Brazil in Math Olympiad

Six students and two teachers from Brazil are to fly next Saturday (Jul 5) to Cape Town, South Africa, to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Six hundred young boys and girls from 100 countries are expected to participate. The competition kicked off on Thursday (3) and ends on July 13.

Tests are scheduled for July 8 and 9. Students will have a daily quota of four hours and a half to solve three mathematical problems from such fields as algebra, number theory, combinatorics and geometry.

The Brazilian students were chosen among the winners from the 2013 Brazilian Math Olympiad. To make it to the national team, they had to face a long selection process which entailed a series of tests and exercises done over the course of six months, in addition to the score obtained in the national olympiad. Before their trip, the students assembled in a city in the countryside of São Paulo, where they took part in an intensive training program ahead of the competition.

The International Mathematical Olympiad is regarded as the world’s largest calculus contest for high-school students. It has been held since 1959, in July, each time hosted by a different country. Contestants age from 14 to 19 years old.

Brazil has sent its competitors since 1979 and boasts 105 medals: nine gold, 30 silver and 66 bronze, and is the only Latin American country ever to be awarded. Last year, the Brazilian team won three silver medals, one bronze and two honorable mentions.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira