha Theta.

Donations. If you wish to support our contest, please click here to make a donation.

New Mexico Math Meet. Another event for middle school students is the NM³ which will be held September 20th at UNM. Please follow the link to the webpage for information registration.

2025-2026 contest

• Poster for this year's contest.
• Strategy sessions. Sean Choi will run two strategy sessions by Zoom: one on Friday, September 12th, and another on Wednesday, November 5th. Please follow the link above for details.
• Round I of the contest will be administered at test centers throughout the State over an arranged 3-hour window during the period November 7th to 10th, 2025
• Round II will be held at in-person at UNM on February 14th, 2026.
• School and Club Registration. Registration for teachers and schools is now open. After registering you will receive and email with information. Either click on the link above or use the following QR-code. Registrants should receive a new update by email on or about September 1st, 2025.

  

• Participant Registration. Registration for participants is now open. After registering you will receive and email with information. Either click on the link above or use the following QR-code.

  

  Registration closes 1 November 2025.

From 2024-2025 contest

• Awards Banquet. 11:00 AM Saturday, 19 April 2025, Ballroom C, Student Union Building (SUB) at UNM. Lunch will be served at 11:30 AM, with brief remarks beforehand. Awards will be presented after lunch.


• Zoom review session for round-2 problems by Sean Choi, 5:30 PM, March 27th, 2025.


• Winners of the 2024-2025 Contest.


• Solutions for Round 2.


• Solutions for Round 1.


• Poster for the 2024-2025 contest.


• Important dates.
  • Round 1: Friday to Monday, 22-25 November 2024
  • Speaker's presentation and Round 2: Saturday, 8 February 2025. Schedule.
  • Awards Banquet: 11:00 AM Saturday, 19 April 2025, Ballroom C, Student Union Building (SUB) at UNM.


• Public presentation for the 2024-2025 contest, Saturday, 8 February 2025, 10:00 AM
  Speaker: Po-Shen Loh (Carnegie Mellon University)
  Title: "How To Thrive In the Age of AI"
  
  In the afternoon, while the students are busy with the Round-2 contest, Professor Loh will be available to meet with parents as a group. See the schedule above.


• Special colloquium, Friday, 7 February 2025, 4:00 PM
  Speaker: Po-Shen Loh (Carnegie Mellon University)
  Title: "Using Math to Invent Solutions to Large-Scale Human Problems in Education and Healthcare"
  

From the 2023-2024 contest

• Poster for the 2023-2024 contest.
• Round I of the contest will be administered either online at home or at the student's home school over a suitable 3-hour window during the period November 11th to 13th.
• Round II will be held at in-person at UNM on February 10th, 2024.
  Schedule for the day: Round II Schedule.
• Public Lecture: In-person at 11 am, Februrary 10th. Video of Zoom Webinar below.
  Speaker: Prof. Stefan Steinerberger from the University of Washington. All are welcome!
  Title: "Simple Things That We Don't Know"

  

  Zoom Guest lecture (starting at 5:15) from Stefan Steinerberger (large file, 140 MB).

  Winners of the 2023-2024 Contest. Updated, 5 April 2024.