Mathematical Association of America facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mathematical Association of America

Formation	1915
Headquarters	11 Dupont Cir NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
Members	25,000+
President	Hortensia Soto
Key people	Michael Pearson, Executive Director

The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a group for people who love mathematics. It focuses on math that you might learn in college. Its members include teachers from university and high school, students, mathematicians, computer scientists, and statisticians. Many members work in schools, government, or businesses.

The MAA started in 1915. Its main office is in Washington, D.C.. The group publishes math magazines and books. One famous magazine is the American Mathematical Monthly. It was started in 1894 and is one of the most widely read math journals.

Math Meetings and Events

The MAA holds two big meetings each year. One is called MathFest and happens in the summer. The other is the Joint Mathematics Meeting in January. The MAA works with the American Mathematical Society for this meeting. Sometimes, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics also joins in.

The MAA also has 29 smaller groups across different regions. These groups hold their own regular meetings.

Fun Math Competitions

The MAA runs many math contests for students. These help students test their math skills.

• The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is for college students.
• The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are for middle and high school students.

The AMC series includes:

• AMC 8: 25 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes.
• AMC 10/AMC 12: 25 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes.
• AIME: 15 short-answer questions in 3 hours.
• USAMO/USAJMO: 6 challenging questions over 2 days. These require detailed proofs.

Top students from these contests can join the Mathematical Olympiad Program. From this program, six high school students are chosen. They get to represent the U.S. at the International Mathematics Olympiad.

MAA Regional Sections

The MAA is divided into 29 smaller groups across the United States. These groups help connect mathematicians in different areas.

• Allegheny Mountain
• EPADEL
• Florida
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Intermountain
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana/Mississippi
• MD-DC-VA
• Metro New York
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska – SE SD
• New Jersey
• North Central
• Northeastern
• Northern CA – NV-HI
• Ohio
• Oklahoma-Arkansas
• Pacific Northwest
• Rocky Mountain
• Seaway
• Southeastern
• Southern CA – NV
• Southwestern
• Texas
• Wisconsin

Special Interest Groups (SIGMAAs)

The MAA has 17 Special Interest Groups, called SIGMAAs. These groups bring together members who share a common interest in a specific area of math. They help connect these groups with the wider math community.

Awards and Prizes

The MAA gives out many awards to honor great work in mathematics. Some of these awards include:

• The Chauvenet Prize
• The Carl B. Allendoerfer Award
• The Trevor Evans Award
• The Lester R. Ford Award
• The George Pólya Award
• The Euler Book Prize
• The Yueh-Gin Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics

Working with Other Groups

The MAA works with other important math organizations. It is one of four groups that form the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM). It also takes part in the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS). The CBMS is a large group of sixteen professional math societies.

A Look Back at History

The MAA was founded in 1915. However, its beginnings can be traced back to 1894. That's when Benjamin Finkel started the American Mathematical Monthly magazine. He wanted to create a journal that was interesting and helpful for average students and teachers.

The MAA keeps its old records safe. These records are part of the Archives of American Mathematics.

Fairness and Inclusivity

The MAA has always aimed to be fair and welcoming to everyone. It has a strong policy against discrimination.

In the past, like many groups in the U.S., the MAA faced issues with discrimination. One well-known event happened in 1951 in Nashville. An American mathematician named Lee Lorch documented this incident. He was an activist for equal rights.

In 2007, Lee Lorch received the MAA's highest award for his service to mathematics. The award speech mentioned how Lorch and three Black colleagues were denied entry to a banquet at a meeting in 1951. After this, Lorch and his colleagues asked the MAA to create rules against discrimination. While the rules weren't changed, the MAA set up strong non-discrimination policies that have been followed ever since.

The MAA's first woman president was Dorothy Lewis Bernstein (1979–1980).

Past Presidents of the MAA

Here are the people who have served as presidents of the MAA:

See also

• American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges
• American Mathematical Society
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics