August 20, 2008
The 2008 China Girls Mathematical Olympiad (CGMO) has wrapped up, and both of the MAA-sponsored U.S. teams are bringing home plenty of extra luggage. All eight girls who participated for the U.S. earned a medal.
MAA Director of Competitions Steve Dunbar said, "We are very pleased that each one of our team members will bring home a medal. This shows that our talented young women do very well in international mathematical competitions."
To get ready for the contest in China, which has been held annually since 2002, the young women spent three weeks at the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, which helped them develop their problem-solving skills. The preparation also helped boost their confidence for participation in an international competition.
The teams then traveled to Zhongshan, in Guangdong Province near Hong Kong, where they got to explore Hong Kong and Shanghai before the competition began.
Coaches for the team were Zuming Feng of Phillips Exeter Academy and director of the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program since 2003; Alison Miller, a member of the 2004 U.S. IMO team; and MIT student Maria Monks.
Other sponsors of the U.S. teams are Intel; Akamai Foundation; Mathematical Sciences Research Institute; Shiing-Shen Chern Foundation for Mathematical Research; and Sunlin and Priscilla Chou Foundation.
For comments from the eight CGMO participants, visit http://www.msri.org/specials/gmo/2008.