WOOT Description and Q&A

DPatrick (22:57:48)
Welcome to tonight's Math Jam!

DPatrick (22:58:00)
Before we get started I would like to take a moment to explain our virtual classroom to those who have not previously participated in a Math Jam or one of our online classes.

DPatrick (22:58:09)
The classroom is moderated, meaning that students can type into the classroom, but only the moderators can choose a comment to drop into the classroom. This helps keep the class organized and on track. This also means that only well-written comments will be dropped into the classroom, so please take time writing responses that are complete and easy to read. Also, only moderators can enter into private chats with other people in the classroom.

DPatrick (22:58:24)
Additionally, the virtual classroom is TeX enabled. TeX allows users to make nice equations and other math expressions. If you would like to learn how to write in TeX/LaTeX, click on the "LaTeX" tab on the left side panel of our website: there is a tutorial and reference guide there.

DPatrick (22:58:38)
Using TeX in the virtual classroom is slightly different than using it on the message board or in a TeX editor. If anything you type up in a post that uses TeX then you must use a semicolon (;) to begin your post. For example, if you type

DPatrick (22:58:55)


DPatrick (22:59:02)
This message will look like this when posted in the classroom:

DPatrick (22:59:08)


DPatrick (22:59:13)
Just remember, if your post uses TeX, use the semicolon (;) to begin your post!

DPatrick (22:59:25)
Tonight's Math Jam is being simulcast at the meeting of the Las Vegas Futurists, which is a reading and discussion group devoted to exploring accelerating change in technology, science, society and business. We are pleased to have them joining us tonight!

DPatrick (22:59:38)
Tonight, the Art of Problem Solving is pleased to unveil...

DPatrick (22:59:44)
WOOT!

DPatrick (22:59:50)
WOOT is Worldwide Online Olympiad Training.

DPatrick (22:59:59)
Plus, it's fun to say... "Woot!"

DPatrick (23:00:12)
WOOT is a 7-month online training program for students who are preparing for their national math Olympiad. WOOT 2005-06 will run from mid-September, 2005 to mid-April, 2006.

DPatrick (23:00:25)
Why WOOT?

DPatrick (23:00:31)
Most students have little or no Olympiad-level experience or instruction before they take a National Olympiad. WOOT remedies this problem by offering test-taking and solution-writing practice with feedback, classes with past Olympiad winners, and collaboration with the some of the top high school math students in the world.

DPatrick (23:00:46)
Specifically, WOOT will include the following activities:

DPatrick (23:00:54)
1) At least two 2-hour online lectures per month for six months, starting mid-September. Each class will be offered twice (times to be determined) to alleviate time conflicts.

DPatrick (23:01:00)
2) Problem lists to reinforce the lectures.

DPatrick (23:01:40)
3) 8 Olympiad-style tests, each structured similar to one day of the USAMO or IMO. Tests will be offered at varying difficulty levels on each testing date.

DPatrick (23:01:56)
4) Detailed feedback on student work on each of the 8 Olympiad-style tests.

DPatrick (23:02:09)
5) WOOT message board for discussing lectures, solving lecture problem lists, and post-test.

DPatrick (23:02:17)
6) 24-hour online classroom access for WOOT participants to collaborate.

DPatrick (23:02:29)
Numerous International Math Olympiad participants and USA Mathematical Olympiad winners (including the current Art of Problem Solving instructors) will be WOOT instructors.

DPatrick (23:02:42)
WOOT is ideal for students preparing for a National Olympiad such as the USA Mathematical Olympiad. Due to generous sponsorship from D. E. Shaw group, 2005 Math Olympiad Summer Program participants are invited to join WOOT for free. Therefore, all participants in WOOT will have the opportunity to train with the top high school students in the United States.
Note added July 12th, 2005: Google has joined as a primary WOOT sponsor.

DPatrick (23:02:58)
We'll be happy to answer your questions about WOOT later in the Math Jam. Right now, we want to give you an idea of the type of problems that WOOT students will be tackling. I'm going to turn things over to Richard Rusczyk now.

rrusczyk (23:03:06)
Before getting started with the problem, I'd like to offer a special thanks to all those of you who showed up late on a Friday night to learn about WOOT. (Especially those of you out on the East Coast!) Rest assured, WOOT classes will be more conveniently scheduled for you!

rrusczyk (23:03:14)
This sample problem is roughly a 3 or a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is for the easier problems in WOOT and 10 is for the harder problems in WOOT.

rrusczyk (23:03:23)
Those of you who have been in the Olympiad Geometry class or the Olympiad Geometry class Math Jams will probably recognize this one.

rrusczyk (23:03:25)
Let ABC be a triangle and D be the foot of the altitude from A. Let E and F be on a line passing through D such that AE is perpendicular to BE, AF is perpendicular to CF, and E and F are different from D. Let M and N be the midpoints of the line segments BC and EF, respectively. Prove that AN is perpendicular to NM.

rrusczyk (23:03:29)


rrusczyk (23:03:33)
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Classes/GeomOlympiad/Images/Firstap.gif

mna851 (23:04:05)
Looks a little scary

rrusczyk (23:04:40)
My initial instinct too!

rrusczyk (23:04:48)
But after we get over that, we think:

rrusczyk (23:04:56)
Where should we start? Are there any observations? Any useful lines to draw in?

mkkool64 (23:05:12)
draw in line AM...?

The Original Pi Guy (23:05:15)
AM looks good

towersfreak2006 (23:05:30)
AM is begging to be drawn

rrusczyk (23:05:46)
AM is begging to be drawn (we want to show that ANM is a right angle - AM is the hypotenuse of triangle ANM if ANM is right) - so we do that.

rrusczyk (23:05:51)


rrusczyk (23:05:53)
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Classes/GeomOlympiad/Images/FirstapwAM.gif

rrusczyk (23:05:59)
Now what?

Monkey (23:04:45)
use cyclic quadrilaterals

gopherhole112 (23:05:06)
circles?

mna851 (23:05:43)
We could inscribe it in a circle

rrusczyk (23:06:18)
The right angles scream cyclic quadrilaterals. Which quadrilaterals are cyclic?

bookworm271828 (23:05:52)
ABED is cyclic

The Original Pi Guy (23:06:30)
ABED is

pika (23:06:31)
ABED

rrusczyk (23:06:51)
ADEB is cyclic since angle AEB = angle ADB.

rrusczyk (23:07:00)
What else?

WindSlicer (23:06:29)
AFCD

pika (23:06:35)
ADFC

towersfreak2006 (23:06:35)
ADCF looks cyclic?

fatansn (23:06:36)
ADCF is cyclic

gopherhole112 (23:06:47)
ADFC

rrusczyk (23:07:17)
AFCD is cyclic since angle AFC + angle ADC = 180.

rrusczyk (23:07:24)
(Here we have both ways intersecting right angles can give us a cyclic quadrilateral.)

rrusczyk (23:07:58)
(Note that towers 'looks cyclic' is a great way to find cyclic quads - draw your diagrams large and precisely!)

rrusczyk (23:08:01)
We draw in our circles:

rrusczyk (23:08:09)


rrusczyk (23:08:13)
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Classes/GeomOlympiad/Images/Firstapcirc.gif

rrusczyk (23:08:25)
Now we have lots to play with. We have tons of equal angles - which ones are useful?

gopherhole112 (23:08:37)
ABD and AED

The Original Pi Guy (23:08:39)
ABE and AED

inteluser (23:08:42)
AFD and ACD?

gopherhole112 (23:08:44)
AFD and ACD

rrusczyk (23:09:37)
These are some of the tons of angle equalities we could list out now.

rrusczyk (23:09:53)
Before we just go after them all like crazy, is there anything in the diagram that looks like it might be true (aside from what we already know we have to prove)?

rrusczyk (23:09:59)
Things to look for are: angles that look like they might be right, triangles that look like they might be congruent or similar, quadrilaterals that look like they might be cyclic.

rrusczyk (23:10:01)
(This is why it's important to draw your diagrams precisely. It can be an excellent guide. However, if you see something that might be true, don't assume it is - you might have just drawn one case in which it looks true. Spend a few minutes trying to prove your hunch. If you fail, but still want to pursue the hunch, try drawing a very different diagram first to see if your hunch still looks true.)

rrusczyk (23:10:09)


dk2 (23:06:16)
Show ADMN is concyclic?

fatansn (23:10:30)
well, we could aim to prove that quadrillateral ADMN is cyclic. Then we would knokw that MNA is right

flierdeke (23:10:42)
ANMD isn't cyclic, is it?

rrusczyk (23:10:54)
We look around triangle ANM since that's what we want to prove something about. We see that if ANM is right, then ANMD is cyclic. ANMD sure looks cyclic. What else looks true in this diagram that might help us get there?

WindSlicer (23:11:20)
ABC and AEF are similar?

Someone (23:11:25)
Similiar Triangles

rrusczyk (23:12:00)
Triangles ABC and AEF look similar, and possibly even congruent. Can we prove (or disprove) similarity or congruence?

rrusczyk (23:12:20)


fatansn (23:12:19)
yeah, pythagorean theorem on triangle BEA says no, not congruent

rrusczyk (23:12:47)
Congruence is out, since AE < AB (AB is the hypotenuse of ABE.) How about similarity?

kool_dudy (23:12:09)
inscribed angles

The Original Pi Guy (23:12:15)
sure, using the circles

WindSlicer (23:12:20)
Yes, because the angles of those two triangles intercept the same arcs

dk2 (23:12:33)
There is AA similarity, isn't there?

inteluser (23:12:49)
We have ABD and AED congruent and AFD and ACD congruent, so they're similar.

Monkey (23:12:50)
ABCand AEF are indeed similar, because they have AA similarity.

rrusczyk (23:13:13)
Our cyclic quadrilaterals give the similarity right away: angle ABD = AED (inscribed in arc AD of the left circle), angle ACD = AFD (inscribed in arc AC of the right circle). Therefore, ABC ~ AEF.

rrusczyk (23:13:19)
Now what?

rrusczyk (23:13:32)
Whenever you feel like you've made some progress in a problem but have become stuck, try going back to the problem and looking for a piece of information that you haven't already used. Here's the problem again:

rrusczyk (23:13:42)


rrusczyk (23:13:48)
What haven't we used?

Monkey (23:13:30)
Use the fact that N and M are midpoints.

fatansn (23:13:39)
midpoints!

smiley (23:13:44)
M and N are the midpoints.

soulzmischief (23:13:51)
We have to use the midpoint thing

jen7 (23:13:55)
midpoints

rrusczyk (23:14:06)
We haven't used the fact that M and N are midpoints of BC and EF. Why is this useful?

mna851 (23:14:22)
Create more similar triangles

pika (23:14:26)
ABN and AME are similar?

rrusczyk (23:14:53)
Since triangles ABC and AEF are similar and M and N are midpoints of corresponding sides, we have ABM ~ AEN. Given our earlier similarity, it's intuitively clear that these two are similar, but can anyone tell us exactly why they are similar?

Someone (23:15:20)
SAS similiarity

towersfreak2006 (23:16:03)
SAS similarity?

rrusczyk (23:16:25)
The angles ABM and AEN are equal and AB/BM = AE/EN, so ABM ~ AEN by SAS similarity.

rrusczyk (23:16:30)


rrusczyk (23:16:58)
When we discover two similar triangles, we should always check out the new angle equalities we have from the similarity. One of the first things we should ask ourselves is 'Can these angles identify any new cyclic quads?'

Someone (23:16:57)
So AND is equal to AMD and the theorem is proved

Someone (23:17:08)
Yes ANMD

Monkey (23:17:14)
ANMD is cyclic, which makes ANM right.

mna851 (23:17:20)
ANMD

flierdeke (23:17:29)
ANMD is cyclic since ANE = AMB

rrusczyk (23:17:44)
In this case, yes: angle AND = angle AMD, so ANMD is cyclic. Are we home now?

flierdeke (23:18:03)
Yes; ADM is right so ANM is as well

fatansn (23:18:04)
almost: ADN + ANM = 180 degrees, so ANM = 90 degrees

pika (23:18:06)
ADM+ANM=180, 90+ANM=180, ANM=90

mkkool64 (23:18:08)
ANM opposite ADM so it's right

Shogia (23:18:12)
yes because the opposite angle is a right angle

dk2 (23:18:13)
yes, since opposite angles are supplementary

rrusczyk (23:18:27)
Yes, we're finished: since ANMD is cyclic, angle ANM = 180 - angle ADM = 90.

rrusczyk (23:18:33)
Similar triangles + cyclic quadrilaterals. Nothing fancy. We just used basic tools and asked ourselves the right questions ('What looks true? What would I like to be true? What haven't I used in the problem yet?').

rrusczyk (23:18:45)
Another general comment: Think of how you would construct the diagram with ruler and compass & the problem will sometimes become clear. In this case, in order to construct the diagram, we must draw a line through D, then find some point E on it such that angle AEB is right.

rrusczyk (23:18:53)
We construct this E by drawing a circle with diameter AB - where it intersects our line is point E. When we do this, we note that it looks like this circle goes through D, too. We think - ah-ha! - we may have a cyclic quadrilateral. We investigate, and. . . the rest of the problem unfolds.

rrusczyk (23:19:23)
We will typically introduce concepts in WOOT with problems that are a little easier than this one. The majority of the problems are harder, some a bit harder, and many much, much harder.

rrusczyk (23:20:10)
Nice work dissecting that problem. For our late arrivals, we'll quickly run through a description of WOOT, then take questions.

DPatrick (23:20:23)
Once again, WOOT is Worldwide Online Olympiad Training.

DPatrick (23:20:31)
WOOT is a 7-month online training program for students who are preparing for their national math Olympiad. WOOT 2005-06 will run from mid-September, 2005 to mid-April, 2006.

DPatrick (23:20:43)
Specifically, WOOT will include the following activities:

DPatrick (23:20:46)
1) At least two 2-hour online lectures per month for six months, starting mid-September. Each class will be offered twice (times to be determined) to alleviate time conflicts.

DPatrick (23:20:55)
2) Problem lists to reinforce the lectures.

DPatrick (23:20:59)
3) 8 half-Olympiad tests, each similar to one day of the USAMO or IMO in structure. Tests will be offered at varying difficulty levels on each testing date.

DPatrick (23:21:06)
4) Detailed feedback on student work on each of the 8 Olympiad tests.

DPatrick (23:21:11)
5) WOOT message board for discussing lectures, solving lecture problem lists, and post-test.

DPatrick (23:21:16)
6) 24-hour online classroom access for WOOT participants to collaborate.

DPatrick (23:21:29)
Numerous International Math Olympiad participants and USA Mathematical Olympiad winners (including the current Art of Problem Solving instructors) will be WOOT instructors.

DPatrick (23:21:42)
WOOT is ideal for students preparing for a National Olympiad such as the USA Mathematical Olympiad. Due to generous sponsorship from D. E. Shaw group, 2005 Math Olympiad Summer Program participants are invited to join WOOT for free. Therefore, all participants in WOOT will have the opportunity to train with the top high school students in the United States.
Note added July 12th, 2005: Google has joined as a primary WOOT sponsor.

DPatrick (23:21:52)
Most students have little or no Olympiad-level experience or instruction before they take a National Olympiad. WOOT remedies this problem by offering test-taking and solution-writing practice with feedback, classes with past Olympiad winners, and collaboration with the some of the top high school math students in the world.

DPatrick (23:22:12)
We will now be happy to answer any questions you might have about WOOT!

amirhtlusa (23:22:17)
how much does it cost?

rrusczyk (23:23:06)
It is $450 for enrollment before July 15, $495 from July 15 through August 31. 2005 MOSP participants can participate for free due to sponsorship from D. E. Shaw group. They will receive a registration form at MOSP this summer.
Note added July 12th, 2005: Google has joined as a primary WOOT sponsor.

smiley (23:23:22)
Will you be offering WOOT in later years, for those who are ready 2 or 3 years from now?

rrusczyk (23:24:06)
We hope that this will be an annual program, and it will be different from year to year.

bubala (23:22:34)
how much time does woot take up?

DPatrick (23:24:28)
There will be about 4 hours of classroom time per month. The Olympiad-style tests will be about every 3 weeks and will take you about 3 hours per test. How much time you decide to spend in the chatroom or on the WOOT message board is up to you!

jen7 (23:24:03)
will transcripts be available?

rrusczyk (23:25:20)
Yes. Transcripts to all classes will be available. We also will hold classes at multiple times to accomodate students who might have conflicts.

ThAzN1 (23:24:35)
is there a syllabus or general outline available right now?

rrusczyk (23:26:32)
Not yet, but we will have one this summer. The number of lectures will be determined by the number of students in the program (i.e. if we have many students in the program, we will have more than the 12 planned classes).

fatansn (23:23:45)
how will you administer the IMO-type tests?

DPatrick (23:26:50)
All material will be distributed online. You'll have about a week to complete each test, but you should take the test in actual test-taking conditions (in other words, do the whole thing in one sitting).

mkkool64 (23:23:28)
would i be ready for something like this if i figured out 1 and 4 on this years USAMO, but not really much on the others..?

DPatrick (23:28:33)
Definitely! WOOT would be perfect for you. Students who have previously qualified for the USAMO but didn't make MOP would be ideal students for WOOT.

chesspro (23:24:56)
How difficult is WOOT compared to the Olympiad classes?

rrusczyk (23:29:14)
WOOT is comparable in difficulty to Olympiad classes overall, but what it will allow students to do is focus at their appropriate level of difficulty, as test classes, and problems from the class lectures, will be of clearly identified difficulty levels.

rrusczyk (23:29:54)
Therefore, IMO hopefuls can zero in on the hardest problems and most advanced techniques, while those just getting started with Olympiad Problem solving can work on less terrifying problems.

Brent Woodhouse (23:30:09)
Will all levels of class lecture transcripts be available to all students?

rrusczyk (23:30:37)
All class transcripts will be available to everyone in WOOT.

rrusczyk (23:30:52)
Individual classes will cover a range of difficulties.

WindSlicer (23:27:08)
What "level" should we preferably be at to get out money's worth out of WOOT? i.e. don't want to enroll and then sit wide-eyed at the classroom for 6 months and not learn anything because it's too advanced..

DPatrick (23:30:59)
We are recommending that students who feel that they can consistently score 5+ on the AIME exam should be qualified for WOOT. We will have different skill levels within the WOOT program (similar to what they have at MOP) so we should be able to find a skill level for you. However, if you sign up for WOOT, and after the first lecture and test you feel like you're "in over your head", you can drop and get a full refund.

joml88 (23:23:29)
Could you explain the problem sets? About how many sets are there and how many problems are there on each?

rrusczyk (23:32:32)
There will be a set of problems after each lecture. These won't be turned in (only the tests will), but will be open for message board and chat room discussion. There will be at least 10 problems on each, though some may be longer.

smiley (23:32:21)
Do scholarships for money off regular AoPS classes apply to WOOT?

rrusczyk (23:33:28)
Yes (but note that 'free audited enrollment in a subject class' gift certificates do not apply to WOOT)

bookworm271828 (23:31:31)
Will we needed any outside books, or will all the problem sets be sent to us?

rrusczyk (23:33:45)
All necessary materials will be disseminated online.

rrusczyk (23:33:54)
(i.e. no outside books required)

inteluser (23:32:37)
Are any companion books recommended in WOOT?

rrusczyk (23:34:29)
We will recommend some books - right now, I'd suggest the Zeitz and Engel books we use for the Olympiad Independent Study. Speaking of which:

bubala (23:23:00)
what's the difference between WOOT and independent study and should you or should you not take both

joml88 (23:32:15)
Could you briefly compare/contrast WOOT with the Olympiad IS?

DPatrick (23:34:40)
If you feel like you have the time, you could take both, but as the Independent Study program is already very time consuming, we would only recommending doing both if you can clear some additional free study time at school. The main advantage of the Independent Study program vs. WOOT is the access to office hours. The main advantage of WOOT vs. the Independent Study program is the opportunity to take several Olympiad-style tests as practice for the USAMO.

inteluser (23:30:42)
Besides the AoPS instructors, will there be other instructors (IMO participants and USAMO winners were mentioned)?

rrusczyk (23:36:33)
There will be other instructors, but we aren't yet in a position to name names.

inteluser (23:26:27)
Would enrollment in WOOT make enrolling in another class, like Olympiad Geometry, redundant?

DPatrick (23:36:51)
No. WOOT will be broad-based: we'll only spend 1 or 2 lectures on each of several subjects. The Olympiad subject classes will spend 12 weeks exploring a specific subject in great detail. If you have sufficient time, WOOT and the Olympiad subject classes should complement each other very well.

artemis (23:31:25)
Can a middle schooler be ready for this?

rrusczyk (23:37:58)
It would take an *extremely* exceptional 8th grader in 2005-6 to be ready for this, but there are probably a couple dozen in the US that are. They would have to be somewhat fearless, and not be the type to get discouraged by being lost occasionally (or frequently).

mna851 (23:31:05)
Will the lectures be about specific topics such as geometry or algebra... or will they just go over specific problems such as this math jam.

rrusczyk (23:38:51)
The classes will be on specific subjects, though they will largely use olympiad problems to highlight specific techniques.

mna851 (23:38:46)
Will WOOT be finished by the USAMO?

rrusczyk (23:39:15)
The classes and tests will. We'll have some get togethers afterwards to discuss the USAMO and life after WOOT.

smiley (23:39:13)
How long are the classes?

rrusczyk (23:39:34)
We expect they will be around 2 hours each.

smiley (23:29:37)
I didn't qualify for the USAMO, but I got an ok AIME. Am I ready or should I wait a couple of years?

DPatrick (23:40:25)
If you feel confortable that you can score 5+ on the AIME, and feel that USAMO qualification is "within your reach", then WOOT might be the tool which can best help you to reach that goal. However, if you still feel that you have a lot of room for improvement on the AIME (i.e. you don't feel confident about consistently scoring 5+), then the AIME Problem Series and/or the Intermediate Independent Study classes might be a better fit.

inteluser (23:35:08)
Will the tests be scored on a 0-7 scale for us?

rrusczyk (23:40:38)
Yes, the tests will be scored 0-7 in addition to the detailed feedback.

WarpedKlown1335 (23:39:57)
Will you ever focus on number theory?

rrusczyk (23:41:05)
Absolutely, there will be number theory classes (plural).

bubala (23:40:00)
Do you have any idea at around what time (EST) they would be?

rrusczyk (23:42:12)
We haven't set the class times in stone. We will have at least two offerings of each class, which we'll increase to 3 with large enough enrollment. Transcripts will be available for all classes.

towersfreak2006 (23:40:23)
Is WOOT solely dedicated to preparing for national olympiads, or will it also help on general proof based exams, such as Putnam?

DPatrick (23:42:27)
It should -- to be honest, we haven't thought about the Putnam too much, and obviously we won't be covering subjects (like calculus) that wouldn't appear on national Olympiad tests or the IMO. But problem solving techniques for proof-style contests are pretty universal, and the experience should help with the Putnam (in my opinion).

bookworm271828 (23:41:33)
If we wish, can we do different level tests at the same time, for example, the easy and the medium difficulty tests?

rrusczyk (23:44:12)
You can't do different level tests at the same time (there will be overlap in the questions, and taking multiple tests multiplies the grading, which would increase the cost of the program).

ffdbzathf (23:43:36)
to go along with that, what about the USAMTS?

rrusczyk (23:44:43)
Most of the WOOT will be considerably harder than the USAMTS.

bubala (23:43:55)
HOw exactly does the message board work? Is it just like the normal AoPS forum?

rrusczyk (23:45:29)
Yes - the WOOT message board will be a Forum on AoPS. There will also be open classroom time for WOOT students to get together online.

bubala (23:38:12)
going back to the Olympiad indep study for a second, which is more helpful for a USAMO qual who doesn't know any olympiad math? Which is more useful: the office hours or the tests?

DPatrick (23:45:36)
It's hard to say -- some people like the office hour environment where they get guided instruction, other people prefer to get a lot of practice under test-taking conditions. We also hope that the "community" aspect of WOOT -- dozens and dozens of top math students, including the 2005 MOP participants -- will greatly enhance the program.

inteluser (23:44:57)
Will solutions to the various level tests (and the tests themselves) be available to everyone?

rrusczyk (23:45:46)
Yes.

WarpedKlown1335 (23:41:35)
Are there any books you'd recommend specifically for number theory or geometry?

WarpedKlown1335 (23:41:43)
Or combinatorics I might add.

rrusczyk (23:48:27)
That's a pretty big discussion. Off the top of my head, I'd suggest Geometry Revisited and the Feng/Andreescu counting books in addition to the books already mentioned. Post on the message board for more suggestions!

rrusczyk (23:49:35)
Are there any more questions about WOOT?

xxreddevilzxx (23:50:04)
is there set date on when it ends? becuase if i take it, i would like it to end before USAMO next yr, so i can be ready

rrusczyk (23:50:28)
The classes and tests will end before the USAMO. There will be 'social' get-togethers afterwards.

xxreddevilzxx (23:50:47)
like actual meeting? like physically?

rrusczyk (23:51:17)
No - online. Many of the WOOT students will of course be physically meeting at MOP 2006.

chesspro (23:50:26)
Which subject will be taught first, last?

rrusczyk (23:51:35)
We have not yet set the syllabus.

math-doc_2 (23:51:18)
Is there audit option available for some smart little kids like Smiley?

rrusczyk (23:53:00)
No. We want WOOT students to have a uniform experience.

rrusczyk (23:53:52)
Are there any more questions?

mna851 (23:23:44)
The cost is my only inhibition, otherwise I would immediately sign up it sounds like a great program.

rrusczyk (23:54:25)
As for cost - try writing area businesses looking for sponsorships. Some math teams have bought piles of AoPS books with this tactic. Others have partially funded summer program enrollments, too.

bubala (23:54:27)
does WOOT help you get better in your weakest subjects, and if so, how (if this was already answered, sorry, my computer froze on me for a second).

rrusczyk (23:55:49)
Sure, if you take the time to spend extra time on those areas in which you are weak. Also, you will be exposed to many of the top current students around (the 2005 MOP group, for example), and you'll pick up some of their techniques. Not to mention their study habits and writing styles.

xxreddevilzxx (23:56:27)
will be break into 2 groups ---- say equally divided in terms of smartness ---- if there are too many people

rrusczyk (23:57:50)
If there are 'too many people' (no such thing), we will simply offer each lecture many more times - the people will naturally split according to the time that fits them. We also will invite more lecturers (i.e. more than 12 different classes) if WOOT is sufficiently large.

bubala (23:57:45)
Well, it sounds awesome. I'll probably enroll soon. WOOT!!!!

rrusczyk (23:57:56)
WOOT!

fatansn (23:58:10)
I really love the name, by the way

rrusczyk (23:58:31)
:)

rrusczyk (23:59:10)
Compliments to Joe Jia and Brian Rice for coming up with the name.

rrusczyk (00:00:30)
They're working at AoPS for the summer.

rrusczyk (00:00:49)
Joe is a past MATHCOUNTS National Champion, and Brian a USAMO winner. They're both MOPpers.

xxreddevilzxx (23:59:28)
I know that sponsorship usually works well for a math team going on trip, buying a class set of books, etc., but will they sponsor for a student like me? and on a class?

rrusczyk (00:00:16)
If you write a compelling enough letter, yes. Mathcamp recommends it, for example.

rrusczyk (00:02:06)
Thanks much to all of you who stayed so late. That's it for the Math Jam - feel free to contact us or post on the message board if you have more questions. We will also be holding more WOOT Math Jams.

rrusczyk (00:03:30)
We'd also like to say goodnight to Mathew Crawford and the Las Vegas Futurists. Thanks for taking the time to watch our students in action.

Thanks also to our sponsors at D. E. Shaw group!
Note added July 12th, 2005: Thanks also to Google for joining as a WOOT sponsor!

DPatrick (00:04:13)
And for those of you who wanted to see generating functions tonight... we will reschedule that for another date real soon!