A.M.P.'d Challenge

The A.M.P.'d (Auburn Mathematical Puzzle) Challenge is an official Auburn University-sponsored event organized by COSAM Outreach. Inspired by the puzzle parties and puzzle hunts popular in the area, it uses the format of a puzzle hunt to teach mathematical reasoning to middle school students.

Its official website may be found at http://www.auburn.edu/cosam/departments/outreach/programs/AMPd/index.htm.

History
COSAM (College of Science and Mathematics) Outreach staffer Mary Lou Ewald participated as a member of the winning Red Team in EPP9: Puzzle Marathon II. Mary approached organizer Eric Harshbarger to investigate using the puzzle party format for a COSAM high school event.

Independently, Braxton Carrigan, a PhD student in Mathematics at the univeristy, approached Ewald in 2011 to investigate the possibility of creating an event at Auburn that modeled on the middle school mathematics camps he helped run in Australia with Auburn University professor Dr. Chris Rodger. Recalling the puzzle hunt format, Ewald suggested using it for a middle school math competition that wasn't in the usual quiz bowl format.

Partnering with COSAM Outreach and APP4 organizer Steven Clontz, Carrigan put together the first AMP'd Challenge for 7th and 8th graders in February 2012. Several COSAM Outreach staffers and mathematics graduate students volunteered to help run the event.

A second A.M.P.'d Challenge is planned for September 2012, oraganized by COSAM Outreach and Steven Clontz from the mathematics department. In addition, following the success of the first AMP, a high school version is finally in the planning stages, organized by COSAM Outreach and Eric Harshbarger.

Plot
The theatrical elements of A.M.P'd Challenge were developed by Steven Clontz, who based the story loosely on the universe developed in APP4: Auburn Puzzle Patrol.

In the February 2012 installment of AMP, the Commissioner of the Auburn Math Police has called the greatest middle school math detectives in the area together to solve the "Case of the Missing Spirit". Don Rook (based on "King Rook" from APP4) kidnapped Spirit the Eagle, and the only evidence proving his guilt has been split into several puzzle pieces, which can only be recovered by solving puzzles rooted in mathematical concepts.

Puzzles
Since puzzles (officially called "Challenges" in AMP) may be reused in later competitions, they are not available for viewing online.