International Mathematical Olympiad

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is an annual contest for high school students. It is the oldest of the international science olympiads.

Selection process

Australia

In Australia, selection into the IMO team is determined by the Australian Mathematics Trust and is based on the results from 4 exams:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The Australian Mathematics Olympiad
• The Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympiad
• 2 IMO selection exams

The Australian Mathematics Olympiad (AMO) is held annually in the second week of February. It is composed of two 4-hour papers held over two consecutive days. There are 4 questions in each exam for a total of 8 questions. Entry is by invitation only with approximately 100 candidates per year.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A month after the AMO, the Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympiad is held (APMO) and the top 25 from the AMO are invited to sit the exam. It is a four and a half hour exam with 5 questions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The top 12 students from the AMO and APMO (along with another 12 or so junior students) are then invited to a 10 day camp held in Sydney in the April school holidays. During this camp, two 4.5 hour

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

selection exams are held, each with 4 questions. The top six candidates along with a reserve are then announced as part of the team based on their results in the four exams.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cyprus

In Cyprus Four provincial competitions are held in November in every district capital. In Lefkosia is called "Iakovos Patatsos", in Lemesos is called "Andreas Vlamis", in Larnaka and Ammochostos is called "Petrakis Kyprianou" and in Pafos is called "Andreas Hadjitheoris". Afterwards 10 students from every grade (A, B and C grade) of the high-school (Lyceum) from every district are selected. Total: 4 districts * 3 grades * 10 students = 120 students.

Related Topics:
November - District capital - Lefkosia - Lemesos - Larnaka - Ammochostos - Pafos

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Then a National (Pancyprian) competition is held in December and is called "Zeno". Every grade has different problems. Afterwards 10 students from every grade are selected. Total: 3 grades * 10 students = 30 students. This student are divide into two groups according to the district they come from. Group A must come from Lemesos and Pafos and Group B must come from Lefkosia, Larnaka and Ammochostos.

Related Topics:
December - Zeno - Lemesos - Pafos - Lefkosia - Larnaka - Ammochostos

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Each group watches about 8 to 10 four hour preparing lessons for the olympiad. Each group decides where the next lesson will be held. During the lessons Four Selection competitions are held which are considered the four parts of the Selection Competition under 15.5 which is called "Michael Georgallas". In each of the competition 5 students are eliminated. So after the 4th competition the six member of national team and the four runners-up are selected.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• In every competition there are four problem covering geometry, number theory, algebra, and combinatorics and last four hours each.

Denmark

In Denmark a national contest open to all high school students is held every year called "Georg Mohr-Konkurrencen"(the Georg Mohr contest) named after a Danish mathematician. The top 20 of this contest are then invited to another contest where the final team is selected.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

France

The Association Animath prepares and selects the French IMO team. Students who succeed at a preselection test can get from Animath a year-long training, after which the team is selected by an IMO-like test.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hellas

• ????? (Thalis) - first round
• ????????? (Efklidis) - second round
• ????????? (Archimidis) - third round

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong the International Mathematical Olympiad Preliminary Selection Contest is held every year. Students are selected to receive further training, after three of which 6 outstanding students will be selected the Hong Kong team members, and 6 will be selected as reserve members.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Latvia

In Latvia a national contest open to all high school students takes place each year. The best participants of regional contests are allowed to participate in the national olympiad held in Riga. The top students are further tested to select the national team.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Malaysia

No one knows for sure how the team is selected. The only thing known to the public is that the team must consist of a certain number of Malays. There have been cases where even the top three were not selected as one of the six members of the team.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Romania

In Romania those that enter the Romanian National Team on Mathematical Olympiad are selected from 3 rounds: City, County and National. A team (plus reserve) is selected from the first 9 topped on the National Olympiad.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

United Kingdom

In the UK those that enter the British Mathematical Olympiad are reduced to around 20 for a 'training session' held in Trinity College, Cambridge. A squad (team plus reserve) of around 9 is selected from examinations during these sessions and a final team is selected after a further training session held at Oundle School.

Related Topics:
UK - British Mathematical Olympiad - Trinity College, Cambridge - Oundle School

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

United States

In the United States, the team is selected through the American Mathematics Competitions, which are open to all high school students.

Related Topics:
United States - American Mathematics Competitions

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~