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MEDIA RELEASE
June 29, 1998

MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD TEAM SEND-OFF

OTTAWA, ontario -- The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) introduced the 1998 Canadian International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) Team today at Upper Canada College in Toronto.

Joined by families, friends, sponsors and invited guests, the 1998 Canadian IMO Team prepared to depart for the 39th IMO in Taipei, Taiwan. Well wishers icluded Taiwanese officials, Upper Canada College Principal J. Douglas Blakey, Ms. Lesya Balych of the Bank of Montréal and Dr. Richard Kane, President of the CMS.

The Canadian Team is comprised of six High School students chosen from over 200,000 students who have written contests at the various local, provincial, national and international levels. Team members will attend a training camp at the University of Calgary prior to their departure to Taiwan.

Team members include Adrian Chan, Adrian Tang and Jimmy Chui of the Greater Toronto Area as well as Yin (Jessie) Lei of Windsor, Adrian Birka of Niagara Falls and Mihaela Enachescu of Montréal. They are led by Dr. Christopher Small of the Department of Statistics at the University of Waterloo.

What separates these very normal high school students from the rest?

They all share an aptitude and interest in Mathematics. Often identified early and nurtured by a mentor they are motivated to excel in this science. They all experience an enormous pride in the fact that they are representing their country on an international stage.

Canada will challenge defending champion China and up to 83 countries at possibly the largest ever IMO. Canada earned two silver and two bronze medalsat the 1997 IMO in Argentina and finished 29th overall out of 82 competing countries. This year's contest will occur on July 15 and 16. The results will be released on July 20, 1998. The 1999 IMO will be in Romania.

Each day involves answering three questions in 4.5 hours using only basic math tools, without a calculator. THe international jury initially develops the contest paper in English, French, Russian and German. It is then painstakingly translated into over 40 languages with enormous effort taken to ensure the accuracy of the questions.

Sample Question:    Let A, B, C and D be four distinct points on a line in that order. The circles with diameters AC and BD intersect at the points X and Y. The line XY meets BC at the point Z. Let P be a point on the line XY different from Z. The line CP intersects the circle with diameter AC at the points C and M, and the line BP intersects the circle with diameter BD at the points B and N.

Prove that the lines AM, DN and XY are concurrent.


For more information, please contact:

Dr. Graham P. Wright
Executive Director, Canadian Mathematical Society
(613) 562-5702
director@cms.math.ca
Home (613) 727-3878

Michael Nurse
Upper Canada College
(416) 484-8636 ext. 2650
nurse@fs2.ucc.on.ca
Home (416) 482-0205