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 aegis of the National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM).
Contents
- Eligibility and participant selection process
- Restrictions on senior year students
- Structure of the examination
- The International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camp IMOTC
- Pre departure Training Camp for IMO
- International Mathematical Olympiad
- Post IMOTC training of qualified candidates for subsequent seasons
- Perks upon qualification
- References
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. 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.
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 Centre 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).