Taiwan topped the World Mathematics Invitational, which finished on Tuesday, with 13 diamond, 39 gold, 56 silver and 36 bronze awards.
The annual competition draws mathematics students from around the world, with national try-outs prior to the final organized by a host country in July, organizing committee examination director Paul Ou (歐俊甫) said.
The World Mathematics Invitational returned to Malaysia after eight years for its 12th edition this year, which began on Friday last week, Ou said.
Photo: screen grab from the World Mathematics Invitational Web site
Contestants ranged from kindergarten to senior-high-school level, he said.
The 904 contestants this year were from 22 countries, including Taiwan, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam, he said, adding that Taiwan had the second-biggest team, topped only by the host country.
In addition to the diamond, gold, silver and bronze awards won by Taiwanese, the nation also garnered nine merit awards.
Diamond awards are given to contestants whose total score ranked among the top 3 percent of all participants. Gold, silver and bronze are given to contestants in the top 12, 25 and 30 percent respectively.
Six Taiwanese students on Tuesday were given Legend awards for winning gold for three consecutive years.
Liu Cheng-lin (劉承潾), who studies at Washington High School in Taichung, achieved the highest total among the Taiwanese at the event, earning the Star of the World, which is given to the top scorer from each country or region with at least 50 contestants.
An undated video showed a group of winners, including Liu, posing for a group photograph holding their nations’ flags.
Chinese and Russian contestants were apparently vying for space to display their flags, the video showed.
The World Mathematics Invitational is independent of political issues, an international competition where contestants focus on solving math problems, leaving behind territorial disputes between China and the Philippines, India and Pakistan, or Ukraine and Russia, Ou said.
This event is one of the few international contests where Taiwanese can participate in the honor of holding the flag of Taiwan at awards ceremonies, he added.
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