Posted Sunday 19 July 2009, updated Monday 20 July 2009.

The Australian team at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Bremen, Germany, has won two Gold medals for just the second time.

Andrew Elvey Price, of Brunswick Secondary College, Melbourne, matched the world's best students to essentially solve all 6 problems to win a Gold Medal, adding to a Silver won in 2008. He was placed overall in 10th position. Sampson Wong, of James Ruse Agricultural High School in Sydney also won a Gold Medal, adding to his Bronze of last year.

Aaron Chong, of Doncaster Secondary College in Melbourne, won a Silver Medal, in fact only 2 points off a third Gold Medal for the team, while Stacey Law, also of James Ruse, and Alfred Liang, of Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne, won Bronze Medals. Stacey's Bronze Medal was only two points short of Silver. Dana Ma, of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, was ill on day 2 and not able to add to a sound score on day 1, but earned an Honourable Mention.

The IMO was the 50th and to celebrate many distinguished mathematicians, including former IMO Gold Medallists, attended. These included Australian Terry Tao, Gold Medallist in 1988 and the only student to ever win an IMO Gold Medal before turning 13. Terry holds a Fields Medal, considered the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Pictured are from left Dana, Stacey, Andrew, Aaron, Terry, Alfred and Sampson.

Results of the Australian students are:

		NAME	YR	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	TOT
		CHONG Aaron Doncaster Secondary College VIC	11	7	7	7	2	7	0	30
		ELVEY PRICE, Andrew Brunswick Secondary College VIC	12	7	6	7	5	7	5	37
		LAW Stacey James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW	11	5	7	0	7	3	0	22
		LIANG Alfred Trinity Grammar School VIC	11	7	3	0	0	7	0	17
		MA Dana Melbourne Girls Grammar School VIC	12	7	4	0	0	0	0	11
		WONG Sampson James Ruse Agricultural High School NSW	11	7	7	7	7	6	0	34
		TOTALS		40	34	21	21	30	5	151

(Cut-offs for Bronze, Silver and Gold were 14, 24 and 32 points respectively.)

Sampson and Andrew display their Gold Medals after the Closing Ceremony in Bremen.

Team Leader was Dr Angelo Di Pasquale of the University of Melbourne and Deputy Leader Mr Ivan Guo, from the University of New South Wales.

Australia was placed 23rd of a record 104 countries, with China in first position and Japan in second (see below for more country placings).

A further highlight was that one of the problems, Problem 1, was composed by an Australian, Ross Atkins, an IMO Bronze Medallist from 2003.

Australia's participation is administered by the Australian Mathematics Trust, a not-for-profit organisation based at the University of Canberra. Trust Executive Director Professor Peter Taylor noted that these students have reached a very high standard after years of training largely by volunteers, particularly former Olympians, led by Angelo Di Pasquale and Ivan Guo.

"They are first identified in the Australian Mathematics Competition, which is participated in by several hundreds of thousands of students of all abilities and tests basic skills as acquired at school and also to test the ability to use the mathematics they know in different contexts. Students then go on to participate in a range of activities, based in schools with teacher supervision through to more advanced work. As a result tens of thousands of students are better prepared for University study and later employment, with the IMO team the tip of the iceberg", he said.

Australia's participation at the UNESCO sanctioned (as with other Science Olympiads) IMO is sponsored by the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, whose support enables access to the program for tens of thousands of students, and the two professional societies, the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and the Australian Mathematical Society.

These are unofficial and as we calculate. There may be errors.

Peter Taylor
Sunday 19 July 2009