Watch the IMO coverage on the BBC Evening News on 17th July (Skip to 19:30 to view).

The IMO (11 – 22 July 2024) is the largest and most prestigious of all the international olympiads, bringing together the brightest young minds from around the world. The event represents the culmination of many years of mathematical endeavour and hundreds of attempts at solving incredibly complex problems.

In the run up to this year’s IMO, Team UK won the ‘Ashes’ tournament between UK and Australia (pictured). This is a tradition held at the Pre-IMO between the two teams.

IMO 2023 took place last summer in Chiba, Japan, hosted by The Mathematical Olympiad Foundation of Japan. The closing ceremony took place on 12 July 2023, when the baton officially passed to the UK.

This will be the fourth time that the event will be hosted in the UK, having played host to the competition in 2019 (and previously in 1979 and 2002). The IMO Jury voted to reassign the hosting of IMO 2024 from Ukraine to the UK, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is the hope of the IMO Board and the organisers of IMO 2024 that that there will be an IMO in Ukraine as soon as conditions allow.

The competition involves teams of up to six contestants (aged between 14-18 years old) sitting two exams on consecutive days. Each exam lasts 4.5 hours, containing three tough problems. Contestants are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, as well as Honourable Mentions for good effort.

In 2019, the last time the event was hosted in the UK, teams from China and the USA took joint first place overall; the UK team ranked 20th, achieving one gold, two silver and three bronze medals. The medals are presented at a closing ceremony by local and national dignitaries.

Speaking as the UK member of the IMO Board, Dr Geoff Smith, says: “Our global community is delighted that IMO 2024 will take place in the UK. The support of XTX Markets and a team of experienced volunteers means we will deliver a fantastic event in Bath where planning is already well underway. We hope to see the IMO held in Ukraine again very soon.”

The 65th anniversary event is proudly sponsored by leading algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets, which has made over £80mn in philanthropic donations since 2020, with a particular focus on maths and science. XTX Markets was also the principal sponsor of IMO 2019 and is currently supporting the Ukraine IMO team. Simon Coyle, Head of Philanthropy for XTX Markets, said of the company’s support:

“XTX Markets is proud to continue its support of the International Mathematical Olympiad. We are delighted that the UK mathematics community has come together to make an IMO possible in 2024 and we will be even happier to support the IMO to return to Ukraine in the near future.”

Commenting on the return of the event to the University of Bath, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian White said, “We are thrilled that the International Mathematical Olympiad will be taking place at the University of Bath again in July 2024. It is a truly inspirational event and an honour to host so many talented young people here in Bath. We look forward to welcoming contestants from across the world next summer.” 

For further information from james.tennet@imo2024.uk and at www.imo2024.uk

About International Mathematical Olympiad

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from 5 continents. The IMO Board ensures that the competition takes place each year and that each host country observes the regulations and traditions of the IMO.

About IMO 2024

IMO 2024 is being delivered as a charitable programme by Ark Ventures. The event will be overseen by a governing board comprising Dr Ceri Fiddes, who was Executive Director of IMO 2019 and obtained her Maths PhD at the University of Bath, IMO Board member, Dr Geoff Smith and Ben Cartledge, Director at Ark Ventures. Ark Ventures, part of the Ark education charity, has incubated, launched and scaled initiatives across education and society that provide opportunities for young people to thrive, both in the UK and across the world. Ark Ventures is proud to have been selected by the IMO to deliver IMO 2024.

About XTX Markets

XTX Markets is a leading algorithmic trading firm which partners with counterparties, exchanges and etrading venues globally to provide liquidity in the Equity, FX, Fixed Income, Futures and Commodity markets. XTX has over 200 employees based in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai, Yerevan and Singapore. XTX is consistently a top 5 liquidity provider globally in FX (Euromoney 2018-present) and is also the largest European equities (systematic internaliser) liquidity provider (Rosenblatt FY 2020-2022). The company’s corporate philanthropy focuses on STEM education and maximum impact giving (alongside an employee matching programme) and supporting Ukraine. Since 2017, XTX has donated over £80 million to charities and good causes, establishing it as a major donor in the UK and globally.