Problems for HiMCM 2026 are released at 3:00 pm EST on Wednesday, November 4. With four weeks left, the goal is no longer learning new mathematics – it is turning what the team already knows into a workflow that survives a 14-day window.
Week 1 – Baseline on a real problem
Pick one past problem from our year-by-year table and work it for a weekend. The point is diagnosis: where does the team stall – framing, data, modeling, code, or writing? Assign the four roles now and let each member own a stage.
Week 2 – Drill the weak stages
Practice the stages that broke, separately: restating a prompt into variables and constraints, defending assumptions, choosing between model families, sensitivity analysis, and figure design. COMAP’s official solution guidelines – restate, assume, justify, test, report – are the drill list.
Week 3 – Full timed simulation
Run one full past problem under compressed time with a hard PDF deadline: summary sheet first, 25-page limit including references and appendices, control-number header on every page, 12-point type. Practicing the format now prevents losing points to it later.
Week 4 – Debrief and freeze the toolkit
Convert the simulation debrief into a one-page contest checklist: who does what on day one, where data and citations are logged, when internal drafts are due, and who owns the final format check. Freeze your software toolkit and confirm every member can run it.
Remember the boundary: coaching and outside help are only permitted before the window opens. From 3:00 pm EST on November 4, the team works alone – any outside discussion of the problem violates the rules. Details in the 2026 rules guide.
This is an independent English-language guide to HiMCM for Greater-China students, operated by Hanlin Education. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by COMAP, the organiser of HiMCM. COMAP is the sole official authority for HiMCM rules, dates, registration and results — contest details change between editions, so always confirm on comap.org before registering or submitting. Confirmed errors are corrected within 7 working days.