FGV EMAp team performs well in the world's largest university mathematics competition
The team was formed by students from FGV EMAp | Photo: FGV EMAp
Last Sunday, August 11, the city of Paris hosted the closing ceremony of the 33rd edition of the Olympics. The whole world watched the ceremony, which celebrated the participation of representatives from hundreds of countries in the largest sporting event on the planet. But did you know that this was not the only Olympics that ended on the 11th?
Last week, while world-famous athletes fought for podium places in the French capital, another European city hosted an Olympics: the quiet city of Blagoevgrad, in Bulgaria, hosted the 2024 edition of the International Mathematics Competition for University Students - and the Brazilian representatives also took home medals.
The team from the School of Applied Mathematics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV EMAp) was composed of students Pablo Andrade, Jairon Henrique Batista, Luis Felipe Marques, Cleyton Vinicius dos Santos, João Pedro Viana Costa, João Vitor Alves Ferreira and Ramyro Correa, and, led by master's student Rodrigo Ribeiro, won three medals - a gold medal with Pablo, a silver medal with Jairon and a bronze medal with Luis Felipe. Cleyton, João Pedro, João Vitor and Ramyro were highlighted with honorable mentions.
The School had three medalists in the competition | Photo: FGV EMAp
The competition, which took place from August 6 to 11, is recognized as the largest international university mathematics Olympiad and was attended by students from several renowned institutions around the world. There were 401 participants in total, with 102 gold, 82 silver and 86 bronze medalists.
To achieve the goal of receiving a gold, silver and bronze medal, or receiving an honorable mention, it is necessary to do well in both tests held at the event. The tests are administered over two consecutive days, each with five questions and lasting five hours. Each question asks the student to prove a statement or arrive at the correct answer.
In general, the questions are in order of difficulty: the first ones are quicker and simpler, but the last ones are very complex and can take a long time to solve. In some cases, the most difficult question is solved completely by only one or two people. Each item is worth ten points, and any grade between 0 and 10 can be awarded. Participants are divided into medalists (gold, silver and bronze), those who receive honorable mentions and those who receive a certificate of participation, based on their grades. For gold, it is necessary to obtain a 55% score on the test; for silver, 43%; for bronze, 33%; and for honorable mention, 15%.
In addition to academic achievements, the IMC also provides participants with the opportunity to interact with highly visible global sponsoring companies, such as Huawei, Pinely and Jane Street, which offer employment and internship opportunities to outstanding students.
Cleyton highlighted the importance of the classes, simulations and group problem-solving sessions, which were organized with the collaboration of professors from the School and other institutions. “It feels like a privilege and also a great deal of responsibility. It feels like a privilege to be able to take the name of an institution like FGV to the world of mathematics competitions,” said Cleyton, emphasizing the importance of participating in the IMC for academic and professional development.
Luis Felipe Marques, medalist in the competition, emphasized the crucial role of the Olympic Club, created by FGV EMAp to intensify the preparation of students: “Our preparation cycle was very intense. In this last year, the School was willing to create our Olympic Club, which was crucial for the preparation of students from both EMAp itself and other universities in Rio de Janeiro.”
The participation of FGV EMAp and the results achieved by the team at IMC 2024 reinforce the School's commitment to academic excellence and the complete training of qualified professionals.
FGV EMAp once again performed very well at IMC | Photo: FGV EMAp
About IMC
The International Mathematics Competition (IMC) is a global competition for university mathematics students, offering a unique opportunity to engage in high-level mathematical challenges. Held annually, the IMC brings together students from around the world to compete in areas such as Algebra, Analysis, Geometry and Combinatorics. In addition to promoting academic excellence, the event highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion, creating a welcoming and respectful environment for all participants, regardless of their background or beliefs.