Online math challenges launched in 1996

David Rock and Doug Brumbaugh, both veteran math educators, established the online Problem of the Week contest in 1996 at the University of Central Florida. Their goal was to increase problem-solving and math enthusiasm among students across the globe.

Eventually, as interest in the site grew, three more contests were added: Elementary Brain Teaser, Middle School Madness and the High School Challenge, which is no longer active. The University of Central Florida was home to the Elementary Brain Teaser and the High School Challenge until 2000. When David Rock joined the University of Mississippi faculty in 1998, he continued the project then by hosting the Problem of the Week and Middle School Madness contests at Ole Miss. In 1999, he added two additional contests at Ole Miss: Algebra in Action and Geometry Gambit. In 2000, Rock assumed responsibility for the Elementary Brain Teaser as well. Rock continued to post the Problem of the Week and the Elementary Brain Teaser after he joined the faculty of University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth in 2004.

In 2004, Rock and Brumbaugh were asked to lend their expertise to develop a similar Math Challenge site for the White House as part of its www.whitehousekids.gov initiative. The White House Math Challenge currently hosts Elementary School, Middle School, High School and Open Challenge problems at www.whitehouse.gov/kids/math/. Problems are provided by Rock, who in 2006 became the dean of the College of Education at Columbus State University, and Brumbaugh. In September 2006, CSU announced its commitment to support Rock’s continued support of the four weekly problems now offered.