2017 Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad

I would like to congratulate to Tingquan (Gloria) Meng (Year 8) and Angela Yu (Year 7) for their remarkable results in the 2017 Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO).

Gloria was awarded a Distinction and Angela a Credit, both impressive results, particularly given that they are in Years 8 and 7 respectively and that the competition is for students up to Year 10 level (with all students sitting the same paper).

Students sitting the AIMO have up to four hours to complete as many of the ten challenging questions as they can. This is a demanding task requiring stamina and determination. The questions cover a range of topics from base arithmetic to geometry and probability. Examples of two of the questions from the 2017 AIMO, which both Gloria and Angela scored full marks on, are:

  • A triangle ABC is divided into four regions by three lines parallel to BC. The lines divide AB into four equal segments. If the second largest region has area of 225, what is the area of ABC?
  • Aimosia is a country which has three kinds of coins, each worth a different whole number of dollars. Jack, Jill and Jimmy each have at least one type of coin. Jack has 4 coins totalling $28, Jill has 5 coins worth $21, and Jimmy has exactly 3 coins. What is the total value of Jimmy’s coins?

No calculators are allowed. Therefore, strong algebraic skills are an asset, as is an ability to draw accurate diagrams and interpret the wording of the questions. Students’ solutions are marked externally by the Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT) and marks are allocated for elegant accurate solutions, not just for final correct answers. Therefore, students are expected to write formal answers with precise notation. This is certainly no easy task!

Well done, girls!

Mrs Amanda Ladbury-Webb, Mathematics Teacher