1. 引言 
        這篇文章的目的是幫助與引導學生和指導教師正確地參加數學建模競賽（MCM）和 交叉學科建模競賽（ICM）。本文由COMAP提供有關競賽的管理資訊，以及保證參賽者 順利、滿意和愉快地參賽。文章包括三個部分： 競賽前－包括競賽前的準備與註冊； 競賽中－包括競賽期間參賽隊和指導教師常犯的錯誤； 競賽後－包括競賽結果與競賽後的常見問題。 
        看到 就表示是重要的競賽提示。 
2. 競賽前 
數學建模競賽（MCM）與交叉學科建模競賽（ICM）是面向所有在校大學生和中學 生的國際競賽，具有大學本科或以上學歷者不得參加。 
MCM/ICM是真正的團隊競賽，每個隊可以由一名、兩名或（最多允許）三名學生組 成。根據歷史的經驗，最佳的組隊是三個隊員。在競賽開始註冊時，一個參賽隊的所有學 生必須是在同一所院校中；COMAP將無例外地嚴格執行這個規則。在你們的參賽隊中， 並不要求要有一個數學專業的學生，團隊成員可以是來自任何專業的學生。在組建了參加 隊之後，接著要選擇一個指導教師。 
你們學校的任何全職教師、職員或學生都可擔任指導教師。指導教師將作為參賽隊的 主要聯絡人，也不要求來自數學系。然而，我們鼓勵老師來擔任參賽隊的指導教師。 
鼓勵參賽隊和指導教師一起通過研讀前些年的競賽題和解答論文來準備參加競賽。你 們可在網站www.mathmodels.org上找到這些競賽題和解答論文，以及競賽相關的文章。這 些競賽題是自由瀏覽的，解答論文和相關文章是對於mathmodels.org的會員開放的。 
競賽提示 
 看看前些年的競賽題，有利於你們在競賽開始時的選題，瞭解 MCM與 ICM的問題 之間的差異性----涉及的數學方法和所討論的議題的差異（MCM：離散、連續、資料分 析；ICM：運籌學/網路科學、環境科學、政策研究）。 
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註冊：參賽隊必須在競賽開始前通過競賽網站報名註冊，註冊過程的第一步是要支 付 100美元的註冊費，我們在收到你們的金融機構確認資訊後，系統會自動為你們隊派發 一個控制號（參賽隊號）。你們隊在收到控制號之前是沒有正式成功註冊的。 
一定要列印顯示你們隊控制編號的網頁，該頁列出了你們隊註冊時填寫的電子郵件 地址和密碼。後面你們將需要這些資訊來完成整個的競賽過程。另外，這也是你們的交 易憑證，在這個過程中，你們不會收到註冊的確認郵件。 
競賽提示 
一定要在註冊完成後，立即列印或儲存包含你們隊控制號的收據憑證拷貝，因為之後 你們不會再有機會這樣做了。 
3. 競賽中        競賽題將在競賽開始日，美國東部時間下午5：00準時釋出，參賽隊員可能通過訪問 下面的網頁獲得競賽題： 
http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm. 
       競賽題將在競賽開始日，美國東部時間下午4：50釋出在下面的映象網站上： 
http://www.comap-math.com/mcm/index.html 
http://www.mathismore.net/mcm/index.html 
http://www.mathportals.com/mcm/index.html 
http://www.immchallenge.org/mcm/index.html  
在競賽開始之後，只要去任何一個網站，你都能看到一個競賽題的連結，開啟瀏覽 競賽題不需要密碼。如果你不能訪問這些網站，則可能是你的本地網路連線問題。我們強 烈建議你收藏或儲存這些映象網站，以方便之後引用。 
競賽提示 
這些映象網站將比COMAP官網主頁早10分鐘釋出競賽題，訪問這些映象站點或許更 容易響應，因為他們的訪問量要少得多。 
 
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（1）選題 
在賽題頁面上將會有一個 zip檔案，其中包含有 3個 MCM問題和 3個 ICM問題的 一個資料夾，所有的資料檔案和支撐材料都將包含在問題的資料夾中。參賽隊可以自由選 擇 6個問題中的任何一個，但是隻能提交一個問題的解答論文。6個問題的題型分類如 下： 
 MCM 問題 A (連續型)  MCM 問題 B (離散型)  MCM 問題 C (資料分析)  ICM 問題 D (運籌學/網路科學)  ICM 問題 E (環境科學)  ICM 問題 F (政策研究) 
競賽提示 
   你們在確定選題前，一定要仔細閱讀問題的陳述。每個問題都有不同的和具體的要 求，例如：要求提供備忘錄或信件，具體的解答格式和/或頁數限制等。 
（2）競賽求助 
參賽隊員不可以尋求除了同一隊的隊員以外任何人的幫助，以及與指導教師或其 他任何人討論問題。你們隊員以外的任何人介入都是嚴格禁止的。這裡包括（但不限於） 用任何通訊方式介入：如電子郵件、電話、電報、私聊軟體、網路聊天、互動討論群，以 及其他的任何問答系統等。 
在整個競賽期間，可能在MCM/ICM問題網頁上發現有競賽題的說明與更新。如果你 們還有網站上未涵蓋的問題，你們可以傳送郵件到

[email protected]，郵件中一定要包含 你們的參賽隊號。 
競賽提示 
在競賽期間，一定要注意檢視網站上的更新。如果有競賽資訊的任何更新（可能包括 特定問題的更新），COMAP都將會更新這個網站。 
        （3）論文/提交 
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論文必須用英文書寫，採用一種不小於 12P的易讀字型，頁面尺寸不大於 A4幅面。 解答必須包括完整的書面文字，以及必要的圖形、圖表，或其他的書面材料。但不接受 非論文的支撐材料，例如計算機程式檔案或工具軟體檔案等。 
         在解答論文每一頁的頁首上必須顯示正確的參賽隊控制號和頁碼數。例如，在每一 頁上使用下面的頁標題： 
Team # 54321                                                                             Page 6 of 20 
競賽提示 
        一定要仔細檢查你們的參賽隊號，不能輸錯或改變任一位數字，否則將無法識別你們 的論文。 
         參賽隊的學生和指導教師的姓名，或學校名稱不能出現在電子版論文的任何一頁 上。解答論文中不能包含除了參賽隊控制號以外的任何與參賽隊身份相關的資訊。 
競賽提示 
         論文中不能包含任何形式的參賽隊身份資訊，如學生姓名、學校名稱或地理區域等。如果要 求你們提交一封信，一定不要在信上簽寫你們的真實名字。如果你們認為在信的最後需要有一 個正規的結束語，我們建議使用：Sincerely, Team #54321. 
要求每個參賽隊提交一份自己的論文電子版（PDF格式或Word格式檔案），傳送郵 件到

[email protected]。任何一個參賽隊員或指導教師都可以傳送郵件，但不要多次重複發 送。   在郵件的主題行寫：COMAP  你們隊的控制號，例如:  COMAP 54321  郵件的附件名要用你們隊的控制號命名，例如：54321.doc，或 54321.pdf 
競賽提示 
一定要仔細檢查你們的檔名與參賽隊號的正確性，因為這是經常出現的一類錯誤和 混淆，一旦出錯系統將無法識別。 
 
 COMAP只接受你們解答論文的一個 PDF 檔案或 Word 檔案。在你們的郵件中 不能包括你們的控制頁（Control Sheet）、計算程式、或工具軟體，這些在評 判過程中是沒有用的。要求每封郵件只能包括一個參賽隊的論文。你們隊的摘要 （summary）必須是論文檔案的第一頁，不能分為兩個檔案。 
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*注意：郵件的附件必須小於 17MB！一定不要使用雲附件或超大附件功能， 例如 Google Docs、QQ 的超大附件和網易的超大附件等，否則 COMAP 將不能收到 你們的附件檔案。你們的郵件必須包含一個 PDF 檔案或 Word 檔案。 
競賽提示 
關於論文電子版郵件提交，一定不要使用超大附件和雲附件功能，你們的郵件必 須包含一個 PDF檔案或 Word檔案的附件。郵件檢查清單： 
[] 郵件主題是正確的 (COMAP #控制號)。 [] 郵件附件 (一個檔案) 名字是正確的(Team #控制號) ，而且已附加到郵件中。 [] 傳送到的郵件地址是正確的 (

[email protected])。 
（4）控制頁/提交  每一個參賽隊員必須在控制頁上籤上自己的名字，以表明他或她遵守了競賽規則 和要求。 
 將簽了名的控制頁（Control Sheet）傳送郵件到 COMAP： 
在簽名的控制頁準備好之後，傳送郵件到：[email protected]。在你的郵件主題行 寫：COMAP  你們的控制號，例如：COMAP 54321。COMAP只授受一個你們隊控制頁的 PDF檔案或照片影象檔案。要求每封郵件只發送一個控制頁。  *注意：郵件的附件必須小於 17MB！！一定不要使用雲附件或超大附件功 能，例如 Google Docs、QQ的超大附件和網易的超大附件等，否則 COMAP 將不能 收到你們的附件檔案。你們郵件必須包含一個 PDF 檔案或影象檔案。 
競賽提示 
關於控制頁的郵件提交，一定不要用超大附件和雲附件功能，你們的郵件必須包含一 個物理的 PDF檔案或影象檔案的附件。郵件檢查清單： 
[] 郵件主題是正確的 (COMAP #控制號)。 [] 郵件附件 (一個檔案) 命名是正確的(Team #控制號) ，而且已附加到郵件中。 [] 傳送到的郵件地址是正確的 ([email protected])。 
4. 競賽後 
         我們建議你通過指導教師登陸（Advisor Login）連線登入競賽網頁，查驗 COMAP 是否收到了你們隊的論文電子版。 
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競賽提示 
         在競賽結束時間之後，論文電子版的狀態將會更新。通常情況下，在競賽結束 24－ 48 小時後，論文電子版的狀態都將會更新。 
         如果你們隊的論文電子版狀態顯示為 “ Received”（收到），這就說明我們已收到了 你們隊提交的電子郵件。如下圖： 
 
         如果在 48小時後，你們隊的論文電子版狀態顯示為“not yet received”（沒有收 到），這就說明我們沒有收到你們隊提交的電子郵件，如下圖。可以通過你們的參賽隊號 發郵件聯絡我們。 
 
        關於評審：評審工作將在 3月至 4月間完成，競賽結果將在 4月 30日前公佈。參賽 論文將被評定為 Disqualified（不合格）、Unsuccessful（不成功參賽）、Successful Participant（成功參賽）、Honorable Mention（優秀獎）、 Meritorious（優異獎）、 Finalist（優勝提名獎）、 Outstanding Winner（優勝獎）。 
Disqualified：這個隊的論文被認定為違反了競賽規則，被取消了評獎資格。 
Unsuccessful：這個隊的論文被認定為沒有按照競賽題的要求完成基本問題。 
Successful Participant：這個隊的論文回答了競賽題要求的問題，並且給出了結果。 
Honorable Mention：這個隊的論文包含了建模和問題解決的全部要素，並且被認為 超過了平均水平。 
Meritorious：這個隊的論文在建模和問題解決的很多方面被認定為優秀，論文給出 了建模和問題解決的全部要素，並且給出了清晰的表述，在所有參賽論文中是優異的。 
Finalist：提名獎的論文是被公認為優秀水平的論文，並且符合進入最後一輪評審的 要求。進入最後一輪評審論文佔所有參賽論文的 2%。 
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Outstanding Winner：這些隊的論文被評定為從競賽題要求建模的各個要素、競賽問 題的解答論文和解答論文的表述等方面相比而言都是水平最高的。這些論文通常會被作為 優秀學生的作品公開出版。 
        在競賽結果公佈以後，你們可以通過 Advisor Login連線登入競賽網頁，查尋你們隊 的最終評審結果。 
 
        對所有提交的競賽論文不進行復評。所有的競賽論文都通過嚴密的評審過程，之後由 COMAP確定出獲獎論文等級。我們建議你們去學習這些優秀論文，同時閱讀評委對這些 最高水平論文的評論和介紹。 
競賽提示 
        不得以任何理由要求重評參賽論文，但是你們可以選擇要求評委對你們隊的論文專門 撰寫評論。你們可以在競賽結果公佈之後，通過這個網站提出你們的服務請求。 
        一旦競賽結果在網站上公佈，PDF格式的證書就可以下載。證書上的學生名字的拼 寫和排序都是由你們隊的指導教師註冊時輸入確定的，COMAP不會改變或編輯這些信 息。 
競賽提示 
         學生名字的排序是沒有關係的，也與參與的重要程度無關。在 COMAP和競賽主席 看來，所有參賽隊員都是平等的。在註冊時，指導教師要確保所有參賽隊員的名字拼寫正 確。 
        如果你們發現你們的證書有錯誤，請傳送郵件給 COMAP，告知你們的隊號、出現的 錯誤和正確的結果。我們只改變拼寫錯誤和列印錯誤，不會修改其他任何資訊。 

MCM-ICM: Procedures and Tips for a Great Experience 

 
Introduction 
 
The purpose of this article is to assist and guide students and advisors participating in The Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and The Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM). In the article, COMAP, provides information about the administration of the contests, as well as tips to ensure your contest experience is smooth, satisfying, and enjoyable. The article is broken up into three sections.   Before the Contest – Covers contest prep and registration.  Contest – Covers common mistakes made by teams and advisors during the contest.  After the Contest – Results and common post contest questions. 
Look for which indicates an important contest tip. 
 
Before the Contest 
The Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and The Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM) are international contests open to all undergraduate and high school students. Individuals with a Bachelor’s degree or above are not allowed. 
The MCM/ICM are true team competitions. Each team may consist of one, two, or three (maximum allowed) students. Historically, the best teams have three members. All students on the team MUST be enrolled at the same institution at the start of the contest; COMAP will make no exceptions to this rule. Having a math major on your team is not required, and student team members may be from any field of study. After you have created your team, the next step is to choose an advisor. 
Any faculty, staff member, or student at your institution can fulfill the role of Advisor. The advisor will act as the main point of contact for the team, and does not have to be from the mathematics department. We do however encourage faculty members to serve as team advisors. 
Teams and Advisors are encouraged to prepare for the contest by viewing the previous year’s problems and solutions. You can find these problems and solutions, as well as relevant contest articles at www.mathmodels.org. The problems are free to view, and the solutions and articles are available to mathmodels.org members. 
 


 
 
Contest Tip   Look at problems from previous years to understand the choices you will have when the contest begins. Understand the general differences between MCM and ICM problems, both in terms of the mathematics involved and the topics addressed (MCM: discrete, continuous, data insights;  ICM: operations research/network sciences, environmental sciences, policy).  
Registration. Teams must register via the contest website prior to the contests’ beginning. The first step in the process is to pay the $100 registration fee. After we receive approval from your financial institution, the system will issue a control number for your team. Your team is not officially registered until you have received a team control number.  
Be sure to print the page that displays your team’s control number, as this page lists the email address and password that you entered when registering. You will need this information later to complete the contest procedures. Additionally, this is your transaction receipt. You will NOT receive an email confirmation of your registration. 
Contest Tip Be sure to print or save a copy of your team’s receipt with your control number, as you will not be given another opportunity to do so. The Contest  
The contest problems will become available precisely at 5PM EST on the starting day of the contest. Team members can view the problems by visiting http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm.  
The contest problems will become available on these mirror sites precisely at 4:50PM EST on the starting day of the contest  
http://www.comap-math.com/mcm/index.html http://www.mathismore.net/mcm/index.html http://www.mathportals.com/mcm/index.html http://www.immchallenge.org/mcm/index.html  
No password will be needed to view the problems; simply go to any of the contest web sites after the starting time of the contest and you will see a link to view the problems. If you cannot access any of the sites, there may be a problem with your local Internet connection. We highly recommended that you bookmark or save the list of mirror sites above for later reference.  


 
 
Contest Tip The contest problems go live on the mirror sites 10 minutes before the main COMAP website. Access to these mirror sites maybe more responsive as they may have less traffic. 
Problem Choice. The contest problem page will contain a link to a zip file that contains a folder of 3 MCM problems and 3 ICM problems. Teams are free to choose from any one of the six problems, but should submit a solution to only one problem. Any relevant data files or support materials will be included in the problem folder. Each of the six problems is categorized as shown below: 
 MCM Problem A (continuous)  MCM Problem B (discrete)  MCM Problem C (data insights)  ICM Problem D (operations research/network science)  ICM Problem E (environmental science)  ICM Problem F (policy) 
Contest Tip  Be sure to read the problem statements carefully before choosing your team’s problem. Each problem will have different and specific requirements, such as required memos or letters, specific solution format, and/or page limits. 
Contest Assistance. Team members may NOT seek help from or discuss the problem with their advisor or anyone else, except other members of the same team. Input, in any form, from anyone other than your own team members is strictly forbidden. This includes, but is not limited to, any communication in the form of: email, telephone contact, electronic messaging, personal conversation, communication via web chat or interactive discussion groups, and any other question-answer systems.  
Problem Notes and Updates can be found on the MCM/ICM problem page throughout the contest period. If you still have a question that is not covered on the website you can send an email to [email protected] Be sure to include the team number with your correspondence. 
Contest Tip  Be sure to check the website for any updates during the contest. COMAP will update the website with any updated contest information which may include problem specific updates. 
Solutions/Submissions. Papers including the Summary page must be in English, typed in a readable font of at least 12-point type, and must use either US Letter or A4 page size. The solution must consist entirely of written text, and possibly figures, charts, or other written 


 
 
material only. No non-paper support materials such as computer files or software will be accepted.  
The Solution Paper must display the team control number and the page number at the top of every page; for example, use the following page header on each page: 
Team # 321                                                                             Page 6 of 13 
Contest Tip  Be sure to carefully check your team number as it is not uncommon to mistype or transpose a number. 
The names of the student team members, advisor, or institution should NOT appear on any page of the electronic solution. The solution should NOT contain any identifying information other than the team control number. 
Contest Tip  Do not include any type of team identification such as student names, institution name or geographical region. If you are required to include a letter with your submission, be sure not to sign the letter with your name. If you feel as though you need to have a formal closing to such a letter we suggest using: Sincerely, Team #321. 
Each team is required to submit an electronic copy of its solution paper (Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word file) by email to [email protected] Any team member or the advisor may submit this email. 
 In the subject line of your email write: COMAP and your team’s control number. For example: Subject:  COMAP 2222  Use your team’s control number as the name of your file attachments. For example: 2222.doc, 2222.docx or 2222.pdf 
 
Contest Tip  Be sure to name your file carefully and check your team number, as it is not uncommon to mistype or transpose a number. 
 
  COMAP will accept only an Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word file of your solution. DO NOT include your Control Sheet, programs or software with your email as they will not be used in the judging process. Limit one team’s solution per email. Your team's summary should be included as the first page of your file and NOT in a separate second file. *Note: The attachment must be less than 17MB!! Do not use a cloud service such as Google Docs. Your email must contain an Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word attachment. 


 
 
Contest Tip  EMAIL SOLUTION SUBMISSION: Be sure NOT to use a cloud service such as Google Docs your email must contain an Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word attachment. Email checklist:  
[] Email subject is correct (COMAP #) [] Attachment (one file) is named correctly (Team #) and attached to the email. [] The “to” address field is correct ([email protected]). 
Each team member must sign the Control Sheet to pledge that he or she abided by the contest rules and instructions. 
 Send the signed Control Sheet by email to COMAP: After the signed control sheet is prepared, email it to: [email protected] In the subject line of your email write: COMAP and your team's control number. For example: COMAP 2222. COMAP will accept only an Adobe PDF or a Photo Image of your control sheet. Limit one control sheet per email. Teams may take pictures of the signed control sheet with a phone or digital camera and then email the images to [email protected] *Note: The attachment must be less than 17MB!! Do not use a cloud service such as Google Docs your email must contain an Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word attachment. 
Contest Tip  EMAIL CONTROL SHEET SUBMISSION: Be sure not to use a cloud service such as Google Docs your email must contain a physical Adobe PDF or Photo attachment. Email checklist:  
[] Email subject is correct (COMAP #) [] Attachments are named correctly (Team #) and attached to the email [] The “To” address field is correct ([email protected]). After the Contest 
We recommend that you login to the contest web site using the Advisor Login link to verify that your team’s Electronic Solution was received at COMAP. 
 
 
Contest Tip  Electronic Solutions status will be updated after the contest deadline has past. In most cases solution status will be updated 24-48 hours after the contest is over. 
If after 48 hours your team solution shows as (not yet received), that indicates that we did not 


 
 
receive an email submission from your team. Contact us via email with your team number. 
 
 
Judging. Judging will be completed in March-April and the results will be posted on or before April 30th each year. The Solution Papers will be recognized as Disqualified, Unsuccessful, Successful Participant, Honorable Mention, Meritorious, Finalist, or Outstanding Winner. 
Disqualified - The team's report was found to be in violation of the contest rules.  Unsuccessful Participant - The team's report did not adequately respond to the requirements of the contest problem.  Successful Participant - The report responded to the requirements of the contest problem and communicated those results to the judges.  Honorable Mention - The team's report contained elements that were judged to contain above average progress in modeling and problem solving.  Meritorious - The team's report was judged to be excellent in many aspects of modeling and problem solving. The report showed elements of modeling, problem solving, and communication that are exemplary for the scope of the contest.  Finalist - The designation Finalist recognizes those reports at a level of excellence that qualified them for the final round of judging. Reports reaching the final round of judging constitute at most two percent of all reports.  Outstanding Winner - The team's report was judged to be at the highest level relative to the contest submissions in terms of modeling, solving the contest problem, and communicating the solution. These reports are generally published and used as examples of outstanding student work. 
When the results are available you can login to the contest web site using the Advisor Login link to verify your team’s Final Designation. 
 
Contest submissions cannot be re-judged. All contest papers go through a rigorous judging process and COMAP stands behind the designations awarded to papers. We do suggest that you review the outstanding papers and read the judges commentary for insights into the quality of the content and presentation of the best papers. 
Contest Tip  Papers cannot be rejudged for any reason, but you do have the option to request a Judge’s Commentary written specifically about your team’s paper. You can request this service after the contest results have been announced via the website. 


 
 
Once the results are made public on the website, PDF certificates will be available for download. The spelling and order of the student names on the certificate is input by your team advisor and COMAP does not change or edit this information. 
Contest Tip  The order of the student names has no bearing or importance on participation. In the eyes of COMAP and the contest directors, all team members are equal. Advisors should ensure they spell team members’ names correctly when registering. 
If you find that there is an error with your certificate email COMAP with your team number, the error and the correction. We will only correct spelling errors and typos. We will not change any other information.