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Guideline and RegulationsTeam composition and eligibility
Conflict of Interest PolicyYHMA strives to encourage all to participate in mathematics investigation, and it wants to encourage members of the mathematics community to get involved. For instance, members of international committees, national committees or regional committees may recruit their students, former students, colleagues, associates, friends and relatives to participate. This policy is intended to balance the interests of all participants and the need of recruitment. Except explicitly mentioned below, all are encouraged to participate freely.
Any team that fails to satisfy the general eligibility or the conflict of interest policy will be deprived of any rights to prize and honor. Any team that meets to the general eligibility and the conflict of interest policy will be evaluated solely according to the rules stated in the section ¡°Selection Criteria.¡± Research AreaThe areas of research must be mathematical sciences and their applications, such as:
Perspective participants may consult our advisors for references or referral to college professors as coaches/mentors. Selection CriteriaThe YHMA strives to provide a fair and encouraging environment for all participants. Depending upon the level of competition, projects will be evaluated by regional, national or international panels. All panelists are asked to evaluate each project with professionalism and scholarship according to the following criteria.
The topics for investigations could be pure mathematics including applied mathematics and statistics. In applied mathematics, the issues could be in all the subject areas mentioned in the section of ¡°Research Area¡±. However, the leading factor for evaluation will be in the level of innovation of mathematical methodology in the project. Subjects for investigation could be either original problems or existing conjectures. A participating team is responsible for adequate literature review on the background or originality of its problems. A problem known to the learned community in general, but unknown to the participating teams do not constitute originality. Successful projects, especially those in applied mathematics, are expected to either develop new methodology or to synthesize existing techniques. A routine application of existing methodology may not be competitive. Development of methodology and solutions are expected to demonstrate rigorous concepts and derivations. A project carries high merits if the results will induce other or further advance in mathematical sciences or if the methodology has potential for application in wider or other applications. A report has to be well written, with an abstract in less than one page, review of the background problems and methodology, and citation of references. The report must also make clear distinction between background materials and original contributions. An oral presentation should demonstrate the background of the problem, key background materials, and above all, the teams¡¯ original contributions. In oral presentation, it is expected that every participating student will speak on behalf of the team in an organized manner. In an applied mathematics project, the topics and results are expected to be relevant to its subject area. Its impact will carry merits, but such merits do not override the merit in the previous criteria, especially in Criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Assessment ProcessSuccessful participants are subjected to several levels of assessments: Research Report Review, Regional Presentation, and Final Competition (Oral Defense)
Each submitted research report will first be screened by a Screening Panel to determine whether it has met basic academic standards. Each report that passes the initial screening is sent to members of the Prize Selection Committee (Overseas) or referees in the relevant fields for review. The Prize Selection Committee (Overseas) will select about ten teams to participate in the ¡°Regional Presentation¡±. Each invited team will be given 20 minutes to verbally present its project in front of an expert panel. Visual aids such as display board, overhead transparency and computer projection are allowed. Each team is subjected to no more than ten minutes of questions from the panel. Only student members could participate in the presentation. The panel consists of mainly college professors. Two regional presentations will take place outside greater China. Participants outside Asia must present their projects on October 17, 2009 in Los Angeles. Participants in Asia but outside greater China could choose to present their projects either in Los Angeles or on October 3, 2009 in Singapore. Presentations in Singapore will be videotaped, and will be judged along with all overseas participants by a single panel on Oct 17, 2009. The presentation is not open to public. However, up to four representatives from each invited team could observe each presentation. Questions and comments from the audience are not allowed during all presentations and Q&A time. The Scientific Committee of Shing-Tung Yau High School Mathematics Awards consists of the International Committee and the National Committee. The committee is the highest authority of the assessment and guarantees the academic standard of the Awards. The National Committee has the right to review recommendation of the Prize Selection Committee (Overseas). It also has the right to review the research reports of the recommended finalists. Once a finalist team is approved by the National Committee, this team is qualified to participate in the Final Competition (Oral Defense) in Beijing, China in December 2009. Members of the Scientific Committee adjudicate the oral defense. Each team selected to participate in the oral defense will make a brief presentation of their research, followed by an inquiry before the members of the Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee will take into consideration the team's performance in the oral defense session when choosing the winners of YHMA. Academic Honesty and GuidanceIn the process of the research, students are encouraged to consult with experts and coaches. However, team members should have actually performed the research task and should truly understand the content of their work. Methods and results due to others used in the research should be cited, and documented in a reference list of the report. Each participating team should observe the common standard of academic integrity adopted by most mathematics journals or degree theses. Intellectual PropertyOriginal work and results are the intellectual belongings to the participants and this is respected by YHMA. The YHMA only reserves the first right of refusal on the works of award winners. Winners should approach the YHMA before they publish their works or derive any benefit from it. In addition, works of winners may be used in part or in full for the promotion of YHMA in future. Research ReportsEach research report should have at least the following sections.
Each report is subjected to the following restriction: Names of students, teachers/coaches, mentors, their affiliations, states/provinces, countries should not appear anywhere other than the cover page of the report. The prizesThe prizes are given according to the level of competitions. Regional prizes (Overseas):
Additional Opportunities
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