IM²C 2024 Awards

The goal of the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM²C) is to inspire mathematics students at secondary level to solve real-world problems by making appropriate assumptions, using inventive and creative ideas, applying the mathematics they know, justifying their methods and communicating their results convincingly.

The IM²C committee sets a challenging real-world problem each year. Teams of up to 4 students have 5 consecutive days to interpret the requirements, gather data, create and implement mathematical models, test the solutions and produce a 20-page report. During these 5 days, the students should be developing their collaborative skills and learning that real problems take time to solve. In Australia, the reports are judged by a qualified panel of teachers and mathematics education researchers, and the 2 best reports are then submitted to the international round of judging.

To further enhance students' experience of the power of mathematics to help better understand and solve real world problems, IM²C Australia is excited to partner with university mathematical modelling research groups in 2024. The winning team from each of the states/territories below will have the opportunity to visit these research groups (either in person or virtually) to learn more about how researchers use mathematical modelling to solve real-world problems. The winning groups will get to spend ‘a day in the life’ of a university mathematical modelling researcher, visiting the grounds, labs and classes of the following universities, including lunch on campus if students are attending on-site.