New Zealand Maths Olympiad Committee online

Much has taken place in the week since Quintijn, Johan and I flew to Almaty for the jury meetings. We spent four days there, selecting and preparing the exams with the other leaders, and then were transferred back to Astana for the opening ceremony on the 6th. The 3:30am departure for the airport was not entirely popular… We exchanged waves with our teams at the opening ceremony, and enjoyed some ethnic music, dance, and heavy metal classical music, then were taken to our hotel in Astana while the contestants were whisked off to Baldauren (240km away) for the duration of the IMO – alas it seems this year we will not see them again until the closing ceremony.

Most importantly, the first and second rounds of the competition took place yesterday and today, and the deputies are now back in Astana for co-ordination. Over the the next two days Ilya and I will be assessing the team’s scripts, and co-ordinating (finalising) their scores with representatives of the host country. We have an idea of what sort of scores we can hope for; and there are various rumours about how other countries have done; but I will avoid speculation, and wait until I have something concrete to report. Keep checking this space!

View of the mountains from Almaty.

Pre-opening ceremony entertainment.

The team on stage during the parade of teams, at the opening ceremony.

Performers leaving the stage during the opening ceremony.

The jury room in Astana, ready for us to discuss the marking schemes for the problems.

The Baiterek monument, and the United Buddy Bears, Astana city centre.

Leaders assessing their students' scripts in the jury room, near midnight.