Ninehills Applied Math Sandbox Challenge

The Challenge

Hilly, rural communities often face severe water management issues — heavy rainfall causes destructive runoff and erosion, while dry spells leave gravity-fed water systems short on pressure or supply. Design a mathematical framework for a localized water management system, and prove it works inside a "sandbox" simulation.

Eligibility

• High school graduates, including incoming college freshmen and gap-year students
• Individual entries only for this round — team entries may be added in a future contest
• Submissions must be made using accessible consumer technology (a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer)

How to submit

Fill out the entry form below — no file upload needed. You'll provide your project overview, problem definition, mathematical framework, and sandbox results directly as text, plus a link to your video.

Your video

• A YouTube link, 5 minutes maximum
• Show your work, your math, and your sandbox in action — not your face. Judging is blind: judges never know who submitted what, so keep the camera on your screen, whiteboard, or model, not on yourself
• Suggested structure: Problem & Variables (0:00–1:00) → The Mathematical Model (1:00–3:00) → Sandbox Demonstration (3:00–4:30) → Conclusion & Impact (4:30–5:00)

Acceptable sandbox mediums

• Digital code or software (Python, NetLogo, MATLAB, or similar)
• Interactive mathematical modeling (Desmos, GeoGebra, spreadsheets)
• A physical scale model, with measured results

How it's judged (100 points)

• Problem Definition & Scope — 20
• Mathematical Rigor & Application — 30
• Sandbox Execution & Testing — 30
• Communication & Presentation — 20

Academic integrity

All work must be original. Generative AI may be used for brainstorming or debugging code, but not to generate your final mathematical model, write your summary, or record your presentation.

After the contest

If your entry wins, you're welcome (not required) to demonstrate your concept live for the community.