CAMDEN — Thor Gabrielsen, a student at Watershed School in Camden, participated in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competitions (MAA AMC).

The MAA AMC program leads the nation in strengthening the mathematical capabilities of the next generation of problem-solvers. The competitions prepare students for future careers in STEM fields and help positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics.

The top 2.5% of AMC 10 and AMC 12 participates are invited to the next level of competition, American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). The AIME is a three-hour, fifteen problem competition in which every answer is an integer between 0 and 999.  

Thor was the only AMC 10 participant in Maine to qualify for the AIME and his performance earned him distinction honors, according to Watershed School, in a news release. This is his second time participating in this rigorous invitational math event.

The AMC 10 and AMC 12 are both 25-question, 75-minute, multiple choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. 

The AMC 10 and 12 are the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Today, the competition has grown to more than 300,000 students participating annually in over 6,000 schools across the U.S. and internationally.