Eventual delays will be announced her.

Who can participate? | Registration | Qualifying for the Semi finals
How the class may organize the qualifying rounds | Semi final | The final
Prices | Nordic final | Practical details | Time schedule

Who can participate ? [ Back to the top ]

The competition is open for all pupils in 8th grade in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and in 9th grade in Iceland and Norway (these pupils are born the same year). Greenland and the Faroe Islands participate in the Danish competition, and Aaland Islands in the Finish competition. When a class has registered, the whole class counts as ONE participant.

If a school has less than 6 pupils in the proper grade, then younger pupils from the same school are allowed to participate on the same class team.

If a school has more than 30 pupils in the proper grade that are organized as one class or group, the school must define "KappAbel classes" with 30 or less pupils in each "class". When the competition has started, the pupils are not allowed to move from one “class” to another as long as the competition lasts (including the Nordic final if they reach that far).

Registration [ Back to the top ]

The classes register for the competition via the web-page http://www.kappabel.com/ , and click on the right flag. The registration is open until November 25th 2005. The mathematics teacher will get a key to ask for username and password.

Registration can start from October 25th.

Qualifying for the Semi finals [ Back to the top ]

The competition starts with two web-based qualifying rounds November 7th to November 25th 2005 (week 46, 47 and 48) and January 16th to January 27th 2006 (week 3 and 4). The problems are to be solved by the whole class within 80 minutes at some time during the two weeks the site is open. When a class is registered, the class is automatically registered for both qualifying rounds, if there is a registered answer from the class in the 1st round.

The mathematics teacher downloads the problems from the web-page (the pupils must not be given user name or password or be given permission to download the problems or send in the answers on behalf of the class). We recommend that the teacher does this the day before the class is supposed to go through with the competition. She/he checks that text and pictures look ok, and copy the problems to the class. The teacher prints out as many copies as he/she finds necessary.

NB! The pupils are allowed to use 80 minutes, including reading the problems, and decide what the class will answer on each problem.

If more than one class from a school participates in the competition, the school must organize everything so that the different classes solve the problems on the same day and the same time of the day at the same time.

The teacher sends the class answers immediately after they are finished. Each class sends one common answer for each problem.

NB: For the qualifying rounds each problem can give maximum 5 points, wrong answer gives 0 points, and blank gives 1 point. There might be given between 0 and 5 points for some problems if the answer is partly correct.

Each country makes their own system to choose classes for the semi finals. One important principle is to make sure that the classes in the semi final come from different parts of the country. In Norway this is done by letting the qualifying rounds be a competition within each fylke (county/amt/läani/län). If other division of the countries is more convenient and natural, the decision on how to do this is up to each country. If two or more classes from the same area end up with the same score after the two qualifying rounds, it will be decided which class will go further by drawing of lots. This will be done by an official person.

In case of technical errors, it is very important that the teacher prints out a copy of the answers and send them by regular mail to:

KappAbel, NO-4827 FROLANDS VERK

(This goes for all classes, no matter what country they come from). See also under "Prizes".

The time schedule for registration and sending in the class answers is given on the web pages for each country. The last day to send in the answers for the first round is November 28th 2005 008.00 a.m. Norw. time (paper copies of receips should be posted by Monday December 5th 2005), and for the second round January 30th 2006 08.00 a.m. (paper copies February 6th).

How the class may organize the qualifying rounds [ Back to the top ]

To have as many pupils as possible taking an active part in the competition, we recommend that the class is organized in groups of four while working with the problems (this will be the situation in the semi finals). Each group tries to solve all the problems, but it is a good idea that each group start at different problems, to make sure that the class all together has enough time for all the eight problems. This way the teacher may organize the class so that all groups start on something that they can overcome, and has a change to "deliver".

The teacher draws a diagram on the black board or an overhead with the numbers of the problems, and the alternative answers. Then the class will see if the groups agree, and spend some time discussing what to answer if they do not agree. This has to be done within the 80 minutes they are allowed to use.

Tools and aids allowed: All kinds of materials can be used. Communication out of the classroom (internet, cell phones) is not allowed during the two qualifying rounds. The problems can only be solved by the pupils in the class, and everything should be done within the time slot of 80 minutes.

Semi final [ Back to the top ]

Each Nordic country arranges semi finals and National finals the same days, with the same problems and the same organization (see time schedule).

When a class knows that they are proceeding to the semi final, the class picks four pupils, 2 girls and 2 boys, to represent the class for the project presentation and the problem session of the semi final. For three of the teams they also represent their class in the final. The semi final and the final are to take place on April 27th and 28th 2006.

NB! The classes all start from 0 points when the semi finals begin, independent of the score from the qualifying rounds.

An important part of the semi finals is a project with a given theme. There will be given directions for what is required from the classes (to be published at www.kappAbel.com/comp). Earlier themes have been "Mathematics in local culture, arts and crafts traditions", "Mathematics in nature", "Mathematics in games and play", "Mathematics in sports", "Mathematics and technology", "Mathematics and music" and "Mathematics and the body". The theme for 2006 will be "Mathematics and communication".

The project will be evaluated by a project jury, and will count 50% of the semi final. Creativity, originality, cross subject solutions and mathematical content will be valued.

The other 50% of the semi final will a problem session. The four representatives for the class sit together to solve six to eight problems in 90 minutes. No remedies or aids are allowed in the problem session of the semi final, except from what they are given on the spot.

If it is not clear which are the three best teams after the project part and the problem session of the semi final, the better team in the problem solving session will be considered the better team. If there is still no difference between two (or more) teams, the teams are given extra problems until three teams are better than the others. In Norway the project presentation and exhibition of the projects takes place in the library of Arendal Thursday the 27h of April 2006. It takes a big hall to organize the problem session of the semi final, since that is organized as a kind of relay, where the teams sit in groups, with sufficient space between the groups.

The relay: In the big hall, there is one table for each team, placed in to rows. Between the two rows is another row of tables. On the tables in the middle, envelopes with the problems and the necessary equipment for two teams are placed. There is one person sitting at each of these tables to make sure that everything is OK throughout the competition. One from each team runs up to the table and get the first envelope. She/he takes it back to the team. They solve the problem together, write down their solution on the answering sheet, and put it back in the envelope. The envelope is handed in before they pick up the second envelope etc. The teams decide for themselves how much time they will spend on each problem. They have 90 minutes for all the problems together.

The person responsible for the problems has to be in the hall. He/she explains the rules for the teams and answer questions from the pupils throughout the competition. It is important that she/he looks around to discover if the pupils misinterpret the problems and help out with that.

When the 90 minutes have passed, the answers are given to a jury. They evaluate them before the project presentation. The scores from the problem solving session will not be given to the students until after the project presentation.

The final [ Back to the top ]

The four pupils from the three best classes after the semi final meet for the finals. The teams start with 0 points when the finals start.

The finals are open for public with problems that are practical and easy to visualize. The audience is invited to try to solve the problems wile the teams are struggling on the stage. The final is not over until it is clear who is number one, two and three.

The final for 2006 will be arranged Friday the 28th of April. In Norway the arrangement will be in Saga kino in Arendal. It has to be in a hall that can take an audience (the teams that did not make it to the final), and where the teams that compete can sit on a stage in front of the audience.

Prizes [ Back to the top ]

All classes in the KappAbel competition will receive a diploma. The diplomas will be distributed by KappAbel in Froland, Norway.

Among the classes that have sent in the written answers to the qualifying rounds within the given schedules to

KappAbel, NO- 4827 Frolands Verk, Norway

There will be randomly selected five prices of 2000 NOK. All teams that reach the final will have prizes of different values. The prices are for the entire class, and the money should be used for something that the whole class can share.

Nordic finale [ Back to the top ]

The winning team from each country will participate in the Nordic finale the last week of  June 2006 in Trondheim, Norway. One team from each Nordic country meets. The team will present the class project from the semi finals and compete in a problem solving competition of the same kind as the National finals.

During the Nordic final the project presentation will be in English. If the Finnish team is from the Finnish speaking part of Finland, they will be given permission to present their project in Finnish. This part of the Nordic final will be the first evening of the final. Each team will have 20 minutes to present their project. When all teams are finished, the audience can come forward to ask questions and look at the exhibitions.

The problem session of the final will be of the same kind as the national finals, but this time the problems will be presented in English. The teams will be given a written version of the problems in their own languages. After the answers are handed in to the jury, the teams will present their solutions orally in English. The problem session will take place the second evening of the final.

Practical details [ Back to the top ]

The mathematics teacher is responsible for:

• Register the class for the competition in time
• Download the problems for the two qualifying rounds
• Make sure that participating classes in the same school have the competition at the same time
• Send in the answers for her/his class both electronic via the KappAbel web page
• Send a printed copy of the class answers by regular mail to KappAbel, NO-4827 Frolands Verk, Norway. The answering sheets sent by mail are put in an envelope marked the class, school and area. If more than one class participates from the same school, the answers should be sent in the same envelope.
• Give the results to the pupils and inform them that it is unofficial until the results for all classes are published.
• Give the pupils the official results for each qualifying round after they have been presented on http://www.kappabel.com/
• Check if the electronic results are correct, and if not, send a message to roald.buvig@kappabel.com
• If the class qualify for the semifinals, help the pupils to organize the project work and be their coach and advisor while they are working with the project
• confirm within 5 days that the class accepts the invitation to take part in the semi final.

NB! The project has to be done entirely by the pupils!

Questions concerning the problems or the answers should be given to KappAbel, NO-4827 Frolands Verk (or mail: roald.buvig@kappabel.com).

Time scedule [ Back to the top ]

• Announcement of the theme of the project: Right away or at the same time as the registration for this years competition. Mathematics and communication
• The schools register for the competition: October 25th to November 25th
• The first qualifying round: November 7th to November 27th 2005
• The second qualifying round: January 16th to January 27st 2006
• The project report with pictures of the exhibition sent from the school: April 3rd 2006
• The exhibition may be brought by the teams when they meet for the semi final
• National semi final and final: April 27th and 28th 2008 (local project competitions for teams that did not reach the semi final can take place at the same time)
• Nordic final in Trondheim, Norway: Last week of June 2006

 

Updated: 06.11.05