High School Mathematical Competitions in Russia Nowadays Fedorenko Igor Krasnodar, RUSSIA

 All-Russian national Olympiad,  International Math Tournament of Towns,  Tournaments of «mathematical battles»,  Igor Sharygin memorial Geometry Olympiad,  Math Festival «GOLDEN FLEECE»

All-Russian national Olympiad, holds annually by the Russian Ministry of education in traditional form, including four stages (specific exceptions are 8th grade and St.Petersburg and Moscow olympiads); also main contest for IMO team selection age of participants: 14 – 17 years (9 – 11 grades) Other olympiads in Russia are results of private initiatives, do not have state support, are organized by regional mathematical centers, are highly popular. On all olympiads complete strict solutions are appreciated, there is no tradition of multiple choice tests.

International Mathematical Tournament of Towns, covering almost all regions of Russia and many foreign countries (Bulgaria, Canada, USA, Iran, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Israel etc), totally about 200 towns all over the world particiate; Holds over 30 years. Four (independent) tours, holding independently in all towns. Final summer conference (contest of research type problems). site - Peculiarities: Possibility to choose tasks to solve High research potential of problems

Tournaments of «mathematical battles» – team mathematical competitions;  Russian Festival of Young Mathematicians  Kolmogorov Cup  Ural Math Tournament Such mathematical team tournaments are very popular and prestigious in Russia for more than 20 years. Schemes slightly differ, but the core is mathematical “battle” of two teams. It consists of (up to) ten rounds, each round is a duel type discussion on preliminary solved problems of the speaker and his opponent. Besides mathematics itself, the team has to use various tactical and strategic ideas. So, the participants are especially keen. All the leading mathematical centers of Russia actively participate in such tournaments, and consider them as nearly perfect method to involve high school students in serious mathematics and the professional culture of mathematical discussions.

Igor Sharygin memorial Geometry Olympiad, holds in two stages (preliminary correspondence stage and final internal stage), some foreign students (from Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Armenia, India, Vietnam etc) also take part; Site - Geometry is very popular in Russia, this is why the purely geometrical olympiad for 8 – 11 grades is organized. Preliminary (correspondence) stage has problems. Internal final stage consists of two days, with four problems each day.

Math Festival «GOLDEN FLEECE» - participants are 12 – 15 years old - six days long olympiad marathon - each day is devoted to special subject, three subjects are: combinatorics; algebra and number theory; geometry - elite level oral individual contest  educational character 15–18 problems on each subject, daily discussion of problems may be considered as a small survey of the subject  oral olympiad the correctness of solution is checked by the jury member during a special talk with the student, 3 trials for each problem

Mathematical competitions – from entertainment to education!