Promoting breakthroughs in mathematics.

The Institute for Advanced Studies in Mathematics, in collaboration with the Vietnam Mathematical Society, recently organized a workshop to evaluate the training and results of national and international mathematics competitions for gifted students from 2015 to 2024, commemorating 50 years of Vietnam's participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

In 1974, while the country was not yet fully liberated, at the initiative of several mathematicians, led by Professor Hoang Tuy, and with the support of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, Vietnam sent its first delegation of five high school students to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad for secondary school students in the German Democratic Republic. At that time, the delegation was led by two teachers, Le Hai Chau and Phan Duc Chinh. In their first participation, the Vietnamese students caused a great surprise with their outstanding achievement, winning one gold medal, one silver medal, and two bronze medals.

Since first participating in the international competition, the task of forming Vietnamese student teams to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad has been assigned by the Government to the Ministry of Education (1974-1990) and the Ministry of Education and Training (1990 to present), which have been in charge of organizing and implementing it.

To date, Vietnam has had 289 students participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad and win 69 gold medals, 118 silver medals, 84 bronze medals, and three Certificates of Merit.

Over the past 50 years, the International Mathematical Olympiad teams have maintained relatively consistent performance, earning high praise from other countries not only for the number of medals won but also for their outstanding achievements.

Typical examples include the perfect score of 40/40 achieved by student Le Ba Khanh Trinh in 1979; and some students who won international gold medals for two consecutive years, such as student Vu Ngoc Minh in 2001 and 2002…

The year 2007 marked a significant event: Vietnam successfully hosted the 48th International Mathematical Olympiad, with the participation of 93 countries and territories. This successful event made a positive impression on the international community.

In 2024, the Vietnamese national team (consisting of six students) continued to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad in the United Kingdom, winning two silver medals, three bronze medals, and one honorable mention.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this year's exam has a challenging structure for participating students, with two combinatorial mathematics problems, one at an average level and one at a difficult level.

The Vietnamese team participating in the competition made great efforts, achieved good results, and was highly regarded in the region. This result further affirms the correct direction in the work of identifying, selecting, and training gifted students by the Ministry of Education and Training.

According to education experts, the International Mathematical Olympiad is an intellectual arena and a benchmark for assessing a nation's capacity for developing mathematics education. Former students who participated and won awards have become professional scientists with international prestige, actively contributing to the development of mathematics. Vietnam has begun to find ways to create connections between scientists working abroad and domestic scientists for research and training through the model of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Mathematics, thereby spreading this throughout the country.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son stated that the education sector is proud of Vietnam's achievements over the past 50 years participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad, as well as the movement to learn mathematics domestically. The successful organization of national and international competitions at the secondary and university levels has motivated students, teachers, and educators to study and teach, promoting the learning and application of mathematics in various fields and in life. The Ministry of Education and Training always emphasizes the role of mathematics, from secondary school to university and postgraduate training, and in research.

Currently, with the development of science and technology, mathematics is becoming increasingly important. “With current technology, a good math teacher can teach many students, not only in their own school and locality, but nationwide. The contribution of a good teacher is therefore broader. Students can learn from not just one good teacher, but from many good teachers, resulting in more talented students. Thus, the field of mathematics in our country has made a breakthrough,” Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son assessed.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thuc-day-toan-hoc-but-pha-post834059.html