The sharpest maths minds in the world have descended on the Sunshine Coast.
Almost 640 students, from more than 100 countries, are contesting the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) until July 20.
Australian Maths Trust (AMT) CEO Mike Clapper said it was the largest number ever to attend an IMO competition and only the second time the event had been held in Australia.
“635 students from 114 countries have just arrived for the prestigious competition,” Mr Clapper said.
“It will be the second time since the event began in 1959 that Australia has hosted the prestigious event, the first being Canberra in 1988, when a 12-year-old Australian mathematician, Terence ‘Terry’ Tao, became the youngest ever winner of a gold medal at IMO.”
Mr Clapper said Terry was now widely acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest mathematicians and would be attending IMO 2025 as Patron of the IMO to give a special guest lecture to the participating students.
He said the IMO brought together the brightest year 9 to12 minds from around the world.
“The competition represents the culmination of many years of mathematical endeavour and hundreds of attempts at solving problems.
“This is about as big as it gets for school-age mathematics in Australia (and) we are excited to see what these students can achieve including our own Australian team which includes students from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Mr Clapper said the official competition, which has Sunshine Coast Council as one of its sponsors, begins on Tuesday, July 15, and will be held at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Twin Waters.
