Lankan students excel at Mathematical Olympiad
Five senior school students won three bronze medals and received two
honourable mentions at the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad
(IMO) in Ljubljana, Slovenia recently.
The award winning students were Varuna P. Jayasiri - Royal College,
Colombo, R. B. Mahindaratne - Ananda College, Colombo, Supun T.
Samarakoon - Maliyadewa College, Kurunegala, J. M. S. Srimal Silva - De
Mazenod College, Kandana and T. Priyadarshi Senanayake - Rahula College,
Matara.
The students who participated in the mathematical competition
obtained 71 marks and emerged 55th of 90 countries. They outwitted some
of the best student mathematicians in the world with courage, grit and
determination, said CEO Sri Lanka Olympiad Mathematics Foundation (SLOMF),
Chanaka Wijeratne.
Wijeratne said the students with exceptional mathematical skills were
able to outdo students of developed countries such as Greece, New
Zealand, South Africa, Norway, Ireland and Denmark.
The team chosen to represent Sri Lanka at the International Olympiad
was the winners of the Sri Lanka Mathematical Olympiad which was
organised by the SLOMF. The students underwent systematic and rigorous
training prior to their departure for the competition, Wijeratne said.
Senior Lecturer, University of Colombo, Dr. Kirthi Premadasa said Sri
Lankan students have been competing since 1995 and this year's victory
is a tribute to the country. It is an achievement the country will
certainly be proud of. It will encourage students to develop their
mathematical skills and participate in international events of this
nature.
The IMO was set up in 1959 to encourage mathematically gifted
students to develop their talents and foster international relations.
The mathematical questions are set by an international panel comprising
renowned mathematicians based on number, theory, algebra and geometry. |