The Princeton University Mathematics Competition, also known as PUMaC, is an annual high school mathematics competition started in 2006. The competition typically takes place in January each year, organized entirely by the students of the Princeton University Math Club with hundreds of students participating from across the United States.
For 19 years, the competition was only held at Princeton University, attracting high school students and high school math teams from all across the country who prepared for PUMaC and other similar competitions throughout the year. In 2026, PUMaC organizers partnered with Beijing's ASEEDER to hold the competition in China for the first time. Kenya's Learning Sprouts organization will also partner with Princeton to hold the first African PUMaC in Nairobi, Kenya in 2027.
Tournament format The competition has two divisions: Division A and Division B. Division A is intended for teams with more competition experience while Division B is designed for teams that are more new to competition. Both divisions are the same structurally.
Teams and individuals both are able to apply to participate within the competition. A full team consists of 8 individuals.
The table below shows the layout for the tournament. +RoundFormatIndividual RoundEach individual round participant will take two Individual Tests out of a selection of 4 categories: Algebra, Geometry, Combinatorics, and Number Theory. Each individual test is 50 minutes.Individual FinalThe top 10 students in each division qualify for the Individual Final, a series of 3 difficult proof questions. The contestants are given 90 minutes for the 3 problems.Team RoundTeams work together to solve 15 problems with 1 bonus question. Teams are given a varying amount of time yearly, typically ranging between 30 and 60 minutes.Power RoundTeams work together on a variety of proof-style theorems and conjectures. Problems are usually released a week beforehand and teams are allotted that time to work. Proofs are due the date of the competition.
Scoring and winners The competition is scored by a specific system available here. +IndividualsTeams (overall)YearSubjectDivision ADivision B#Division ADivision B2025AlgebraLiam ReddyEden He1stLehigh Valley FirePHS AvocadoGeometryNathan LuLiran Zhou2ndWashington GoldPRISMS Young FalconsNumber TheoryAlexander WangArjun Pandey3rdTexas RamanujanJericho ACombinatoricsShaohuan (Nick) ZhangBrandon Ni4thMad HatterGunn MathOverallLiam ReddyEric Dai5thFlorida AlligatorsGreater Boston2024AlgebraZongshu WuQiao Zhang1stLehigh Valley FireWard Melville Math TeamGeometryJason MaoJason Lian2ndTJ ASierra Canyon SchoolNumber TheoryAlexander WangHarry Gao3rdLexington AlphaJericho ACombinatoricsEdward LiQiao Zhang4thTexas RamanujanTheta Math ClubOverallAlexander WangQiao Zhang5thWashington GoldBig L
Expansion
Beijing PUMaC partnered with China's ASEEDER competition organization to hold China's first PUMaC on January 10-11, 2026. The scores for the Chinese competition were held separate from the scores within the US.
Kenya Through a partnership with Kenya's Learning Sprouts, an African education-focused organization, PUMaC is set to organize its first competition in Nairobi for 2027, accessible to students across the entire continent.
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