Undergraduates take part in the university level of the OBM
The Olympics took place on Thursday (9) and Friday (10) at Maravalley Port
IMPA Tech undergraduates took part in the university level of the OBM (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad), a competition promoted by the SBM (Brazilian Mathematical Society), on Thursday (9) and Friday (10). The test was held in Porto Maravalley, which was an exclusive application center for students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation.
This was the first time that student Vinícius Flesh took part in the OBM, thanks to his good performance in the OBMEP (Brazilian Public School Math Olympics) in 2024. “I did my best in the test, because I know that the Olympics are a great opportunity. The level of the OBM was very well formulated, challenging and motivating us to think about problems from many different angles,” he said.
Flesh joined IMPA Tech as a result of his achievements in scientific competitions, which guaranteed his place in higher education. “I always found it difficult to dedicate myself fully to the ENEM, because I worked during the day and studied at night, so I didn’t always have time. Admission through knowledge Olympiads is much more inclusive, as it values the talent of students, even if they have their limitations,” she said.
Nara Bobko, IMPA Tech’s academic manager, stressed the importance of this type of academic challenge. “We accept the Olympiads in the selection process for graduation and it’s important for them to continue working in this field. The competition is very interesting because it challenges students to study harder. As well as overcoming their own limits, they can see how they stand up to other students from the same country. In addition, the test helps us to understand how the level of mathematics is in Brazil and we can pinpoint where the students are who have expertise in this area,” he said.
This was the second phase of the university level of the OBM, consisting of 3 discursive questions on each day. In addition to the OBMEP, there are different prerequisites that can qualify students for the olympiad, such as having been awarded the OBM the previous year, being awarded the Elon Lages Lima Mathematics Competition, among others.
