Indian National Mathematics Olympiad
Encyclopedia
The Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) is an Olympiad
in mathematics
held in India
.
The INMO examination is conducted by the MO Cell in February of every year. School students of any class (see below for more) first need to write the Regional Mathematical Olympiad of their respective state or region, usually held sometime between October and December of the previous year. Around thirty students are selected from each region, to write the INMO. Among these 400 or more students, a total of around thirty qualify the INMO.
The qualifying students are invited to a one month mathematics camp at the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education in Mumbai
. In this camp, the students are taught Olympiad mathematics and some other general mathematics. Five selection tests are held during this period and the top six students in the selection tests qualify to represent India in the International Mathematical Olympiad
While the INMO is open to students of all classes, students in twelfth class are subject to some restrictions. Firstly, only six twelfth class students from every region can sit for the INMO. Secondly, only six students from twelfth class can qualify the INMO.
The INMO examination paper comprises six problems to be solved over a time of four hours. These problems are in the areas of algebra
, geometry
, number theory
and combinatorics
. No calculus
is required, though calculus based approaches are allowed to solve problems.
Students who qualify the INMO once and come to attend the IMO Training Camp are sent postal problems during the period July -- December that they have to solve and send back (if they are still in school).
Based on their responses, some of the students are invited to the IMO Training Camp the next year directly. Others have to rewrite the INMO again (they do not have to write the Regional Mathematics Olympiad).
Some perks enjoyed:
Olympiad
An Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....
in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
held in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The INMO examination is conducted by the MO Cell in February of every year. School students of any class (see below for more) first need to write the Regional Mathematical Olympiad of their respective state or region, usually held sometime between October and December of the previous year. Around thirty students are selected from each region, to write the INMO. Among these 400 or more students, a total of around thirty qualify the INMO.
The qualifying students are invited to a one month mathematics camp at the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. In this camp, the students are taught Olympiad mathematics and some other general mathematics. Five selection tests are held during this period and the top six students in the selection tests qualify to represent India in the International Mathematical Olympiad
International Mathematical Olympiad
The International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...
While the INMO is open to students of all classes, students in twelfth class are subject to some restrictions. Firstly, only six twelfth class students from every region can sit for the INMO. Secondly, only six students from twelfth class can qualify the INMO.
The INMO examination paper comprises six problems to be solved over a time of four hours. These problems are in the areas of algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
, geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, number theory
Number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
and combinatorics
Combinatorics
Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures. Aspects of combinatorics include counting the structures of a given kind and size , deciding when certain criteria can be met, and constructing and analyzing objects meeting the criteria ,...
. No calculus
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
is required, though calculus based approaches are allowed to solve problems.
Students who qualify the INMO once and come to attend the IMO Training Camp are sent postal problems during the period July -- December that they have to solve and send back (if they are still in school).
Based on their responses, some of the students are invited to the IMO Training Camp the next year directly. Others have to rewrite the INMO again (they do not have to write the Regional Mathematics Olympiad).
Some perks enjoyed:
- Students qualifying the INMO are automatically eligible for admission to the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics course in the Chennai Mathematical InstituteChennai Mathematical InstituteChennai Mathematical Institute is a research and education institute in Chennai, India. It was founded by the SPIC Science Foundation in 1989, and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes in physics, mathematics and computer science, besides its key strength in the form of high-end...
. - From 2008, INMO awardees applying for B. Stat or B. Math courses of the Indian Statistical Institute will be directly called for the interview without going through the written test.
- INMO awardees are also eligible for an NBHM scholarship that currently stands at about Rs. 2500 per month, if they continue their studies in mathematics. They are also offered a 4-year programme of training in Mathematics through correspondence and periodic contact with a chosen faculty. The programme is also available to INMO awardees who do not pursue an undergraduate degree in Mathematics but have special interest in the subject. They are offered an annual cash award of Rs. 9,000 subject to satisfactory performance in the programme.
- Students who make it to the IMO are eligible for the prestigious Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) fellowship provided they pursue their studies in the science subjects in India. The fellowship amount stands at Rs. 4000 per month.
- Indian team members who receive a gold, silver or bronze at IMO are given cash awards by the NBHM of Rs. 5,000, Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 3,000 respectively. In recent years, they have also been felicitated by the Infosys foundation.
- All travel expenses for the IMO Training Camp and all expenses for the IMOInternational Mathematical OlympiadThe International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...
are borne by the Government of India.