With ten teams, Brazil competes in the IMC 2020.
Adapted to the virtual format, the 27th International Mathematics Competition for University Students (IMC) of 2020 will have an even greater participation of Brazilians. In addition to the national team, composed of students who performed well in the 41st Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad (OBM 2019) – University Level, the competition will have delegations from nine universities in the country, forming a total of ten Brazilian teams. Traditionally held in the city of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, the competition aimed at university students starts this Saturday (25) and runs until next Thursday (30).
Students Vinícius Pinheiro Bento, from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG); André Yuji Hisatsuga, Eduardo Ventilari Sodré, and Lucas Hiroshi Hanke Harada, from the University of São Paulo (USP); and Felipe Chen Wu, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), are part of the team participating in the 2019 Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBM). The group leader is Professor Diego Eloi Misquita Gomes, and the vice-leader is Professor Rafael Miyazaki.
Read more: Figueiredo publishes in the Journal of Computational Physics
Brazil debuts with six medals in virtual competition.
Data science is the topic of a webinar on Wednesday (29)
Despite having less time for strategic study of the competition due to the extension of the school semester as a result of the new coronavirus, 19-year-old Eduardo Sodré is confident. “It’s always a very high level, which demands a lot from the participant. But I’m comfortable with that; I don’t think it will be much different from what I’ve already witnessed.”
Students will take the exam from their homes, having four hours to solve four problems covering algebra, real and complex analysis, geometry, and combinatorics. Once completed, their work will be digitized and sent to the organizing committee. The leaders of each team are responsible for overseeing the exam administration process, grading student solutions, and verifying the scores assigned by the organization.
Taking the exam from home can present an extra challenge for participants, Eduardo assesses. “I'm a little apprehensive about my ability to concentrate. It's a different environment where you could potentially be more distracted.”
On the other hand, the virtual format made the competition more accessible, points out the leader of the OBM team, Professor Diego Eloi. “Students no longer need to bear the costs of traveling to Bulgaria. I am very happy that other professors have joined this project. The number of participating universities is a collective effort, including an effort by the students themselves to find leaders at their universities.” This edition of the competition registered 561 entries, the highest number of participants to date, says the leader of the Brazilian team.
Diego states that he is satisfied with the exchange that has been occurring between the leaders, vice-leaders, and participants of the Brazilian teams. “Since last month we have been in contact, always thinking collectively, helping each other and exchanging important information about the Olympiad. I hope this can energize the national university Olympiad scene, not only promoting more competitions, but also inspiring more students to participate in existing competitions.”
Also participating are teams from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV/Rio), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), Military Engineering Institute (IME), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), USP São Carlos, and Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN).
The criteria for medal distribution are still to be determined by the IMC organization. The results will be published on the competition's website . With more participants, the competition also increases. But this is not a problem for the Brazilian competitors, assures Professor Diego. "The Brazilian team is very strong, I believe we will win many medals!"