Mathematics Olympiad

The Mathematics Olympiad activity was undertaken by NBHM from 1986 onwards and is currently run in collaboration with the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai. One main purpose of this activity is to support mathematical talent among high school students in the country. NBHM has taken on the responsibility for selecting and training the Indian team for participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad every year. While NBHM coordinates and supports Mathematics Olympiad contests all over the country, regional bodies, mostly voluntary, play an important role at different stages. For the purpose of administering Mathematics Olympiad contests, the country has been divided in 32 regions. A regional coordinator is responsible for conducting these tests in each region. The names of the regions and their respective regional coordinators and the Information on Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) and Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) are given at https://olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in/rcs-mo/.

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is an international competition for high school students which has been running annually since 1989 and now has over 100 countries competing, including all members of the G20. The IMO is a self-governing autonomous organization, though it is affiliated to UNESCO. Its Council is elected by participating countries, and is called the IMO Advisory Board.

Mathematical Olympiad Programmes in India and related activities

The International Olympiad movement is aimed at bringing the most talented secondary and higher secondary students of the world together in a friendly competition of the highest level. The Olympiads do not lead directly to any career benefits; rather, they provide a stimulus to begin a career in science or mathematics, to undertake a lifelong journey into the realms of exciting intellectual challenges. The Olympiads are not merely competitions, they are the meeting places of the brightest young minds of the world, and many friendships forged at the Olympiads form the seeds of scientific collaboration later in life. Much like the Olympics in sports, the Olympiads are a celebration of the very best in school level science and mathematics. The Olympiad programmes globally have aimed at not just the international events, but also as national channels to enrich school educational curriculum. Even beyond the scope of the examinations, Olympiad problems provide intellectual stimulus and uncommon opportunities for teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science. The principal aim of the Mathematical Olympiad and other Math competitions is to stimulate love and enthusiasm for mathematics. It is a healthy competitive activity that facilitates the learning of mathematical concepts, and the teaching of major strategies for problem solving. More than everything else, the purpose is to foster mathematical creativity and ingenuity, and the thrill of meeting challenges. Although a good performance in these competitions inspire a student to follow mathematics as a career, they do not substitute for regular curricula and, do not play a detrimental role in the careers of those who are not successful in the math Olympiads.

The Mathematical Olympiad Programme in India is a five-stage process conducted under the aegis of National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. The first stage IOQM is conducted by the Mathematics Teachers’ Association (India). The website for IOQM is http://www.mtai.org.in/prmo. All the remaining stages are organized by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE-TIFR). For details please visit the website at https://olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in/.

Apart from the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), in which India has been participating since 1989, it has also started participating in two more international Olympiad events: the European Girls‟ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) and Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO) since 2015. The process for selection of students for participation in the events have been merged, taking into account the requirements of the individual tests.

Further information available below:

1. International Mathematical Olympiad Foundation: https://imof.co/
2. International Mathematical Olympiad Official page: http://www.imo-official.org/

Contact Addresses for Mathematics Olympiads: