The Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) is an annual competition for 250 Bay Area students, consisting of 5 proof-type math problems for 4 hours. It is typically held on the last Tuesday of every February. For the most current information please visit the official BAMO site The exams are proctored at schools and at several open sites around the Bay Area. They are graded by a group of Bay Area mathematicians, teachers, and Math Circle enthusiasts.

The BAMO awards ceremony, which takes place the following weekend, has become an annual focal point for the Bay Area middle and high school math activities; about 180-200 students, teachers and parents gather for an exciting day of Mathematics, including:

•  a math talk by a distinguished mathematician

•  the various awards distributed to three age groups

•  and a lunch for everybody.

The first BAMO contest took place in February 1999. The BAMO organizing committee members are Paul Zeitz (University of San Francisco), Zvezdelina Stankova (Mills College and UC Berkeley), and Kathleen O'Hara (Associate Director of MSRI).

The Upcoming BAMO 2009 will happen on February 24th, 2009, with grading on March 1st.

Prof. Arthur Benjamin from
Harvey Mudd College gives a
spectacular talk on Fibonacci Numbers

Problem 2 (BAMO 2006) Since 24=3+5+7+9, the number 24 can be written as the sum of at least two consecutive odd positive integers.
(a) Can 2005 be written as the sum of at least two consecutive odd positive integers? If yes, give an example of how it can be done. If no, provide a proof why not.
(b)Can 2006 be written as the sum of at least two consecutive odd positive integers? If yes, give an example of how it can be done. If no, provide a proof why not.

Problem 5 (BAMO 2006) We have k switches arranged in a row, and each switch points up, down, left, or right. Whenever three successive switches all point in a different direction, all three may be simultaneously turned so as to point in the fourth direction. Prove that this operaction cannot be repeated infinitely many times.