Posted Monday 16 July 2012.

The Australian team has all won medals in this year's International Mathematical Olympiad, the world's premier international mathematics competition held under the auspices of UNESCO. This Olympiad has just concluded in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The team has won 2 Silver Medals and 4 Bronze Medals. The Silver Medals have been won by Kaimyn Chapman, of All Saints Anglican School, QLD and Yanning Xu of St Peter's College in Adelaide.

The team was placed equal 27th of 100 countries, tied with Hong Kong. The team's standing is down from 25th in 2011.

The team was presented with their medals at the Closing Ceremony.

The team by the beach at Mar del Plata after the Closing Ceremony, with their medals, from left John Papantoniou, Alexander Gunning, Jason Kwong, Nancy Fu, Kaimyn Chapman and Yanning Xu.

Question 2 was submitted by Australia, and was composed by Team Leader Dr Angelo Di Pasquale.

This year's exam was more difficult than in recent years and many countries have moved somewhat in position, both up and down. The winner for the first time is South Korea. Germany and Italy, two countries in recent years ahead of Australia, are now below. Canada had an extraordinary year, finishing fifth. New Zealand moved from 29th place last year to 53rd.

Professor Peter Taylor, Executive Director of the Australian Mathematics Trust, which administers Australia's participation in this event, paid tribute to the students, Director of Training and Team Leader Dr Angelo Di Pasquale, Deputy Team Leader Ivan Guo (himself a former IMO Gold Medallist), and a large team of other former IMO students who train the teams on a voluntary basis. "We have a large infrastructure of people acting in goodwill who are transferring their knowledge to the next generations in a very generous way", he noted.

Professor Taylor noted that this event was just part of a large program run by the Trust in which hundreds of thousands of students participate and benefit, starting at the Australian Mathematics Competition and continuing through the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians and its enrichment stage, helping students of all standards to achieve their potentials in mathematics.

Professor Taylor also acknowledged considerable support from the Australian Government through its Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE) and Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and also significant support from the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and the Australian Mathematical Society.

Results of the Australian students are:

		NAME	YR	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	TOT
		CHAPMAN Kaimyn All Saints Anglican School QLD	12	7	7	0	7	3	0	24
		FU Nancy James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW	12	7	1	0	4	4	0	16
		GUNNING Alexander Glen Waverley Secondary College VIC	9	7	0	1	7	0	1	16
		KWONG Jason Sydney Grammar School NSW	11	7	1	0	7	0	0	15
		PAPANTONIOU John Sydney Grammar School NSW	12	7	0	0	7	0	0	14
		XU Yanning St Peter's College SA	12	7	7	0	7	0	0	21
		TOTALS		42	16	1	39	7	1	106

The country scores below are for the leading 30 countries. There may be errors.

Earlier ...

Posted Sunday 08 July 2012

The UK scored a comfortable 72 to 52 win over Australia in their annual Mathematics Ashes contest.

Both teams are training together at St George College, near Buenos Aires during the week before competing in the International Mathematical Olympiad in Mar del Plata next week. Most of this consists of practice exams with the main one being for the Ashes.

The British team, left, and Australians on right, line up behind the trophies before the exam.

Since this series was inaugurated in 2008, the UK has now won 3 times to one, with one series drawn.

Deputy Leader Ivan Guo said this was an encouraging effort, particularly by Alex Gunning, and noting that the British team was strong with two returning Gold medallists from last year.

Australian scores were: