Pi Day Mathematics Competition

The Pi Day Mathematics Competition is an opportunity for high school students in Qatar to explore the fun side of mathematics. Teams of four students compete in two rounds of mathematical problem solving. The preliminary round will determine the top four teams. The top four teams advance to the final round.

Why is it called Pi Day? The ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter is an irrational number denoted by the Greek letter π, pronounced pi, and commonly approximated as 3.14. Every year, mathematics enthusiasts celebrate March 14 (written as 3/14 in the month/date format) as Pi Day.

The next Pi Day Mathematics Competition will take place on April 3, 2027. Check back for registration details.

About the Pi Day Mathematics Competition

Who

Each school may register one team that includes exactly four students and one faculty/staff team advisor. All students must attend the same school, and no student can be a member of more than one team.

What

The competition consists of two rounds: a preliminary round and a final round. Both rounds are conducted in English, yet Arabic translations will also be available. The top four teams advance to the final round.

The mathematical content will be consistent with the topics listed in the Curriculum Standards for grades 9 through 11 as set by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Where

Both the preliminary and final rounds of the Pi Day Mathematics Competition take place in the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar building in Education City.

Registration guidelines

All teams must have exactly four students and one faculty/staff team advisor.
All students on a team must attend the same school.
No student can be a member of two or more teams. It is not possible to substitute or exchange team members at any stage of the competition.
A school may register only one team for the competition.
All applications must be submitted in English.
The faculty/staff advisor will be responsible for registering the team and for all prior and subsequent communication with organizers.
To register a team, please fill out the application form.
The registration deadline is early February, and application decisions will be sent out via e-mail in February.
Contestants are requested to arrive one hour before the start of the competition

Format of the Competition

Preliminary round

The preliminary round will be a written test. Teams will be given 90 minutes to complete a set of 40 questions of varying difficulty.
A question booklet (in English and Arabic) and an answer sheet will be provided to each team. Team members may work on different problems; however, each team may submit only one answer sheet.
There will be a penalty for incorrect answers: ¼ of the respective points will be deducted from the overall total points.
Calculators are not allowed during the competition.
Formula sheets are not permitted during the competition.
The top four teams from the preliminary round will advance to the final round. In case of a tie, decisions will be made by a random draw.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Certificates of Participation will be awarded to all participants of the preliminary round immediately after the completion of the round.

Final Round

Contestants are required to arrive one hour before the competition start time.
The final round will be held in a “Quiz Bowl” format.
In case of a tie, tiebreaker questions will be used and the first team to answer correctly will win.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Prizes will be awarded to finalists at a ceremony immediately after the completion of the final round.

Sponsors and partners

Questions about Pi Day?

Interested mathematics teachers may contact Professor Zelealem Yilma.

Email: [email protected]