This volume contains the Annual High School Mathematics Examinations, given 1973 through 1982. It is a continuation of Contest Problem Books I, II, III, published as Volumes 5, 17, and 25 of the New Mathematical Library series and which contain the first twenty-three annual examinations. The Annual High School Mathematics Examinations (AHSME), it is hoped, provide challenging problems which teach, stimulate and provide enjoyment for not only the participants, but also the readers of these volumes.

All high school students are eligible to participate in the Annual High School Mathematics Examinations. In 1982, over 418,000 students in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Jamaica, Australia, Italy, England, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Finland, Belgium and Luxembourg participated in the examination. It was administered also in many APO/FPO and other schools abroad. Each year a Summary of Results and Awards is sent to all participating high schools (in the United States and Canada). The problems are designed so that they can be solved with a knowledge of only “pre-calculus” mathematics, with emphasis on intermediate algebra and plane geometry. The subject classification at the end of the volume indicates which questions are related to which topics.

The problems on each examination become progressively more difficult, Between 1973 and 1977, the participants were given eighty minutes to complete the examination, and in subsequent years they were allowed ninety minutes.