The American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) is an annual national mathematics competition. High school students form teams of 15 members to represent their city, state, county or school and compete against the best students from the United States and Canada.
Responding originally in 1975 to a desire to have competition between mathematics leagues that had grown up on the East Coast, an end-of-the-year competition was set up and called the Atlantic Region Mathematics League (ARML). As the reputation and prestige of this meet grew, teams from other parts of the country began traveling to Penn State where the meet was held for many years. It became the place where this nation's best secondary students mathematics met each other and built national reputations. Minnesota first sent teams in 1989, and the Minnesota team has ranked in the top ten nationally in all but two years since 1992. In 1997 the Minnesota team took first place in the competition and were declared national champs!
The competition attracts over 100 all-star teams from the United States and Canada. The meet is held simultaneously at three sites (Penn State, the University of Iowa, and San Jose State University) that are linked electronically on the day of the competition.
Two teams of 15 students (Minnesota Gold and Minnesota Maroon) are sent to Iowa each year. Those invited to be on our teams not only gain national exposure, but the three Saturdays of special training held in May on the Macalester College campus allow them to learn a lot of mathematics in the company of other students able to work at an advanced level.
Guaranteed invitations are extended to the students who achieved one of the top 10 individual point totals during the regular Math League season; students who achieved one of the top 10 scores on the AMC; and students who achieved one of the top ten scores at the state tournament. Invitation letters are sent out in late Mach and students are asked to respond by April 15. On three Saturdays in May, practices are held to prepare for the meet which is on the first Saturday in June.
The two teams and four coaches travel via a private bus to the University of Iowa in Iowa City. They leave on Friday and return at approximately 9 p.m. on Saturday. While in Iowa, they stay in dormitories on the University of Iowa campus.
Each student agrees to raise $250 to pay for the expenses involved with the ARML competition. Frequently, their school provides these funds.