Is the AMC 8 competition scary?

James Tanton
[email protected]

My name is James, I am a mathematician, I have Here are some ideas on how.

been doing mathematics all my life, and I find
mathematics competitions scary! I always have. 25 questions in 40 minutes
Okay. That sounds absurdly scary! When I
But I also realize that was because I always divide 40 by 25 I see that we get one minute
thought of a math competition as a “test” or an and thirty-six seconds to answer each question.
”exam” where my performance on it was (Did I get that right?) And some of these
somehow a judgment on how good I was as questions are hard! Okay, the truth is that no
thinker, and even as a person. That is a lot of one is expecting you to answer each and every
pressure. Too much pressure! It is no wonder I question.
never did well on competitions when I got the
nerve to try one. (The truth is, I worked hard to Did you hear that? You are not expected to
avoid doing them—but my teachers sometimes answer each and every question!
made me take them.)
My first piece of advice: Don’t bother trying to
But here’s the thing: Even though most people answer each and every question!
seem to think the goal of the competition is to
get a high score, that’s not actually the goal. Honesty Moment: Some people really think it is
You can make the goal of the competition fun to try to do impossible things. (I am sure,
anything you want it to be. WHOA! one day, someone is going to try to ride to the
top of Mt. Everest on a unicycle ... backwards …
I never understood this when I was in school and blindfolded!) If you are such a person I say,
because all the tests and exams I did in class go for it. Try to answer all the questions in the
really were about my grades. And I was meant time given. I won’t stop you!
to get good grades.
The first 10 questions
But competitions are not about grades. They Here’s a secret: the first ten or so questions of
are not even about scores, if you don’t want each competition are designed to be
them to be. All math competitions are trying to manageable and represent a good selection of
do is show you some really cool and unexpected mathematical ideas a top-notch mathematical
mathematics. thinker might enjoy. I say …

So, I say: Simply make your goal to have some Make the goal of the competition to answer just
mathematical fun! the first ten questions.
And, suddenly, that is not too scary! You’ll have Here’s how my brain “exploded” with ideas for
four minutes per question—plenty of time to this question:
think and explore mathematics in a leisurely
way—and by doing well with the first ten Well, there are 4 pieces with icing on three
questions you will have the shown the world sides, 20 with icing on exactly two sides, 28 on
you are a good mathematical thinker. Success! exactly one side, and 12 with no icing—and
these counts add to 64, as they should! (Do you
If you are curious, I added to the first ten agree with my numbers here?)
questions of the 2020 AMC 8 at the end of this
essay. Feel free to try them. But what about cubes of other sizes? What are
the count of pieces with certain numbers of iced
One Really Good Problem sides for a 2 × 2 × 2 cube, a 3 × 3 × 3 cube, a
Here’s what I wished someone told me to do 5 × 5 × 5 cube? Are there general formulas for
when I was a young kid trying a competition. the count of pieces of each type for an
𝑁𝑁 × 𝑁𝑁 × 𝑁𝑁 cube?
This math competition is about showing you
some really cool and interesting mathematics. Another question:
So, please, make that your goal. Find and share How do you cut a 4x4x4
with me, one – just one! —really cool question cube into 64 small cubes?
that seems intriguing and interesting. Work on I see how you can slice it
that question, answer it, and then keep playing with 9 slices using a flat
with it for the rest of the 20 or 30 or 39 knife: 3 slices along the
minutes. Make sure you memorise the question red planes, 3 along the
so that you can mull on it some more after the green planes, and 3 along
competition too. the purple planes.

Then tell me the question you selected and all But I found a sneaky way you can accomplish
the places your fabulous brain went in thinking the same feat in just 6 slices if you stack pieces
further about that question. and slice through the stacks. (My picture below
is not very good. But can you envision how to
Each competition is sure to have at least one keep going with what I am doing and get to 64
question that is wonderfully fun and mysterious pieces in six slices?)
to you. For example, question 9 from the 2020
AMC 8 competition took my fancy.

Problem 9: Akash's birthday cake is in the form

of a inch cube. The cake has icing
on the top and the four side faces, and no icing
on the bottom. Suppose the cake is cut
into smaller cubes, each
measuring inch, as shown below.
How many small pieces
will have icing on exactly
two sides?
Now I am wondering: Is it possible to dice a Summary
4 × 4 × 4 cubes into 64 small cubes in less than I was the type of kid who would have been
6 knife slices? (I personally haven’t thought of a delighted if some adult told me “Just focus on
way yet.) one really interesting question from the
competition and share with me all your
More generally: What is the least number of thoughts about it.” But this might seem too
slices needed to dice an 𝑁𝑁 × 𝑁𝑁 × 𝑁𝑁 cube into strange to you as a competition goal.Leaving 24
𝑁𝑁 3 small cubes? questions unanswered might feel
uncomfortable. If you feel that way, no worries,
Suddenly question 9 has turned into a whole that is okay!
research project about the mathematics of
slicing! This a way more interesting than … Maybe earnestly trying out the first ten
questions is more fun for you. Or maybe trying
The answer to question 9 of the 2020 AMC 8 is the first ten questions and finding a one
twenty. interesting question after that is a good goal for
you. Or maybe you want to go for the extreme
If you don’t have a teacher or another adult experience and speedily give all 25 questions a
who wants to hear all the wonderful try. Whatever you decide, whatever variations
mathematics you discover as inspired by one of these ideas you choose to pursue, all is
AMC question, you can always write to me, fabulous and good. There is no one way to be a
James, and I’ll notice you and praise you and fabulous human being and find fabulous human
celebrate with you your mathematical joy and success. So be your own wonderful self, don’t
success! be scared, and know you will enjoy some
incredibly cool mathematics. Just be open to
noticing the cool math. (That really is the goal!)

p.s.
And if you find a formula for the minimal
number of slices needed (stacking allowed) for
chopping an N × N × N cube into N3 small
cubes, let me know!
2020 AMC 8: The First Ten Problems
Would it be fun to focus on ten problems like
these and show the world you can have some
success with math and thus are a mathematical
thinker?

Problem 1 Problem 5
Luka is making lemonade to sell at a school Three fourths of a pitcher is filled with
fundraiser. His recipe requires times as much pineapple juice. The pitcher is emptied by
water as sugar and twice as much sugar as pouring an equal amount of juice into each
lemon juice. He uses cups of lemon juice. How of cups. What percent of the total capacity of
many cups of water does he need? the pitcher did each cup receive?

Problem 2 Problem 6

Problem 3
Problem 7

Problem 8
Problem 4
Problem 9
Akash's birthday cake is in the form of
a inch cube. The cake has icing on
the top and the four side faces, and no icing on
the bottom. Suppose the cake is cut
into smaller cubes, each
measuring inch, as shown below.
How many small pieces will have icing on
exactly two sides?

1. E
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. C
8. C
9. D
10. C