A mathematical olympiad is a mathematical competition where participants are examined by problem solving[1] and may win medals depending on their performance. Usually aimed at pre-university students, much of olympiad mathematics consists of elementary mathematics, though solutions may involve the use of calculus or higher-level mathematics. The biggest mathematics olympiad is the International Mathematical Olympiad.[2] Among their objectives, they serve the purpose of identifying talented or gifted students in mathematics, who often receive opportunities for scholarships at universities.[3][4] In a sense, they measure some mathematical abilities of the students.[3]
The concept of mathematics competitions dates back to the late 19th century. A one-off competition for 70 primary school students was held in Bucharest in May 1885, but little is known about it.[5] A better-documented Eötvös Competition in Hungary became one of the earliest organized contests in 1894.[5][6] Romania followed with another competition, this time for secondary school students, in June 1898.[5]USSR introduced regular math olympiads in the 1930s, and the predecessor of the Putnam Competition started in 1938 in the US.[5]
The success of these national competitions eventually led to the establishment of the International Mathematics Olympiad, which has grown from 7 participating countries in 1959 to over 100 countries in recent years.[7]
Karp, Alexander (2003). "Thirty years after: The lives of former winners of mathematical Olympiads". Roeper Review. 25 (2): 83–87. doi:10.1080/02783190309554204. ISSN0278-3193.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
