Romania will host the 2018 International Math Olympiad

The 2018 edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad will be organized in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The event, which brings together top high school students, will take place between July 3 and July 14, according to a press release from the Romanian Ministry of Education. More than 600 students from over 100 countries are to attend the competition, with each state being represented by a team of up to six students accompanied by at least two mathematical teachers. In total, taking into account the organizers and the evaluating teachers, over 1,000 people will participate in the Olympiad. The Romanian Ministry of Education will cover the organization costs. The International Mathematical Olympiad was launched in Romania in 1959 at the initiative of Romanian professor Tiberiu Roman, Secretary General of the Society of Mathematical Sciences. The first two editions took place in Brasov and Sinaia, gathering exclusively countries from the former communist bloc. The first Western country was allowed to participate in the competition in 1969, with more Western states becoming members of the International Mathematical Olympiad after 1970. Romania holds the record for organizing the competition, being host in 1969, 1979 and 1999. Moreover, Romania and Bulgaria are the only countries with uninterrupted presence in this contest, and in an unofficial ranking on medals, Romania ranks third. Romanian students win six gold, silver medals at Junior Balkan Math Olympiad Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com