EIGHT STUDENTS EARN TOP HONOURS IN NATIONAL MATH OLYMPIAD

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS), with the support of Sun Life Financial, is pleased to announce the 2010 winners of the 42nd Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) competition. The three top winners are:

1^st Prize and the Sun Life Financial Cup: Alex Song, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Windsor, Ont.
2^nd Prize: James Rickards, Colonel By Secondary School, Greely, Ont.
3^rd Prize: Jonathan Zung, University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Ont.

In addition, five students received honourable mentions: Robin Cheng, Pinetree Secondary School, Coquitlam, BC,; Zhi Qiang Liu, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ont.; Chen Sun, A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London Ont. ; Jixuan Wang, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ont. and Yuqi Zhu, University Hill Secondary School, Vancouver, BC. The CMO is Canada’s premier national advanced mathematics competition and is staged by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS).

“The 1st Prize winner, Alex Song, is only 13 years old and a grade seven student. To obtain first prize on an advanced national competition is a truly amazing accomplishment for someone so young” noted Dr. Anthony To-Ming Lau, University of Alberta, CMS President.

“This advanced competition is a real challenge to our students – one that requires both dedication and hard work. This year, with the support of their schools, almost 100 students studied and prepared rigorously and they all performed extremely well,” noted Dr. Kalle Karu, University of British Columbia, and Chair of the CMS CMO Committee. “The real benefits from these type of competitions is the advanced problem-solving skills that the students develop – skills that will serve then very well in whatever career choices they make.”

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The CMS is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning, and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements.