Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO)

# Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) BAMO is a proof-based mathematics olympiad created by Zvezdelina Stankova and Paul Zeitz with the support of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley. Unlike multiple-choice contests, BAMO asks for complete written arguments: "5 essay-proof math problems with a time limit of 4 hours." The exam runs in two divisions - BAMO-8 for students in grade 8 or younger, and BAMO-12 for students in grade 12 or younger - and is proctored in person at schools and open sites. ## What You'll Do - Sit a single four-hour paper of five olympiad-style problems requiring full proofs - Compete in BAMO-8 or BAMO-12 depending on your grade level - Take the exam at your own school, or at one of the open proctoring sites hosted by regional math circles - Attend the awards ceremony, where top individuals and teams are announced - Compete for cash, books, certificates, trophies, and mathematical sculptures ## Who Should Apply Students in grade 12 or below at schools in California, Oregon, and Washington - the olympiad currently restricts participation to those three states. Registration is done by schools or proctoring centers such as math circles, not by individual students; if you cannot find a proctor, BAMO will attempt to match you with a nearby site. Home-schooled students must use an outside proctor. ## Outcomes BAMO is one of the few regional contests that trains and rewards rigorous proof writing at the middle- and high-school level, making it a natural bridge between the AMC series and national olympiads. Roughly 500 students sit BAMO-8 and 200 sit BAMO-12 each year.