Pi5NY Math Tournament

AMBAZ, ALIA, and Subway have been the food sponsors for this event from 2014 to current year.

The AMS Pi5NY Math Tournament was started by the Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science in 2006, as "The Bronx Invitational Math Tournament". Founding Principal Kenneth Baum and math teacher Annie Kushner began with a vision of creating excitement about math for every student. A distinguishing feature of the competition is the Junior Varsity division, which enables weaker math students to compete, enjoy and be stimulated by the contest. Over the past nineteen years, students have shown incredible excitement and enthusiasm toward the competition, encouraging their teachers to bring them back year after year.

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What, when and where?

The AMS Pi5NY Bronx Invitational Tournament is held every year in May, and has rotated between The Armory, The Bronx Museum, and the Joseph Jimenez Gymnasium of the Urban Assembly for Applied Math and Science.

Who's in?

It’s open to all 6th, 7th and 8th graders attending a Bronx public school.

How does it play out?

Schools can register up to 3 teams* of exactly 5 students, with a max of two teams per grade:

6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade

Following an Olympic-style opening ceremony – complete with the parade of Mathletes and the raising of the official Pi-nata - each team pits their wits and math skills against others in their grade/division in a 45 minute competition.

There are a number of different problems with point values ranging from 100-500 points – meaning that, as well as answering as many as you can correctly, teams have to strategize how many hard/easy ones to attempt. The team with the highest score wins their division.

Apart from being a fun, frazzled, full-focus day of inspirational math, there will be an awards ceremony to close the proceedings, at which the Grand Pi Trophy is presented to the division winner with the highest overall score. Each division's winning team will receive a Pi trophy, while each member of the 2nd and 3rd place teams is awarded a medal.

What's that noise?

This is math as a spectator sport, so audience participation is a big part of the equation. Families and friends are encouraged to come along to support their school teams.