13-09-2017, 09:58 AM
The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is an annual mathematical olympiad of six problems for pre-university students, and is the oldest of the International Scientific Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. Since then it has been held annually, except in 1980. Approximately 100 countries send teams of up to six students, plus a team leader, an assistant leader and observers.
The content ranges from extremely difficult algebra and prior calculus problems to problems in non-conventionally covered mathematics branches in the school and often not at the university level either, such as projective and complex geometry, functional equations and well-founded number theory, of which extensive knowledge of theorems. The calculation, although allowed in solutions, is never required, as there is a principle that anyone with a basic understanding of mathematics should understand the problems, even if the solutions require much more knowledge. Supporters of this principle claim that this allows for greater universality and creates an incentive to find elegant, deceptively simple-looking issues that nonetheless require a certain level of naivety.
The selection process differs by country, but often consists of a series of tests that admit fewer students in each progressive test. The prizes are awarded to approximately 50% of the maximum score of the individual contestants. Teams are not officially recognized - all scores are given only to individual contestants, but the team score is unofficially compared to individual scores. Contestants must be under 20 years old and must not register in any tertiary institution. Subject to these conditions, an individual may participate any number of times in IMO.
The content ranges from extremely difficult algebra and prior calculus problems to problems in non-conventionally covered mathematics branches in the school and often not at the university level either, such as projective and complex geometry, functional equations and well-founded number theory, of which extensive knowledge of theorems. The calculation, although allowed in solutions, is never required, as there is a principle that anyone with a basic understanding of mathematics should understand the problems, even if the solutions require much more knowledge. Supporters of this principle claim that this allows for greater universality and creates an incentive to find elegant, deceptively simple-looking issues that nonetheless require a certain level of naivety.
The selection process differs by country, but often consists of a series of tests that admit fewer students in each progressive test. The prizes are awarded to approximately 50% of the maximum score of the individual contestants. Teams are not officially recognized - all scores are given only to individual contestants, but the team score is unofficially compared to individual scores. Contestants must be under 20 years old and must not register in any tertiary institution. Subject to these conditions, an individual may participate any number of times in IMO.