“This Pi Day we want to recognize the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s young people, who will be the next leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The U.S. IMO team represents the phenomenal depth of mathematical talent we have in the United States and we want more to follow in their footsteps,” said Patil.
Six American high schoolers competed at the 2015 IMO for the first-place trophy against peers from more than 100 countries in the “hardest exam in the history of the IMO,” said U.S. coach Po-Shen Loh, mathematical sciences professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
Loh and team members Allen Liu, David Stoner, Ryan Alweiss, Yang Liu, Shyam Narayanan, and Michael Kural will meet with Patil on Monday, March 14, 2016.
The road to the IMO is a long one. It begins at the MAA American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) program, which provides young math enthusiasts opportunities to build their skills through challenging mathematics competitions. More than 340,000 students participate in these school-based competitions annually, culminating at the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO).
Students who score well on the USAMO are then invited to a three-week problem-solving immersion program at the MAA’s Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program, hosted at Carnegie Mellon University, where IMO hopefuls train. “We have been running the national Olympiad training program with a focus on the long-term development of our country’s talent,” said Loh. The Obama administration’s recognition of this talent will continue as a new U.S. IMO team competes in the 2016 competition in Hong Kong later this summer.
About AMCThe mission of the MAA AMC program is to increase interest in mathematics and to develop problem solving through a fun competition. Teachers and schools benefit from the chance to challenge students with interesting mathematical questions that are aligned with curriculum standards at all levels of difficulty. The MAA AMC programs are supported by a number of donors, including the Akamai Foundation and the Simons Foundation.
About MAAThe Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on making mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. The MAA publishes the latest research in mathematical education. MAA members span all professional fields, including academia, pure and applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, government, business, and industry.
RSS