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Latest IMO News 18 July, 2009 Daily News are now available online The "Daily News" everyone got each day are now available also online. You can find them at Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 26 June, 2009
John Templeton Foundation sponsors IMO video documentary
The John Templeton Foundation (U.S.A.) has just awarded a grant to Bildung und Begabung e.V., the association organising the IMO in cooperation with Jacobs University, to produce a video documentary of the IMO 2009. Bildung und Begabung e.V. has commissioned Oliver Wolf, a journalist and psychologist to create this film. He and his colleagues, up to two camera teams, will be present on campus for the full time of the IMO, they will wear name tags and shirts like the members of the organising team. So you may expect to be filmed once in a while for that documentary.
The project takes advantage of the pivotal role of the 50th IMO anniversary in the world mathematics community, which brings outstanding mathematicians together to discuss their IMO experiences, then have these mathematicians interact with this year’s IMO participants. Among the top level mathematicians, all of them former IMO medallists, are three winners of the Fields Medal, the equivalent of a Nobel Prize for mathematicians.
The video documentary, of professional quality, will be made of the IMO and of the mathematicians’ interactions with the public and with the students.
John Templeton Foundation’s funding will allow this experience to be shared with many more students who don’t actually attend the IMO themselves. Many countries have gifted students, perhaps students with genius potential, but no opportunity for them to compete in a team or attend the IMO. The DVD will benefit this population in several ways. It will give them examples of problems and contest materials to work on. It will provide for them models of how to work on difficult mathematical problems. It will likewise provide mathematicians in these countries with models for work with young people.
All IMO 2009 participants will receive a complimentary copy of the DVD before the end of this year.
26 June, 2009
New publication “German Teams at the IMOs 1959-2008” available
Just in time for the 2009 IMO, a publication will be available with a compilation of all German IMO participants from 1959 to 2008:
W. Engel, H.-D. Gronau, H.-H. Langmann, & H. Sewerin (2009). The German Teams at the International Mathematical Olympiads 1959-2008. Bad Honnef: K.H. Bock (96 pp.).
Additionally, statistics on all participating countries and their results are provided as well as a list of the most successful participants, awards given to IMO participants, and the regulations for the IMO.
Complimentary copies of the booklet will given to all Team Leaders, Deputy Team Leaders, and IMO Officials. July 6, 2009 Press Release
The 50th International Mathematical Olympiad will be held from 14 – 21 July in Bremen.
The most talented young mathematicians from all over the world will be trying to find elegant solutions to difficult mathematical problems in their bid to win gold, silver, and bronze medals. Jacobs University Bremen will be the venue. The organisers are expecting around 600 students from 104 countries. Together with the team leaders, team guides, observers and the team of organisers around 1100 people will be involved in the nearly fortnight long event.
After several qualifying rounds six ace German mathematicians have made it to the forthcoming final.
The six members of the German team are:
Bertram Arnold (17) from Georg-Cantor-Gymnasium, Halle (Saale)
Christoph Kröner (19) from Gymnasium Stein, Stein near Nürnberg
Malte Lackmann (18) from der Klaus-Groth-Schule, Neumünster near Kiel
Martin Merker (18) from Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium, Jena
Jens Reinhold (17) from Helmholtz-Gymnasium, Bielefeld
Lisa Sauermann (16) from Martin-Andersen-Nexö-Gymnasium, Dresden
The jury will be chaired by Hans-Dietrich Gronau, professor of mathematics in Rostock.
The youngest German olympian, Lisa Sauermann from Dresden, is just 16 years old and is in 10th grade at school. But this will be her third International Mathematical Olympiad. The same goes for 18 year old Malte Lackmann from Schleswig-Holstein. Although the other four maths experts are new to the olympiad, they, too, have raked in prizes in federal and national competitions.
"Germany is entering a very strong team ", said Dr. Harald Wagner, Executive Director of Bildung und Begabung e.V., organiser of the 2009 IMO in Bremen. "But it will remain exciting to the end." For in previous years the Chinese and Russians have scooped most of the gold medals. But even comparatively small countries such as South Korea, Vietnam and Romania, for example, enter very strong candidates.
"This year's outstanding achievements in the mathematical olympiad at federal and national level have shown once again that many German school students enjoy and are good at maths", said Wolfgang Lück, mathematics professor and president of the German Federation of Mathematicians. "They should all be role models for us – just as enthusiasm for maths is stronger and more accessible in other cultures than it is in Germany. I wish the German ace mathematicians cool heads and the best of luck in the competition!"
Schedule
From Saturday, 11.7.09: Jury meetings
Tuesday, 14.7.09, 11:00 - 13:30
Opening ceremony: open to the press, in German and partly in English, with photo opportunity.
Venue: Pier 2, Gröpelinger Fährweg 2, 28237 Bremen
With a video message from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speeches, a presentation by Albrecht Beutelspacher, mathematician from Gießen ("Calculating without a calculator") and the parade of the IMO teams
Wednesday, 15.7.09, and Thursday, 16.7.09: Examinations (the actual contest)
Sunday, 19.7.09, 14.30
Anniversary celebration: open to the press, in English, with photo opportunity
Venue: Musical Theater, Richtweg, 28195 Bremen
With former IMO medallists Prof. Béla Bollobás, Prof. Timothy Gowers, Prof. László Lovász, Prof. Stanislav Smirnov, Prof. Terence Tao and Prof. Jean-Christophe Yoccoz with short lectures, discussion session and opportunity for the participants and the top mathematicians to meet.
Tuesday, 21.7.09, 11:00 - 13:30
Awards and closing ceremony (open to the press, in English, with photo opportunity)
Venue: Die Glocke, Domsheide 6-8, 28195 Bremen
With speeches from, among others, German Research Minister Annette Schavan and Bremen's Senator for Science, Renate Jürgens-Pieper. Presentation of medals and handover of the IMO flag to Kazakhstan, the host country in 2010, followed by photo session and interview opportunities.
The International Mathematical Olympiad is a mathematics competition at the highest level for high school students, hosted in a different country in July every year. In each of two four and a half hour long examinations the participants, no more than 20 years old, solve three challenging mathematical problems selected by an international jury over the previous days.
The 2009 IMO is organised by the association Bildung und Begabung e.V. (Bonn) in cooperation with Jacobs University Bremen. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research bears the largest share of the total budget of 1.5 million Euros while the Federal State of Bremen, Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and both main sponsors ArcelorMittal and BTS are also making considerable contributions. Other sponsors are: Atlantic Hotel Sail City, Bremer Landesbank, JOKE Event AG, Nordmetall Stiftung, and Stadtwerke Bremen (SWB). The organisers gratefully acknowledge additional financial support from BEGO Bremer Goldschlägerei, Bremer Messegesellschaft HGV, Die Sparkasse Bremen AG, Hannover Rückversicherung AG, NORDMILCH AG, Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen GmbH (VBN), GEOtec Zeichen- und Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Mathematikum e.V., Zirgon GmbH.
Interviews with jury members and delegation leaders as well as participants from Germany and abroad can be arranged by appointment for the following times: 16.7. from 15.00 - 16.30 and 18.7. from 16.00 to 17.30. Contact to the German team or the jury can also be arranged prior to the contest.
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