The Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNS) of BRAC University organized "Inter University Mathematics Olympiad-2011" on Friday, December 9, 2011 in collaboration with Bangladesh Mathematical Society (BMS). The aim of this Mathematical Olympiad was to create the opportunity for our young talented undergraduate students in the country to stand out and illustrate their mathematical and analytical skills. In addition, the event was aimed to create a national awareness for the development of mathematics education at the tertiary level and skills. A total of 146 talented students from 22 different Institutions from all over the country took part in this national competition. Professor Md. Golam Samdani Fakir , Pro Vice Chancellor, BRAC University was present as the Chief Guest and Professor Md. Abdus Sattar, President, Bangladesh Mathematical Society, as the Special Guest in the Inauguration Ceremony . Professor A.A. Ziauddin Ahmad, Chairman, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences chaired the ceremony.
In the Closing and Prize Awarding Ceremony held in Xinxian Restaurant in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, former Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University, Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhaury was present as the Chief Guest. The Chief Guest informed that due to the lack of facilities our students were not that prepared for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) which was an annual event for pre-collegiate students. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980. It is gratifying that Bangladesh has been participating at this IMO quite regularly during the recent past. The function was presided over by the Pro-Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, Professor Dr. Md. Golam Samdani Fakir. He congratulated the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of BRAC University for successfully organizing this Third Inter-university Mathematics Olympiad in technical collaboration with Bangladesh Mathematical Society (BMS). He expressed his opinion that this Olympiad had achieved its goal of motivating the participants to improve their analytical and problem solving skills. Professor A.A.Z. Ahmad, Chair of the Organizing Committee delivered the welcome address. He said the budding mathematicians who were participating in the competition should fill in the gaps left by the great mathematicians like Varaha Mihir, Arya Bhatta, Leelabati, Ramanujan, Abdus Salam and so many others who were born and left their marks in mathematics and astronomy in the past in this very subcontinent.
Out of 250 students who registered online, a total of 146 students participated finally. The syllabus of the olympiad included calculus and coordinate geometry, differential equations, linear algebra, vector algebra, complex variables and basic theory of probability and statistics. Questions were divided into two groups: Analytical part was for one hour and another thirty minutes were allocated for MCQ's. The language of the Olympiad was English. It was an individual contest. The competition selected 10 winners for the 10th position to the 1st position. The first prize winner Sheikh Ziauddin, of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) got Tk. 10,000. The second and third prize winners were Forsad Al Hossain and Md. Emroz Khan of the same department who got TK. 7,000 and Tk. 4,000 respectively. The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh prizes went to Md. Rezaul Karim, Moinul Hossain Rahat, Md. Mukhlasur Rahman Tanvir and Moinul Hossain Rahat also of the Department of EEE, BUET. The eighth prize winner was Md. Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan from the Department of Mathematics, University of Dhaka. The ninth prize was won by A. S. M. Sohidull Islam of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, BUET and the tenth prize winner was again from the EEE Department , BUET, Partha Sarathi Sarker. The last seven winners got Tk. 2000 each as prize money. The Chief Guest awarded crests, prize money and certificates to the winners of the competition. The Closing and Prize Awarding Ceremony was followed by dinner.