Now, that seems like a problem that will take some time. Not so for the Argonaut Elementary School fourth- and fifth-graders preparing for the Math Olympiad. They have been practicing similar math and logic problems for weeks.

Their first challenge would be Nov. 15--a timed test at the Math Olympiad.

For the next five months, hundreds of elementary and middle school students around the country will take part in once-a-month tests at their respective schools to test their mathematical ability. The rewards: national recognition for being among the top 10 percent of contestants.

"The contest gives really challenging math problems to our top students," said Sue Brooks, principal of Argonaut. "Some of the problems are very challenging for adults, too."

Brooks said that some parents really become involved in the whole process. "It's mainly an after-school event. Parents organize the coaching classes," she said. "It provides a challenge for those students who are not challenged enough by the state curriculum.

"It teaches them persistence. The students will often run into problems that they cannot solve. They have to work to get the answer," Brooks said. "It teaches them that they will succeed in anything if they try hard enough."

About 100 students from Argonaut take part in the contest every year. There are awards for students who do well. "They are pretty motivated. There are a lot of sign-ups," Brooks said.

That usually means a flurry of activity in every Saratoga home with a budding Math Olympian.

Priti Dugar is one Saratoga parent who has invested a lot of time in the event. "I have been closely involved with the Olympiad for the last two years. From November onwards, the students will be taking an Olympiad test once a month for the next five months," she said.

Dugar said that she got involved when her son Arnav, a sixth-grader at Redwood Middle School, showed an aptitude for mathematics. "I'm a math major, so it was easy for me to jump right in," she said. "I think the contest really opened my son's eyes to the world of math."

Lisa Payne, another Argonaut parent, is one of the math coaches at the school. She, too, became involved when her daughter decided to sign up for the Olympiad.

As many as 12 parents are involved in the coaching at Argonaut. "We have 17 different coaching sessions during the school year. There are two coaches per team," Payne said.

Payne said that because she has been through the drill for the last few years, it is much easier to prepare for the competition now.

"The tests are administered during the school day but it's run by volunteers," Payne said. "I think the hardest part are the logic problems."

She said that the Olympiad is very good training for the children. "The skills that they learn here will serve them well in real life--when they are calculating a loan amount or even looking at a discount coupon," she said.

Her daughter, Courtney, who moved to Redwood Middle School after attending Argonaut, said that she had improved her scores gradually over the years. "The first time I took a practice test I scored zero. But I've gotten better over the years," Courtney said.

In one test, she even managed to get all five problems correct. In the world of the Math Olympiad, that's the Holy Grail.