Currently, all MIST Academy classes in Birmingham are held at the Vestavia Learning Center at 1360 Montgomery Highway, and all classes in Huntsville are held at UAI (software) at 307 Wynn Drive.

Advanced Problem Solving

MIST Academy's Advanced Problem Solving course is aimed at students with very strong problem solving skills. It is suggested that students taking this class be confident in their ability to qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). Little time will be spent on traditional curriculum, except to extend and generalize important concepts. Topics covered will include synthetic geometry, the pigeonhole principle, the principle of inclusion-exclusion, mathematical induction, and many others. Some class time will be spent developing students' abilities to write rigorous proofs.

The Intermediate Problem Solving course is listed for grades 9 through 12, but MIST Academy actually places students in classes by ability, not age or grade. The grade range has more to do with the competitions that make up some of the focus of this course. Problems and lessons are taken from many sources including the AMC 12, the Mandelbrot competition, Mu Alpha Theta, the AIME, ARML, and even sometimes from Olympiad competitions such as the USA Mathematical Olympiad.

Click here for a sample of the problems from the MIST Academy Intermediate Problem Solving course.


2008 Spring Class Schedule

Advanced Problem Solving -- The Spring session of Advanced Problem Solving focuses on methods of problem solving and proof writing. Several weeks will be devoted to preparation for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). Tuesday nights from 7 to 9 PM. Class begins on February 26. A complete schedule can be found here. Cost of enrollment in this ten week course is $390 ($260 for high school seniors). Additionally, all students enrolled in Advanced Problem Solving may attend the Intermediate Problem Solving classes during the Spring. To enroll, send an email to class instructor Mathew Crawford.

2008 Fall Class Schedule

The theme of the Fall Advanced Problem Solving class is Combinatorics. Topics include combinations and combinatorial identities, one-to-one correspondence, recursion, applications to graph theory, and much more. Much of the class will be aimed at the levels of problems seen on the AIME and USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) exams. This material should also be helpful for students competing in Alabama math team events, or the Alabama ARML team.

The Fall Advanced Problem Solving class will be held on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Class begins on August 19. A complete schedule can be found here. Cost of enrollment in the ten-week course is $390, which includes all fees, materials, and registration. To enroll, send an email to class instructor Mathew Crawford.

2008-2009 Winter Class Schedule

The theme of the Winter Advanced Problem Solving class is Problem Solving and Contest Preparation. Topics include parity, the pigeonhole principle, modeling, preparation for the AIME and USAMO competitions, and much more. This material should also be helpful for students competing in Alabama math team events, or the Alabama ARML team.

The Winter Advanced Problem Solving class will be held on Sunday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Class begins on November 16. A complete schedule can be found here. Cost of enrollment in the ten-week course is $390, which includes all fees, materials, and registration. To enroll, please contact us.

Tuition

The cost each ten-week Introductory course is $390 per student. Limited financial aid is available to families in need.