Welcome to the British Mathematical Olympiad

• A PDF file containing lots of BMO problems from the past (1993–2019). No answers are supplied! Hints and solutions for BMO1 problems from 1996–1997 to 2010–2011 are included in A Mathematical Olympiad Primer, available from the UKMT, while BMO2 solutions are included in A Mathematical Olympiad Companion, available from the UKMT; video solutions for BMO1 are available from 2005–2006 onwards.
• Information about the BMO papers and notes on BMO marking (PDF)
• The Christopher Bradley elegance prize
• The UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (UK MOG)
• A brief article on areal co-ordinate methods in Euclidean geometry (PDF), by Tom Lovering
• National events: events calendar, UK Olympiad Training; the annual IMO Lecture and Celebration
• International events, including reports on each year’s events: the International Mathematical Olympiad, the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, the Romanian Master of Mathematics, the China Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad, the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad, the Mathematics Ashes
• BMOS and UKMT supporters may elect to make a small tax efficient regular donation to these organizations.
• Committee information: a short history of the BMOC, list of current committee members; list of other people involved in BMOS activities
• BMO policies on use of BMO1 DVDs and on eligibility
• Contact details
• Past news and events

IMO 2019 lecture video available (16 January 2020)

Video of Jeremy King’s IMO lecture at Central Hall Westminster is now available.

BMO Round 1 markers’ report (11 January 2020)

The markers’ report on BMO1, with discussions of different approaches to the problems, is now available.

Walter Hayman (8 January 2020)

Professor Walter Hayman FRS, who co-founded the British Mathematical Olympiad together with his late wife Margaret, has died on 1 January. For more information on his career, see the notice from the London Mathematical Society.

Romanian Master of Mathematics 2020 UK participants (5 January 2020)

Following the annual IMO Winter School held in Hungary, 27 December to 4 January, the students to represent the UK at the Romanian Master of Mathematics competition have been selected as:

The team is led by James Gazet (St. Paul’s School), Freddie Illingworth (Emmanuel College, Cambridge) and Georgina Majury (Peterhouse, Cambridge). The RMM will take place in Bucharest, 26 February–2 March.

BMO Round 1 high scores (13 December 2019)

BMO Round 1 was marked in Cambridge on 6–8 December. The following candidates scored 50 or more out of 60.

BMO Round 1 marked (9 December 2019)

BMO Round 1 was marked in Cambridge on 6–8 December. Data entry is currently ongoing. Invitations to the IMO winter camp in Hungary will be issued later this week, and the list of high-scoring students will appear on this site.

BMO Round 1 (30 November 2019)

This year’s BMO Round 1 paper was taken yesterday; video solutions are available online. Production facilities for the video were donated by the University of Bath Audio Visual Unit. The problems were by Nick MacKinnon, Tom Bowler, Daniel Griller, Daniel Griller, Dominic Rowland and Sam Bealing, respectively.

UK MOG markers’ report and prize winners (5 November 2019)

The markers’ report for the 2019 UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls paper is now available, including extended discussions of the problems and the approaches taken by candidates. The following participants scored 46 or more out of 50 and have been awarded book prizes.

UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (9 October 2019)

The UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (UK MOG) paper was taken yesterday. Solutions are also available. The paper will be marked on the weekend of 19–20 October.

IMO 2019 results (19 July 2019)

The IMO papers were sat on 16 and 17 July. The results of the UK team members are shown below. We obtained one gold, two silver and three bronze medals and a score of 149 out of 252, coming 20th out of 112 participating countries. The medal boundaries were 31 for Gold, 24 for Silver and 17 for Bronze.

The achievements of this year’s UK olympiad teams will be celebrated at Central Hall Westminster on Monday 23 September, when Dr Jeremy King will give the 42nd annual IMO lecture.

Our thanks to this year’s IMO supporter, Oxford Asset Management.

IMO 2019 problems (17 July 2019)

The IMO 2019 papers were sat on 16 and 17 July in Bath; the problems are available. The problems were submitted by South Africa, Ukraine, Croatia, El Salvador, USA and India respectively.

Our thanks to this year’s IMO supporter, Oxford Asset Management.

Mathematics Ashes results (13 July 2019)

Australia has won the 12th Mathematics Ashes competition, decided on the results of today’s practice exam at the joint pre-IMO training camp in Bath; the results for the two teams were as follows, with the UK scoring a total of 77 and Australia scoring a total of 104:

Our thanks to this year’s IMO supporter, Oxford Asset Management.

IMO team selected (28 May 2019)

After the training camp held in Leeds, 26–28 May, the team of six for the IMO in the UK has been chosen as:

The reserves are:

The Team Leader is Dr Dominic Yeo of the University of Oxford and the Deputy Leader is Freddie Illingworth of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The IMO will take place in Bath, 11–22 July.

Our thanks to this year’s IMO supporter, Oxford Asset Management.

Balkan Mathematical Olympiad report available (8 May 2019)

The Balkan Mathematical Olympiad information now includes Dominic Rowland’s report on the 2019 olympiad.

Balkan Mathematical Olympiad results (4 May 2019)

The Balkan Mathematical Olympiad paper was sat on Thursday in Chişinău, Moldova. The UK team have achieved the following scores (each question marked out of 10). The medal cut-offs were 31 for gold, 27 for silver and 15 for bronze.

EGMO results (11 April 2019)

The UK team in the eighth European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad have achieved the following results, coming equal 5th out of 50 participating teams (equal 4th out of 36 official European teams). The medal boundaries are 29 for gold, 21 for silver and 16 for bronze.

Yuka has been added to the squad of eleven from which the team of six for the IMO in Bath will be selected at the Leeds camp.

Our thanks to Man Group for their support of the EGMO team.

European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad Day 2 (10 April 2019)

The problems from the second paper at the eighth European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad, sat today in Kyiv, are now available. The problems were submitted by Poland, the Netherlands and the UK respectively; problem 6 is by Joe Benton.

Our thanks to Man Group for their support of the EGMO team.

European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad Day 1 (9 April 2019)

The problems from the first paper at the eighth European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad, sat today in Kyiv, are now available. The problems were submitted by the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Poland respectively.

Our thanks to Man Group for their support of the EGMO team.

Balkan Mathematical Olympiad team selected (7 April 2019, staff updated 26 April 2019)

The UK has been invited as a guest nation to send a team to the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, to be held in Chişinău, Moldova from 30 April to 5 May. The team will be accompanied by Dominic Rowland of Winchester College (Leader) and Dr Ava Yeo of the Francis Crick Institute (Deputy Leader). After the training camp held at Trinity College, Cambridge, 2–7 April, the team has been selected as follows.

IMO squad selected (7 April 2019)

At the training camp held at Trinity College, Cambridge, 2–7 April, the squad of ten from which the team of six and four reserves for the IMO in the UK will be selected has been chosen as:

(Patrick subsequently withdrew from the IMO squad after being selected for the UK team for the International Physics Olympiad.)

The Team Leader is Dr Dominic Yeo of the University of Oxford and the Deputy Leader is Freddie Illingworth of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The IMO will take place in Bath, 11–22 July. The final team will be selected at the Leeds camp held 26–28 May.

Our thanks to this year’s IMO supporter, Oxford Asset Management.

Romanian Master of Mathematics 2019 report available (17 March 2019)

The Romanian Master of Mathematics information now includes Gabriel Gendler’s report on RMM 2019.

Christopher Bradley elegance prize (5 March 2019)

The Christopher Bradley elegance prize has been awarded to Yuka Machino (Millfield School), Ang Boon Han Nathaniel (Anglo Chinese Independent School) and Timothy Wallace (Hampton School) for their solutions to BMO2 problem 1.

Romanian Master of Mathematics results (24 February 2019)

The UK participants in the Romanian Master of Mathematics competition have achieved the following results, coming 16th out of 24 teams in the team competition. The medal boundaries are 37 for gold, 30 for silver and 24 for bronze.

EGMO 2019 team (12 February 2019)

The 8th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad will be held in Kyiv, Ukraine, 7–13 April. The UK team will be:

The reserve is Lily Kearney of Exeter Mathematics School. The Team Leader is Jenny Owladi of the Bank of England and the Deputy Leader is Kasia Warburton of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Our thanks to Man Group for their support of the EGMO team.

BMO Round 2 (25 January 2019)

This year’s BMO Round 2 paper was taken yesterday.

BMO Round 1 marked (7 January 2019)

BMO Round 1 was marked in Cambridge on 7–9 December. Gold medals are awarded for scores of 48 or more, silver medals for scores of 41 to 47, bronze medals for scores of 35 to 40, certificates of distinction for scores of 22 and above, certificates of merit for scores of 9 to 21. The report for schools, with statistics on results, is also available.

The BMO2 qualifying cut-off scores are 35 for students in year 13 (England and Wales), year S6 (Scotland), year 14 (Northern Ireland); 32 for students in year 12 (England and Wales), year S5 (Scotland), year 13 (Northern Ireland); 29 for students in year 11 (England and Wales), year S4 (Scotland), year 12 (Northern Ireland); and 26 for students in lower school years. Scoring at least the cut-off on BMO1 gives free entry to BMO2 provided that the candidate is eligible to represent the UK at the IMO. Any participant in BMO1 may enter BMO2 by paying the entry fee. BMO2 will take place on 24 January.

Romanian Master of Mathematics 2019 UK participants (5–8 January 2019)

Following the annual IMO Winter School held in Tata, Hungary, 27 December to 4 January, the students to represent the UK at the Romanian Master of Mathematics competition have been selected as:

The Team Leader is Gabriel Gendler (HUJI) and the Deputy Leader is James Gazet (St. Paul’s School); Georgina Majury (Peterhouse, Cambridge) is Observer with Contestants. The reserves are Yuhka Machino (Millfield School) and Thomas Pelling (Bedford School). The RMM will take place in Bucharest, 20–25 February.

BMO Round 1 (1 December 2018)

This year’s BMO Round 1 paper was taken yesterday; video solutions are available online. Production facilities for the video were donated by the University of Bath Audio Visual Unit.

IMO 2018 lecture video available (9 November 2018)

Video of Ursula Martin’s IMO lecture at the Science Museum is now available.

UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls markers’ report (28 October 2018)

The markers’ report for the 2018 UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls paper is now available, including extended discussions of the problems and the approaches taken by candidates.

UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (3 October 2018)

The UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls (UK MOG) paper was taken yesterday. Solutions are also available. The paper will be marked on the weekend of 13–14 October.