Articles

MATHCOUNTS serves as a transformative "threshold of mathematical adventure" that teaches students to find joy in problem-solving. The program helps young Mathletes discover that math is a shared exploration, and they, in turn, can inspire others to begin their own mathematical journeys.

Dr. Hui S. Jiang explores how a focus on maximizing gifted children's potential can create harmful pressure and anxiety. When success becomes the measure of worth, children learn to equate their identity with achievement, leading to perfectionism and fear of failure. Dr. Jiang shares how parents can break this cycle by intentionally shifting focus away from outcomes, normalizing struggle, creating non-performance spaces, and verbally affirming unconditional love. This thoughtful examination reminds us that our children's worth isn't measured by accomplishments, and that genuine curiosity and joy in learning matter more than external validation.

AoPS Summer Camps transform students' educational experiences by creating an environment where intellectual challenges replace test-focused mentality. Unlike the regular school year, these camps allow students to explore engaging material with exemplary instructors and like-minded peers, tackling topics many won't encounter in standard classrooms. Whether through mathematics or language arts programs, these camp experiences often become pivotal moments in a student's development, sparking interests that evolve into passions and potentially future careers.

Discover how to champion Beast Academy in your child's classroom, where 90% of educators report improved problem-solving skills and students thrive through engaging, collaborative mathematical challenges that transform how they learn.

The USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) challenges its contestants with bizarre scenarios involving millions of cows or billions of liters of milk, and only careful coding can set things right on Farmer John's chaotic farm. Learn more about how AoPS can help you prepare for this contest (and become an even stronger problem-solver!)

What are your chances for winning the Powerball or Mega Millions? We dive into strategies for increasing your chances of winning.

From letter distribution to first-word strategies, we analyze Wordle word lists for patterns and come up with tips for playing — and winning — mathematically.

The James Webb Space Telescope, named after NASA’s second administrator and nicknamed “Webb,” or “JWST”, blasted off into space on December 25th, 2021 with a perfect launch. Physics Curriculum Developer Bryn Bishop explains what we can expect to learn throughout Webb's journey, and what we'll learn after it reaches its final destination.