International Mathematical Olympiad 2006

Following fine performances in the first round of the British Mathematical Olympiad, taken in November, in which they all finished in the top 15 positions for all years in the country, Tom Eccles, Johnny Rees, Madoc Troup and Dominic Yeo were selected to be among the British squad for a week-long training camp in preparation for the International Mathematical Olympiad 2006. The camp took place jointly with the Hungarian Maths Squad in the university town of Tata in north-eastern Hungary. During the course of the camp, there were lectures on many varied topics, including Shapiro's inequality and the use of convex hulls in solving Olympiad problems. There was also the opportunity for informal problem solving with the Hungarians and a four-and-a-half hour exam in the style of an Olympiad contest in which all four Paulines performed admirably. The second round of the British Mathematical Olympiad follows on January 31st, after which the final eight for the contest in Slovakia in July will be chosen.