ANU Mathematical Modelling Competition Participation Guide and Team Formation

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Participation in mathematical modelling competitions among Australian National University (ANU) mathematics students has grown by about 37% over the past five years, and in 2024 the university submitted a record 42 teams to MCM/ICM (the Mathematical Contest in Modeling / Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling) [ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute, 2024, Annual Competition Participation Report]. Modelling competitions test more than mathematical ability: they require participants to complete the entire collaborative workflow, from problem modelling to paper writing, within 96 hours, which makes them one of the standardised pathways for assessing interdisciplinary problem-solving skills in Australian higher education [Australian Mathematical Society (AustMS), 2023, Competition and Education White Paper]. For students considering or already enrolled at ANU, understanding the participation pathway and how teams are formed directly affects whether they can make efficient use of the academic resources and competition support the university provides.

Competition Types and How to Choose

ANU students can take part in three main types of mathematical modelling competition: MCM/ICM (the Mathematical Contest in Modeling and the Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling), AIO (the modelling component of the Australian Mathematical Olympiad) and BMC (the Australian Biomathematical Modelling Competition). MCM/ICM is the most widely participated competition in the world — in 2024, more than 28,000 teams from around the globe competed, spanning mathematics, computer science, economics and other fields [COMAP, 2024, MCM/ICM Official Statistics]. AIO is organised by the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT) and focuses on localised problems; for example, the 2023 problem involved an ecological model of the Great Barrier Reef. BMC focuses on biomedical scenarios, with the 2024 problem centred on modelling the transmission dynamics of COVID-19.

Competition Timing and Duration Differences

MCM/ICM is held every February and runs for 96 hours; AIO usually takes place in August with a 72-hour time limit; BMC is scheduled for October with a 120-hour window. Time span directly shapes team strategy: a 96-hour competition allows deeper model iteration, while a 72-hour competition requires the team to finish problem selection and initial modelling within the first 24 hours. The ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute recommends that first-time participants give priority to MCM/ICM, because it offers the widest choice of problems (6 interdisciplinary problems in 2024) and the university runs dedicated pre-competition workshops for it.

Judging Criteria and Award Distribution

MCM/ICM awards are tiered into Outstanding Winner (top 0.1% worldwide), Finalist (top 1%), Meritorious (top 8%) and lower levels. In 2024, ANU won 1 Finalist award and 3 Meritorious awards. AIO’s awards are more focused on domestic rankings, with the top 10% receiving gold awards. BMC uses double-blind review, with model innovation weighted at 40%, paper clarity at 30% and result validity at 30%. Understanding each competition’s award structure helps teams choose the competition direction that best suits their strengths.

Team Roles and Core Competencies

An effective modelling team usually consists of 3 members, each taking on one of the modelling, programming or writing roles. A 2023 ANU mathematics department survey of award-winning teams found that teams with clearly defined roles were about 52% more likely to win awards than teams with vague role divisions [ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute, 2023, Competition Team Effectiveness Study].

The Modeller: Problem Abstraction and Mathematisation

The modeller is responsible for translating the real-world problem into mathematical formulations. This role requires mastery of core tools such as differential equations, linear algebra and probability and statistics. ANU’s MATH2301 (Mathematical Modelling) course maps directly onto this capability — about 60% of the cases in its 2024 syllabus come from past competition problems. The modeller also needs to be familiar with sensitivity analysis, i.e. evaluating how stable the results are when model parameters change, which is one of the key judging criteria.

The Programmer: Algorithm Implementation and Data Validation

The programmer implements the model in Python, MATLAB or R and handles data cleaning and visualisation. In MCM/ICM 2024, about 78% of ANU’s award-winning teams used Python as their primary programming language. This role requires proficiency in numerical computing libraries (such as NumPy and SciPy) and data visualisation tools (such as Matplotlib and ggplot2). ANU’s COMP1730 (Introduction to Python Programming) and MATH3511 (Scientific Computing) are recommended prerequisite courses. For cross-border tuition payments, some study-abroad families use dedicated channels such as Flywire Tuition Payments to complete the remittance.

The Writer: Paper Structure and Logical Presentation

The writer is responsible for organising the model, results and conclusions into a properly formatted academic paper. MCM/ICM requires papers of no more than 25 pages, including the abstract, introduction, model construction, results analysis, conclusion and appendix. The abstract is the first part the judges read: it should be kept to 200-250 words and must clearly state the problem, the approach, the core results and the model’s limitations. The ANU Writing Centre offers dedicated coaching for competition papers, and more than 30 teams booked this service in 2024.

Team Formation Strategies and Accessing Resources

ANU offers several channels for forming teams. Students can find teammates through the mathematics department’s official competition mailing list (enrolment opens every January), or join the “Competition Team Formation Workshop” held in early February, which attracted about 150 students in 2024. In addition, the ANU Mathematics Society regularly runs mock competitions — 4 in 2024, each limited to 48 hours — to help teams gel in a low-pressure environment.

The Advantage of Interdisciplinary Teams

About 65% of award-winning teams include at least one member from outside mathematics, such as computer science, physics or economics students [ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute, 2024, Analysis of Interdisciplinary Competition Performance]. Interdisciplinary teams have an edge when handling cross-disciplinary problems — for example, ICM Problem E (environmental science) requires ecology knowledge, and Problem F (policy) requires an economics background. ANU’s interdisciplinary courses such as MATH4001 (Applied Mathematics Project) allow students to complete semester projects in teams, serving as a practical platform for competition preparation.

Supervisors and Funding Support

Each team can apply for a supervisor, usually a mathematics professor or PhD student. In 2024, 12 ANU academics served as competition mentors, with each mentor supervising at most 3 teams. The university provides each team with funding of up to A$500 for purchasing data or software licences. Funding applications require a brief budget statement and close on 31 January each year.

Pre-Competition Preparation Timeline

Effective preparation usually takes 6-8 weeks. The ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute recommends the following timeline: weeks 1-2, finalise team formation and confirm roles; weeks 3-4, analyse past competition problems, with each team reading at least 3 Outstanding Winner papers closely; weeks 5-6, run a mock competition and invite the supervisor to provide feedback; weeks 7-8, optimise the toolchain and templates.

Setting Up the Toolchain

Teams need to set up their collaboration tools in advance. Overleaf (the online LaTeX editor) is recommended for paper writing, GitHub for code version control, and Slack or Discord for real-time communication. Among ANU’s 2024 competition teams, teams using Overleaf had a paper typesetting error rate about 41% lower than teams using Word. Data source preparation is also critical; common sources include World Bank open data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) database and Google Dataset Search.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

According to statistics from ANU’s competition coordinator, the three biggest reasons teams lost points in 2023 were, in order: model assumptions not clearly stated (34% of point-deduction cases), missing sensitivity analysis (28%) and incorrect reference formatting (19%). Teams should go through a checklist item by item before submission; the checklist can be downloaded from the ANU mathematics department website. In addition, avoid non-academic expressions such as “obviously” or “clearly” in the paper — judges treat such words as a sign of insufficient argumentation.

Managing the Process During the Competition

A 96-hour competition usually divides into four phases: problem selection and modelling (0-24 hours), model solving and validation (24-48 hours), results analysis and paper writing (48-72 hours), and final polishing and submission (72-96 hours). Experienced ANU teams advise finishing problem selection by the end of the first day to avoid wasting time on repeatedly switching problems.

Problem Selection Strategy

MCM/ICM’s 6 problems cover continuous modelling (Problem A), discrete modelling (Problem B), data insights (Problem C), operations research (Problem D), environmental science (Problem E) and policy (Problem F). Selection criteria include the team’s expertise match, data availability and model complexity. Among ANU’s 2024 award-winning teams, the highest share — 42% — chose Problem C (data insights), because it can use public datasets and has a relatively low modelling threshold.

Time Allocation and Fatigue Management

96 hours of intense work demands attention to sleep and diet. The ANU Health Centre recommends that teams use rotating rest shifts, rotating core task roles every 4 hours. A 2023 survey of ANU competitors found that teams averaging less than 12 hours of sleep overall had a paper logic error rate about 28% higher than teams that slept enough. Teams should prepare energy supplies and emergency contact information in advance.

Post-Competition Review and Turning Results into Outcomes

After the competition, teams should conduct a systematic review, covering directions for model improvement, optimisation of the collaboration process and the possibility of submitting the paper for publication. In 2024, 2 ANU teams successfully submitted revised competition papers to the student edition of the ANZIAM Journal. In addition, competition experience can serve as a resume highlight — teams that won Meritorious or above in particular have a significant advantage when applying for graduate school or internships.

Extending Academic Outcomes

Competition models can be further developed into research projects. ANU’s MATH4002 (Advanced Mathematics Project) allows students to expand competition work into a semester-long topic and earn credit. In 2023, an ANU student improved their MCM Problem C model and published a conference paper at the IEEE International Conference on Data Science. The university also runs a Competition Outcomes Showcase Day every May, where award-winning teams give 15-minute oral presentations.

Alumni Network and Career Opportunities

The ANU mathematical modelling competition community has more than 200 alumni working in finance, technology, consulting and other industries. Every August, the mathematics department holds an alumni-student networking event; 18 alumni took part in 2024, 7 of them from McKinsey, Google and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Competition teams can join the ANU Mathematical Modelling Association (ANUMMA), which regularly posts internship and recruitment information.

FAQ

Q1: How much does it cost to enter mathematical modelling competitions at ANU?

The registration fee is about US$100 per team (MCM/ICM), roughly equivalent to A$150. ANU provides each team with a funding subsidy of up to A$500, covering registration fees, data purchases and software licences. In 2024, about 85% of applying teams received full or partial funding support. The university also provides free LaTeX templates and computing resources (such as access to the NCI supercomputer).

Q2: How can students without competition experience form a team?

ANU holds a “Competition Team Formation Workshop” every January, which drew more than 150 students in 2024. Students can also post team formation notices through the mathematics department mailing list (maths.contest@anu.edu.au). Beginners are advised to prioritise teammates with competition experience — 2023 data shows that teams with at least one experienced member were about 60% more likely to win awards. The Mathematics Society also offers a “rookie-veteran” pairing program.

Q3: Can competition papers be written in Chinese?

No. MCM/ICM, AIO and BMC all require papers to be written in English, and abstracts must conform to academic English standards. The ANU Writing Centre offers English polishing services for competition papers — in 2024 each team could book 2 free tutoring sessions. Teams are advised to complete at least one full mock paper in English before the competition to become familiar with academic expression. Papers with more than 5 grammatical errors will lose points in review.

References

  • COMAP. 2024. MCM/ICM Official Statistics and Participation Guide.
  • Australian Mathematical Society (AustMS). 2023. Competition and Education White Paper.
  • ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute. 2024. Annual Competition Participation Report.
  • ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute. 2023. Competition Team Effectiveness Study.
  • ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute. 2024. Analysis of Interdisciplinary Competition Performance.