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Fearlessly test your mathematics skills against other students.

Put your equation-solving skills to the test with the Department of Chemistry and Mathematics' annual math competitions. Whether you're an undergraduate college student or a high school student, competing individually or on a team, there's an opportunity for you to show your skills.

SEMO Student Competitions

DataFest is a nationwide competition for undergraduates with the goal of analyzing big data provided by a well-known corporate sponsor. The event is organized at the University of Missouri by the Mid-Missouri Chapter of the American Statistical Association (ASA).

Summary

At the 2025 DataFest, students analyzed nearly 200,000 office lease records to predict whether tech companies would relocate or renew their leases. They tested three statistical models and found office size, year, and space type were key factors in these decisions.

Team

  1. Deepshika Karki
  2. Noah Lynch
  3. Abhishek Shrestha
  4. Krishna Thakar

Faculty Mentors

  1. Emmanuel Thompson
  2. Mohamed Abu-Sheha

Award:  Best Use of Statistical Analysis

Team

  1. Moe Toyoda
  2. Gwen Squires
  3. Samuel Shevlin
  4. Thao Pham

Faculty Mentors

  1. Emmanuel Thompson
  2. Mohamed Abu-Sheha

Award:  Best Use of Statistical Analysis

Team

  1. Moe Toyoda
  2. Jacob Beaird

Faculty Mentor

  1. Yi-Ching Lee

Award:  Best in Show

Competitions We Host

SEMO is not only a place where students compete, it's also a place where talent is welcomed and celebrated across the region. Each year, SEMO hosts events that bring elementary and high school students to campus, creating opportunities for them to test their skills, meet other students, and experience SEMO firsthand.

MCTM Regional Elementary Math Contest

Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Chemistry and Mathematics hosts students from area schools to compete in the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) Regional Elementary Math Contest. The Southeast Regional Contest is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026. If you have qualified for the Southeast Regional Contest, find out more and register using the link below.

Math Field Day

Math Field Day invites area high school students to campus for a full day of individual and team competition across subjects such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, probability, data analysis, and problem solving. It is one of the department's most visible outreach events and a great example of how SEMO builds excitement around mathematics for future Redhawks.

Math Field Day Resources

The 2026 Math Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Algebra 

Linear and quadratic equations. Systems of linear equations. Algebraic
simplification. Exponents and radicals. Functions and their graphs. Word
problems. Absolute value. Inequalities. Rational roots of a polynomial.
Remainder theorem. Binomial theorem. Complex numbers.

Geometry

Problems with numerical answers involving similar and congruent
figures. Questions based on a sophomore plane geometry course.

Trigonometry

Trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions. Values of
trigonometric functions. Graphs. Solution of triangles. Trigonometric
equations. Identities. De Moivre's Theorem.

Mental Arithmetic

Problems employing basic operations of arithmetic will be presented by
use of flash cards. The only writing done by students will be to write
answers.

Computational Mathematics

Percentage. Addition, multiplication, and division of fractions.
Operations involving complex fractions. Square roots and decimal
numbers.

Elementary Data Analysis

Measures of central tendency, variability and correlation, data
transformations, best-line fit, graphical summaries.

Sets and Logic

Basic operations with sets-unions, intersection, complement. Venn
diagrams. Number of elements in a finite set. Truth value of
conjunction, disjunction and conditional statement forms. Truth tables
for compound sentences. Equivalence.

Number Theory

Number types and number patterns. Prime numbers and the
Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic. Greatest common divisor and
least common multiple. Euclidean algorithm.

Probability

Combinations and permutations. Probability of complements, union, and intersection of events. Independent events. Mutually exclusive events. Conditional probability. Expected value.

Hand Calculators

Problems employing basic operations of arithmetic. Consumer arithmetic. Measurement problems.

Non-Routine Problem Solving
Level I (9th & 10th Grades)

Interesting problems requiring ingenuity rather than high mathematical skills to solve. Arithmetic, basic algebra, knowledge of intuitive geometry, and number sense are used.

Level II (11th & 12th Grades)

Intriguing problems requiring ingenuity, logic, number theory, basic algebra, geometrical relations to solve rather than depending on highly developed technical skill in a branch of mathematics.

Algebra I 

Algebraic simplification. Radicals. Factoring. Linear and quadratic equations. Linear inequalities. Word problems.

Algebra II

System of equations. Linear and quadratic equations and inequalities. Functions and their graphs. Rational roots of a polynomial. Binomial theorem.

Geometry

Problems with numerical answers involving similar and congruent figures. Length, area and volume. Angles in circles. Pythagorean Theorem. Questions based on a sophomore plane geometry course.

Word Problems

Problems that can be solved by a linear equation or a linear inequality. Types found in most traditional Algebra I books.

Number Bases

Computations in bases other than 10. Change from one base to another.

Word Problems

Problems that can be solved by a linear equation (inequality), quadratic equation (inequality), or by a system of equations.

Exponential and Log Functions

Logarithmic and exponential functions. Graphs. Using logarithms to solve exponential equations. Logarithms used in computation.

Matrices and Determinants

Properties of matrices and determinants. Computation and applications.

Analytic Geometry

Lines and conic sections. Distances. Curve sketching using intercepts,
symmetry, and asymptotes. Graphs. Coordinate geometry.

Calculus

Derivatives and integrals of algebraic functions with applications.

Algebra I

Same topics as on the Class-Specific Algebra I test.

Algebra II

Same topics as on the Class-Specific Algebra II test plus questions on
absolute value, arithmetic and geometric sequences, logarithmic and
exponential functions, and word problems.

Geometry

Same topics as on the Class-Specific Geometry test. Questions based on
a sophomore plane geometry course.

Trigonometry

Same topics as on the Open Trigonometry test.

Medley

Algebra I. Algebra II. Geometry. Senior level mathematics.

This award is designed to recognize two schools as the all-around winner in their division. A trophy will
be given to both a large school and a small school. To determine the winner, points will be awarded to
those individuals and teams earning first, second, and third places for each event. The points will be
awarded as follows:

  • Each team event will earn 16 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, and 6 points for 3rd place.
  • The individual events will earn 8 points for 1st place, 5 points for 2nd place, and 3 points for 3rd place.

Location

Office

Rhodes Hall 306

Johnson Hall 201

Mailing Address

One University Plaza, MS 0000
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701