International Maths Olympiad

goose2005 · 17-11-2004 7:29pm #1

Got picked as top 500 in Ireland for this: just wondering, is there anyone out there who's done the qualifying before? How difficult is it?

rainbow kirby · 18-11-2004 2:11pm

It's hard. You'll be doing all sorts of things you'll never have even contemplated before. But it's fun. I didn't get past the first qualifying competition (I did it in 1999/2000, when I was in transition year), but I'm glad I did it anyway. Go for it.

Syth · 18-11-2004 5:57pm

Fair play to you for being smart.

dudara · 18-11-2004 6:03pm

I did in back in 94/95 and 95/96. I really enjoyed it, and learned a lot of useful little tricks. Made some friends as well.

The only rule back then, whether it's still there or not, is that calculus isn't allowed to solve problems.

M@lice · 19-11-2004 2:54pm

Go for it! Its a great experiance and you'll get to see a whole side of mathematics that you'll never get to see in school. Its very challenging which is great.

cannywizard · 19-11-2004 6:45pm

Yeah, I did that, back when I was in fifth year. It's pretty hard to get questions finished out-and-out. A lot of abstract thinking and logic, especailly in stuff like probability.

It's worth the time to go to the first set of classes though, but it can be a bit time-consuming if you're in an exam year

Crumbs · 30-11-2004 9:09pm

I did it back in 95/96 and 96/97 and really enjoyed it. I almost made it to the final team in 97 and that would have been..., well eh... scary! :eek:

Lots of difficult maths in it and very varied. You'd really need to spend a lot of your own time on it in order to study it to any depth. But it's the experience and fun of it all that most people will take from it.

cyberbob · 30-11-2004 9:17pm

i had a go at the physics one in 99. if its anything to go by the maths one should be well worthwhile , if only out of pure interest.

cyberbob
proud owner of a B.A. in Mathematics.

nothing · 02-12-2004 12:10pm

Did it in 2001, didn't get past the first qualifying, but made loads of new friends, and learned some interesting maths, which as of yet has been no use to me..... BUT also know a guy who got on the team, and a guy who was one away from getting on the team.... Super intelligent doesn't begin to decribe them....
Definitly go for it, it's a laugh if nothing else....

On another related note, I also did the chemistry in 2002, it was nothing compared to the maths....

ressem · 21-12-2004 2:19pm

Got past the first qualifying round in about '92.

Seemed to have lots of ambitious parents dragging their 13 yr olds to the test, which might explain how.

Presumably it's changed since.

Just having a good go at the qns was all that was needed. Got a bit tiring travelling to UCD each Saturday morning.
Worth it for the disbelieving look from my maths teacher.

smiles · 23-12-2004 10:00pm

Top 500 is just the top 500 in the Junior Cert Maths, but anyone can attend, so we were told, until the "qualifying rounds" :P

Got past two qualifying rounds a few years ago, but didnt place for the team. It's interesting stuff.

<< Fio >>

lemon_sherbert · 17-01-2005 4:40pm

I got in to the training too, and we were told at school that classes in UCD would start in january. Does anyone know the time of the classes, or which building they're in?

jackindebox94 · 19-05-2012 4:05pm

absolutely fantastic experience. this is my third year doing it and i made the team but you learn to appreciate maths and it is a great way of meeting people

Yakuza · 20-05-2012 4:42pm

I made the last 20 or so in *cough* 1987. It was very tough, but fun. I saw whole new facets of maths that secondary school doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of, and for that alone it was worth the experience.

MathsManiac · 20-05-2012 5:12pm

Somehow, I suspect that the OP may well have already made his/her decision about this!

Attack of the zombie threads!

Yakuza · 20-05-2012 6:08pm

Lol I never noticed the dates of the post I replied to

International Maths Olympiad

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