The measure of a great idea: 50 years on from the creation of the International Mathematical Olympiad

摘要

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is nowadays the most important and prestigious mathematical competition for high school students. Its 50th edition was held this year in Bremen, Germany (see [6] for details and also [11] for several data related to the previous 49 editions). Although on the front page of [11] it is mentioned that: "The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from 5 continents," little is known about the concrete context in which this competition was created. It is the main aim of this note to give, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, a brief report on the origins and first two years in the life of the IMO, which were essential for its subsequent evolution. For more details, see the booklets