Mathematical olympiad
A mathematical olympiad is a mathematical competition where participants are examined by problem-solving and may win medals depending on their performance. It is usually aimed at pre-university students, and therefore, much of olympiad mathematics consists of elementary mathematics, though solutions may involve the use of calculus or higher-level mathematics. The biggest mathematics olympiad is the International Mathematical Olympiad. Since they measure some mathematical abilities of the students, They identify talented or gifted students in mathematics, who often receive opportunities for scholarships at universities.
History
The concept of mathematics competitions dates back to the late 19th century. A one-off competition for 70 primary school students was held in Bucharest in May 1885, but little is known about it. A better-documented Eötvös Competition in Hungary became one of the earliest organized contests in 1894. Romania followed with another competition, this time for secondary school students, in June 1898. USSR introduced regular math olympiads in the 1930s, and the predecessor of the Putnam Competition started in 1938 in the US.The success of these national competitions eventually led to the establishment of the International Mathematics Olympiad, which has grown from 7 participating countries in 1959 to over 100 countries in recent years.