australasian problem solving mathematical olympiads

Junior School

Australasian problem solving mathematical olympiads.

Each year, Years 5 and 6 students in extension Maths groups participate in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads. From May through to September five separate competition sheets are sent to the school, one per month.

These papers provide students with the opportunity to work on challenges outside the normal classroom curriculum and when revising and discussing questions, students are exposed to new and different ways of tackling problems. It also allows students to develop strategies to solve challenging questions.

The aims of the Olympiads are to:

• introduce students to important mathematical concepts
• teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving
• foster creativity, ingenuity and strengthen intuition
• stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment for mathematics
• provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges

Whilst students are entered as a team, they must work on an individual basis to solve the five questions in each paper. Individual scores are then used to calculate a team result. Students must complete all five papers to be eligible for an award.

The top Australasian team scorer receives a trophy. Individual students in the top 10% receive a badge and patch, while students in the top 20% receive a patch. The student who has persevered and showed remarkable tenacity when striving to solve the problems is also eligible for a special certificate. All participants are presented with a certificate of recognition at the end of the competition.

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Greystanes Public School’s Class 6S has won the Australian section of the Australasian Maths Olympiad for senior primary students. Sven Wright reports.

15 November 2023

Year 6S at Greystanes Public School are champion problem-solvers, beating 1690 school teams to take out the 2023 Australian Junior Maths Olympiad title.

The class is taught by Margaret Smith and Peter Morris, who were delighted at the students’ outstanding effort.

“The students all have a firm grasp of maths at the highest primary level and know how important it is to so many other subjects and how useful it is day to day, so we weren’t surprised at how keen they were to have a bit of fun and competition with it,” Mrs Smith said.

The competition is run by Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO), a not-for-profit organisation established in 1987 to promote maths problem-solving among primary and secondary students in Australia and New Zealand.

The competition starts in Term 2 each year and involves four contests, six weeks apart. Each contest has five questions which students complete individually and without collaboration within a strict 30-minute time limit. The school then sends the results to APSMO.

Mr Morris said the students at the western Sydney school enjoyed the competition as part of their challenging mathematics program.

“It’s given an extra dimension to their maths problem-solving skills, including the experience of thinking clearly under the pressure of competition,” Mr Morris said.

“They also serve as role models for the younger students, so it really is a whole-school win.”

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Our expert tutors prepare students for Maths Olympiad Competitions.

Is Your Child Participating in the APSMO competitions?

The Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) offers a range of mathematical competitions for students who are high achievers in mathematics. Students are encouraged to solve mathematical problems in a creative manner.

The main aims of the APSMO competition are to:

• Introduce students to important mathematical concepts
• Teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving
• Foster creativity and ingenuity, and strengthen intuition
• Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics
• Provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

Students who participate in our APSMO preparation workshop program will be provided with the opportunity to practice solving questions from past APSMO competitions, in collaboration with others. Students will be encouraged to use more than one method to solve each problem to develop their problem solving strategies and ability to think outside the box.

This workshop program will appeal to students in Years 5, 6, 7, & 8 who love mathematics and attempting to solve challenging mathematical puzzles and problems.

Up to 4 students from similar year levels can participate in each ‘APSMO Preparation’ workshop program, which is live, and facilitated by a qualified and experienced tutor. Optional homework tasks are provided following each workshop, enabling students to revise, practise and consolidate the skills that were focused on.

Our ‘APSMO Preparation’ programs consist of 5 X 45-minute weekly workshops. They are scheduled during February, March and April before the Mathematics Olympiad competitions commence in May. Check our calendar for program dates.

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THE 2024 CMO/CJMO RESULTS ARE IN!

OTTAWA, Ontario – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce the results of the 56th Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO), Canada’s premier advanced mathematics competition. This year, more than 90 students participated in the competition held on March 7, 2024.

The CMO is an invitation-based competition. This year, students received invitations to participate based on their performance in the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) held in October 2023, as well as the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad Qualifying Repêchage (CMOQR) held in February 2024.

CMO Committee Chair, Dr. Pawel Pralat (Toronto Metropolitan University), is impressed by the competitors’ talent:

The Canadian Mathematical Olympiad and Junior Olympiad (CMO/CJMO) continue to serve as invaluable arenas for showcasing the remarkable talents of our young minds. Similarly to the previous years, we witnessed the extraordinary achievements and exceptional problem-solving skills of our participants. Congratulations to all participating students!

Warren Bei  of Rockridge Secondary in West Vancouver (BC) is the 2024 CMO Champion. This achievement is particularly noteworthy considering that Warren is only in grade 10, and that he won medals in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 CMOs. In acknowledgment of his exceptional performance, Warren will be awarded a cash prize, and his name will be engraved on the prestigious CMO Championship Cup. This full-sized trophy serves as a lasting tribute to the champion and is typically loaned to their school for display purposes for one year.

The CMS also wishes to congratulate the following prize-winners for their achievement:

Silver Zhekai Shen,  grade 10  (Shanghai Foreign Language School/SISU, Shanghai, China)

Bronze Ming Yang,  grade 11  (Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix, AZ, USA)

Honourable Mentions Ryan Bai,  grade 11  (inGenius STEAM, San Diego, CA, USA) Marvin Mao,  grade 11  (Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ, USA) Emily Ma,  grade 12  (Marc Garneau C.I., Toronto, ON) Xuezhi (Jerry) Wang,  grade 12  (Royal St. George’s College, Toronto, ON)

The top score for the 2024 CMO was 34/35, and the median score was 14/35.

All prize winners will be awarded a cash prize, of which the amount will vary depending on their individual results. The prizes are generously funded by CMS donors, sponsors, and partners.

The CMO 2024 was a great success, and the Canadian Mathematical Society would like to thank all who participated and congratulate them on being selected to take part in this important mathematical event.

Matthew Brennan Prize for Best Solution The Matthew Brennan Prize for Best Solution honours International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) leader and former Olympian, Matthew Brennan, whose life was lost unexpectedly and before his time. The prize was created by the CMS in partnership with Matthew’s parents and awards $500 to the participant with the best solution in the CMO.

Ming Yang  from Bergen County Academies will be honored with the 2024 Matthew Brennan Prize for his solution to Problem 5. The CMS commends Ming for his innovative approach to solving the problem.

2024 Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad (CJMO) This year, the Canadian Mathematical Society hosted the 5th annual Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad (CJMO), tailored for younger students who do not yet qualify for the CMO. On March 7, 2024, 21 students wrote the CJMO. This junior-level competition offers a valuable experience, preparing participants for future participation in the CMO.

James Rickards (CU Boulder), member of the CMO Committee as the CJMO Coordinator, is pleased with this year’s CJMO:

Congratulations to the students on a very successful CJMO, including one perfect score! We look forward to seeing their names again in the next few years.

The winner of the 2024 CJMO is  Ryan Li  (grade 9) of University of Toronto Schools in Toronto, ON. Ryan obtained a perfect score. The CMS congratulates Ryan for this remarkable and impressive accomplishment.

The CMS also wishes to congratulate the following CJMO prize-winners for their achievement:

Silver Leonardo Zhou,  grade 9  (University Transition Program, Vancouver, BC)

Honourable Mentions Matthew Kutakh,  grade 10  (Trinity College School, Port Hope, ON) Isaac Lu,  grade 10  (Thornhill Secondary School, Thornhill, ON)

The top score for the 2024 CJMO was 35/35, and the median score was 19/35.

All prize-winners will receive a cash prize, of which the amount will vary depending on their individual results. The prizes are generously funded by CMS donors, sponsors, and partners.

Click here  to view a complete list of results as well as the problems and solutions presented this year.

About the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad The Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO)  is Canada’s premier national advanced mathematics competition. Candidates require an invitation from the Canadian Mathematical Society to participate. The competition consists of five highly challenging questions requiring fully justified written solutions. The results of the CMO factor strongly in CMS’ selection process for the Canadian teams’ participation at international Olympiads.

About the Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad The Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad (CJMO)  is an advanced mathematics competition created for students up to grade 10. It is invitational and takes place at the same time as the CMO. The CJMO consists of five challenging questions designed for students up to grade 10. Each question requires a fully-justified written solution.

About the Matthew Brennan Prize for Best Solution The Matthew Brennan Prize for Best Solution honours International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) leader and former Olympian, Matthew Brennan, whose life was lost unexpectedly and before his time. The prize was created by the CMS in partnership with Matthew’s parents and awards 500 dollars to the participant with the best solution in the CMO.

Matt was born in Toronto and attended Upper Canada College from Grades one through twelve. In 2012, he started at the MIT, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and in Mathematics in 2016, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 2018. His Master’s thesis, entitled “Reducibility and Computational Lower Bounds for Problems with Planted Sparse Structure”, was awarded the Ernst A. Guillemin Award for Best Thesis in Electrical Engineering. At the time of his death, Matt was in the final year of his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and had been awarded a Miller Fellowship at UC Berkeley starting in the fall of 2021. Matt’s main research interests were the theoretical aspects of machine learning and probability theory.

Matt represented Canada twice at the International Mathematical Olympiad, earning a bronze medal in 2011 and a gold medal in 2012. He returned to the IMO as deputy leader observer in 2014 and 2017, and was the leader in 2019. Matt was passionate about Olympiad math, and had served on the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad committee since 2014. He also contributed extensively to problem creation and selection. In addition to having had two problems included on to the IMO shortlist, in any average year three of the five CMO problems were proposed by Matt. His dream in life was that after a long academic career, he would do contest problems all day as a professor emeritus.

When Matt was not doing research or Olympiad problems, he was likely playing basketball. In addition to spending hours and hours practicing and playing pick-up, he played on three different intramural teams. Even at the IMO training camps, he was constantly itching to play.

About the Canadian Mathematical Society The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)  is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements.

The Society would like to graciously acknowledge the support of its competition sponsors as well as other corporate, government, and academic partners.

For more information, please contact:

An interview with Warren will appear in the June issue of CMS Notes.

Math Matters is a publication of the Canadian Mathematical Society . Copyright 2024 © Canadian Mathematical Society.  All rights reserved.

Exploring maths through problem solving

• Maths Olympiad Years 7-8

Senior Division

About The Program

The Senior Division Maths Olympiad (Division S) is designed to challenge and extend students in school Years 7 and 8.

Further developing problem solving concepts and strategies established in the Junior Division Olympiad, the Senior level competition provides an opportunity for high-achieving maths students to take up the challenge and test their skills against other teams from across Australia and New Zealand.

The main aims of the program are to:

• Build on the important mathematical concepts established in the Junior Division.
• Consolidate strategies and develop greater flexibility for problem solving.
• Foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition.
• Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics.
• Provide an opportunity to compete against other schools and teams.

2024 Competition Dates

• Competition One - Wednesday, 8th May 2024
• Competition Two - Wednesday, 12th June 2024
• Competition Three - Wednesday, 31st July 2024
• Competition Four - Wednesday, 4th September 2024

Applications for date changes can be made in the Members’ area

Who Can Enter?

• The program is aimed at high achieving Years 7 and 8 students (and up to Year 9 in New Zealand).
• There is no lower age limit, and in some instances, exceptional students from Years 5 and 6 may successfully compete in the Program.
• Registration is only open to schools in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Australian International Schools.
• Individual registration is not possible.
• Schools can enter an unlimited number of teams with up to 30 students per team.

Program Format

• The Olympiad comprises four separate contests roughly six weeks apart, starting in early Term 2, and students should complete all four contests.
• Each competition comprises 5 questions, worth 1 mark each, and must be completed in a specified time-frame of 30 minutes.
• Contest questions are completed individually by each student with no collaboration during contests.
• Each contest is held under exam conditions in the classroom and marked by the teacher in charge who then submits the results to APSMO.
• APSMO recommends that the solutions be reviewed as a group to enhance learning.

Register Now

Contact Details

• Phone:   +61 2 9114 9255
• Fax:        +61 2 9114 9233
• Email:     [email protected]
• Post:       PO Box 629                 WAHROONGA NSW 2076

Competitions & Programs

• Maths Quest Years 1-2
• Maths Explorer Years 3-4
• Maths Games Years 5-6
• Maths Games Years 7-8
• Maths Olympiad Years 5-6

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HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS BY INVITATION

We can open up pathways for outstanding young problem solvers, giving them the possible opportunity to showcase their talents on the world stage.

Our best and brightest in maths and computational thinking are often invited to take part in the pathway programs run by the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee (AMOC) and the Australian Informatics Olympiad Committee (AIOC).

Maths, Informatics and Science Olympiads participation

Sometimes students receive invitations to participate in multiple Olympiad programs in the same year. Due to the significant time commitment for these activities, Australian Science Innovations and the Australian Maths Trust do not permit students to participate in more than one Olympiad program. Students who are invited to train in multiple Olympiad pathways will need to decide on one subject to pursue per year.

Maths opportunities by invitation

To be considered for an invitation to maths—invitational opportunities training, students need to have achieved outstanding results in the Australian Mathematics Competition or one of the three modules under Maths for Young Australians.

Events for Olympiad level young mathematicians may include: training schools, the AMOC Senior Contest, the Australian Mathematical Olympiad, the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad.

Every year, and following on from these events, four Australian girls will be selected to represent Australia at the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad and six students will be selected to represent Australia at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Informatics opportunities by invitation

Students with strong performance at the Australian Informatics Olympiad may be invited to participate in special mentoring and participate in exclusive events.

Events for Olympiad-level young mathematicians may include: Australian Invitational Informatics Olympiad, the Asia Pacific Informatics Olympiad, and the French-Australian Regional Informatics Olympiad.

Each year, competitors are selected to represent Australia at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), the peak competition in computer science for high school students around the world.

The Olympiad programs are supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the Science Competitions: Mathematics and Informatics Olympiads grant opportunity. The Olympiad programs are also supported by the Trust’s National Sponsor of the Australian Informatics and Mathematical Olympiads, Optiver.

The AMT’s EGMO initiative received grant funding from the Australian Government through the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources under the Inspiring Australia – Science Engagement Programme.

Find out all the details about what makes students eligible to compete in EGMO and IMO.

Find out all the details about what makes students eligible to compete in IOI.

'REPRESENTING MY COUNTRY IN TSUKUBA WAS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.' – JERRY MAO

Suitable for students in years 3–12, this school-based maths competition reaches a global audience and attracts more than 250,000 entries each year.

This one-hour competition is designed to identify computer-programming potential and is suitable for students ranging from year 5 to year 12.

For students who already have some programming experience, this open event in problem solving using computer programs is held nationally in late August or early September.

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