Indian National Mathematical Olympiad

The Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) is a high school mathematics competition held annually in India since 1989. It is the second tier in the Indian team selection procedure for the International Mathematical Olympiad and is conducted by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) under the ages of the National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM).^[1]

Eligibility and participant selection process

The INMO is conducted by the MO Cell in February of every year. Prospective candidates first need to write the Regional Mathematical Olympiad of their respective state or region, usually held on the first Sunday of December of the previous year.^[2] Around thirty students are selected from each region, to write the INMO, which is usually held on the first Sunday of February. Among these 500 or more students, a total of around thirty qualify the INMO.

Restrictions on senior year students

Students in the twelfth grade in India are not permitted to take RMO and INMO, unless they were in the IMOTC the previous year.

Structure of the examination

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.

Further stages

The International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC)

The qualifying students are invited to the International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp (IMOTC), a one month mathematics camp hosted by the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education in Mumbai. For first time participants, it usually extends from late April till the end of May, while it begins about 10-14 days later for senior participants. In this camp, the students are taught Olympiad mathematics and some other general mathematics. Four selection tests and two practice tests are held during this period and the top six students in the selection tests qualify to represent India in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Pre-departure Training Camp for IMO

The selected team of 6 students goes through another round of training and orientation for about 10 days prior to departure for IMO.

International Mathematical Olympiad

The six member team selected at the end of IMOTC accompanied by a leader, a deputy leader and an observer represents the country at the IMO, held in July each year in a different member country of the IMO. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) finances international travel of the team, the leader and the deputy leader, while NBHM(DAE) finances the other expenditure connected with the international participation and the entire in-country programme.

Post-IMOTC training of qualified candidates for subsequent seasons

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).

Perks upon qualification

Students qualifying the INMO are automatically eligible for admission to the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics course in the [Chennai Mathematical Institute].
Since 2008, INMO awardees applying for B. Stat or B. Math courses of the Indian Statistical Institute are directly called for the interview without having to write 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 thru 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 Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) fellowship provided they pursue their studies in the science subjects in India. The fellowship amount stands at Rs. 5000 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.
All travel expenses for the IMO Training Camp and all expenses for the IMO are borne by the Ministry of HRD,Government of India.

External links

References

^ "Webpage of the Indian MO Process". Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Stages of the Indian MO process". Retrieved 23 March 2013.