Internet search engine Google’s gift of €1-million to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) will not only support the next five annual Olympiads but might also help bring the event to South Africa.
The Olympiad, which has been running since 1959, is the world championship of secondary school mathematics, designed to test ingenuity and insight and tax the sharpest minds. Held each July at a different location, this year’s event will be in the Netherlands with more than 100 nations participating.
While the Olympiad encourages and challenges mathematically gifted young people, it also aims to create a platform for the exchange of information on school syllabuses and practices throughout the world.
The advisory board of the IMO said Google’s grant will “help cover the costs of this global event and ensure students from around the world can continue to demonstrate their passion for mathematics”.
Peter Barron, Google’s director of external relations, said: “The International Maths Olympiad is an event that demonstrates both the extraordinary abilities of the students who take part and the value to the wider society of mathematics. We are delighted to be able to support the event over the next five years and to encourage excellence in mathematics.”
According to John Webb, a professor at the department of maths and applied maths at the University of Cape Town and secretary of the IMO advisory board, the IMO has never taken place in Africa.
“The substantial support from Google will help to bring the IMO to South Africa,” he said.
He said that, from an international perspective, the IMO would showcase South Africa as “it is the academic equivalent of hosting a World Cup”.
Teams for this year’s IMO will be selected in April and May.