IMO

My Experience at the International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp, 2015

Kumar Ashutosh

Jun 15, 2016 • 3 min read

Mathematical Olympiad is one of the most mind boggling and exciting endeavors for a teenager really interested in Mathematics. It is equally challenging and rewarding for a guy who is fascinated by the beauty of Mathematics. The Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) is one such opportunity to go into the challenging world of Mathematical problem solving. It is a four hour long test having six questions. The questions are well designed to test the intellectual knowledge of a student in Mathematics. Roughly thirty five students are selected to participate in a month long training cum selection camp, the International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC), which is held at the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education(HBCSE), Bombay. Finally six students are selected to represent India at an International level.

Getting to know that I was successful in INMO and qualified for IMOTC was indeed a great moment for me. I participated in the month long camp held in Mumbai. The training camp is held at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mankhurd, Bombay every year. The camp gave me an opportunity to learn and enjoy the beauty of the subject. The teachers there are well qualified and exceptionally brilliant. The opportunity and exposure that one gets in the camp is incomparable. Classes are held every day which includes problem practice sessions which familiarizes the students with the level and beauty of the questions asked at the international level. The students, including me, found those sessions very informative and encouraging.

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Personally speaking, I loved the study atmosphere at IMOTC. The eagerness and the desire to excel is routine in the camp. I was quite satisfied by the teaching methodology of the professors there. Prof. CR Pranesachar was my favourite. His elegant style of teaching made him my favourite teacher. His knowledge in the subject as well as in the history of Mathematics is exemplary. All the junior batch students enjoyed the “Projective Geometry” classes very much. This was a new field of study for us so we gave a lot of interest in it. Our teacher Mr. Chetan Balwe made the topic more interesting.

The campus of HBCSE is well equipped with all kind of facilities. The institute has a very good collection of books in the institute library. All the Olympiad students were allowed to avail all kinds of books from the library. The campus had many sports facilities which include Badminton Court, Table tennis etc. The greenery of the campus gave an amazing touch to the beauty of the campus.

Getting a chance to participate in the camp gave me a golden opportunity to interact with the most beautiful minds of the country. The peer group and the group study were the best part of the camp. The advantage of staying in the same hostel gave us a great opportunity to interact with all the students from different parts of the country.

The Team Selection Tests (TST) are held at the end of camp which tests the skills of the students. It is a four and a half hour test with three questions. A total of four TSTs are designed for this purpose. The questions asked in TST are very well designed and the level of difficulty is at par with the IMO. At the end of all four TSTs, we had a free day when we were taken for an excursion. The teachers stayed back and did the evaluation of the student’s answers. On the penultimate day, an arbitration process is conducted, during which a student got to know his marks in the TSTs. The student may clarify a solution if he thinks he needs to do that. On the last day of the camp, the final six students selected to represent India at the IMO is declared.

The IMOTC is one of the most exciting events for a high school student. Every moment lived there gets into our memory and gives a sense of happiness and satisfaction.

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