What is International Mathematical Olympiad?

The IMO stands for International Mathematical Olympiad, which is a competition organized amongst the participating nations based on their ability to solve mathematical problems. It is a competition organized for High School students and is held annually. 

The IMO Board ensures that the competition is organized annually, and the country which hosts each year adheres to the regulations and traditions of IMO. At the beginning of IMO, the first IMO or International Mathematical Olympiad was organized in Romania in 1959. It has observed participation from 7 countries, namely Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. But with due time, IMO has expanded over to a count of 100 countries.

Highlighting about Mathematics, it can be said that it is such a subject which is found to be the most scoring and interesting subject amongst all, but due to negligence, this subject has seen to be a nightmare for some students. 

Before IMO was such a popular competition, it used to be organized on a much smaller scale, which included only 7 seven countries in its very first program. But, gradually it’s popular and competition has been increasing over time. Stating the fact, when IMO was first introduced it had no definite format and regulations for its examination. But with time, IMO has laid down stable and unchanging rules which are applicable to every participating nation, and also ensure smooth unbiased functioning. 

The participation rule in IMO is such that each country that participates in it has to send a representative team of 6 members, and each one of the members competes individually in the respective IMO. Moreover, there is a team leader from each respective country, who plays its role in problem selection and thus, he/she is being kept separated from the rest of the members of that particular nation. Also, there is a deputy leader who is selected to guide the contestants from their respective nations. 

The International Mathematical Olympiad is a 2 days competition, in which a time limit of 4and a half hours is provided each day to solve three problems, for a total of six. The first problem is very easy, whereas the last one is the hardest on its scale. Though, there are many notable exceptions for the difficulty level of the question. The marking pattern is such that each problem is of 7 points, which makes up a total of 42 points including all the questions. 

The number of points scored by the participants which are scored by a contestant depends upon the result of negotiation and agreement among the problem coordinators which are assigned by the host country, and the team leaders, as well as the deputy, try to defend the interest of the candidates from their respective country. 

This grading system ensures a comparatively objective grade which is seldom off by more than two or three-point. 

Every student irrespective of their standards can participate in these IMO or International Mathematics Olympiad, and thus they must prepare well to participate in such a competitive activity, where participation is observed from every sphere of the globe. The students must be well-prepared to face such a high degree of competition amongst the participating nations. 

Certain strategies are found to be helpful to the candidates for preparing effectively for these IMOs and performing better. Some of these are:

Well Aware of the Syllabus:

The Mathematics Olympiad includes questions based on the school curriculum of the respective classes. Thus, this is found to be of immense help to the participants as they are already aware of the syllabus of their school curriculum. Hence, this ensures effective preparations of the participants. One of the most common topics includes linear algebra and calculus.

Follow the Right Books:

With the knowledge of the syllabus for the Maths Olympiad, it is necessary to refer to the right books. Instead of taking a guide from bundles of books, the participants must choose one right book, which would help them prepare effectively as well as reduce the hassle while revision. 

The right books for such preparation must cover all the topics and contents which are relevant to the IMO syllabus. Moreover, the study materials chosen must be inclusive of previous year papers, workbooks, Olympiad Skill Development System, mock test series, and many other helpful materials.

For easy reference, the IMO Maths Olympiad Previous Year Question Paper Class 6 2012  is helpful for the students of class 6, to prepare effectively for their respective maths Olympiad. 

Prepare a Strategy:

To participate in an international competition with a number of competitions all around the globe, it is necessary for the participants that they prepare a strategy to stand out amongst the other participants. 

It is necessary for the students to grasp the concept more firmly, and must build firm foundations of the concepts. This can be achieved when the participants devote their time to their preparations along with their regular academics, which would help them prepare better for the maths olympiads. 

Try to Grasp the Concepts Firmly:

The questions which are given in these Olympiad examinations are framed in such a manner that they are concept-oriented types of questions. As mathematics is an application subject, thus it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the concepts to improve one’s problem-solving ability. The students must strengthen their concepts by following a regular revision regime and practicing sample questions for better grasping of the concepts.

Practice, Practice, and Practice:

Regular practice should be done by the participants to perform better in the Olympiads. Moreover, practicing more questions would help the participants to enhance their ability of time management, which would come to the rescue during the competition. 

Therefore, these are some of the strategies which are advised to the participants to achieve better results in the Olympiads. These strategies will enhance the preparations of the participants, as these will boost the reasoning and thinking power of the participants, and also will help them in their academics too.