Serbian mathematics students pick up handful of medals

Serbian mathematics students pick up handful of medals

Students from the Mathematical Grammar School in Belgrade Aleksa Milojevic and Pavle Martinovic won gold medals, Igor Medvedev and Jelena Ivancic won silver, while Jovan Toromanovic took the bronze, as did Nikola Pavlovic from the Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj Grammar School in Novi Sad.

They competed with about 600 participants from 107 countries. The last time a team of Serbian students won two gold medals in a mathematical olympiad was in 1974 - therefore today we celebrate one of the best results ever achieved in these competitions.

"The gold medal itself represents the crowning achievement of the work and progress made so far, and its unmistakable evidence," says Aleksa Milojevic. "I think that on the one hand, the olympiad is just a competition with problems, and on the other a place where one can meet very interesting people," he said.

These students are acquiring their knowledge exclusively in Serbia, a "nursery" of mathematical champions, and have invested a lot of work and made many sacrificed. However, this success could not have come without the support of the state and all those who understand that investing in natural sciences and encouraging their development represents the future.

"The Society of Mathematicians of Serbia most sincerely thanks the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) - their program 'Energy of Knowledge' - and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia for their great assistance in organizing mathematical competitions in our country, selecting our olympiad teams, their preparation for participation in the competitions and supporting the teams in traveling to often distant places where international competitions are held, " said Dr. Vojislav Andric, president of the Society of Mathematicians of Serbia.

For six years now, NIS has supported the Society of Mathematicians of Serbia, as well as the Serbian Mathematical Olympiad this year, followed by the participation of the best competitors in the Balkan and International Mathematical Olympiads.