About “Kangaroo”
Association “Kangaroo without Borders”
History of the International Mathematics Competition “Kangaroo”
The International Mathematics Competition “Kangaroo – Mathematics for All” is one of the most popular mathematics competitions for students worldwide.
The idea for the competition originated in Australia in the early 1980s, where Sydney mathematics professor Peter Halloran created a new type of mathematics competition for students. It was based on a multiple-choice test, the results of which were checked by a computer. This format allowed thousands of students to participate in the competition simultaneously. The Australian National Mathematics Competition quickly gained great popularity.
1991. In 1991, two French mathematicians introduced this idea in France, naming the competition “Kangaroo” to honor Australia, where the idea originated.
The first competition in France involved 12,000 college students, but soon students from other age groups also began to participate. The popularity of the competition grew very rapidly.
In France, the number of participants increased from:
- 120,000 participants in 1991,
- 300,000 participants in 1992,
- 500,000 participants in 1993. In 2010.
This rapid growth fostered the international development of the competition.
1993. In June 1993, a meeting of European mathematics competition organizers was held in Paris, organized by the French competition organizers (www.mathkang.org). Mathematicians from several countries participated, showing great interest in the new competition format.
Already in 1994, several countries joined the competition—Belarus, Hungary, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Romania—which significantly contributed to the further development of the competition in Europe.
In the same year, the international association “Kangourou sans Frontières” (“Kangaroo without Borders”) was established in Strasbourg, initially uniting 10 European countries. The association’s goal is to promote mathematical thinking and mathematical culture, as well as to coordinate the organization of the international “Kangaroo” competition. One of the main principles of the competition is that it takes place on the same day in all participating countries. Each country has its own organizing committee that ensures the competition’s execution and award distribution. Results from different countries are not compared with each other.
Contest Goals (Objectives)
The main goal of the “Kangaroo – Mathematics for All” competition is to foster students’ interest in mathematics, develop logical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The competition helps students see mathematics as an interesting and creative intellectual activity.
Participation in the competition often motivates students to also take part in other mathematics Olympiads, competitions, and mathematics-related activities.
Contest Format
The competition takes place in a single round, without selection stages. It is organized in March, on the same day and at the same time in all participating countries.
The test consists of 30 problems arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Each problem has five multiple-choice answers, only one of which is correct.
This format makes the competition accessible to a very wide range of students and allows a large number of participants to take part simultaneously.
The international association also promotes the exchange of experience and ideas among participating countries. For this purpose, mathematical publications are issued—books, brochures, and problem collections—which compile interesting mathematical problems, ideas, and puzzles.
Regular international meetings are also organized, attended by competition organizers from various countries. These meetings discuss the development of the competition, problem creation, and cooperation opportunities.
The official working languages of the competition are French and English.
In Latvia, the international mathematics competition “Kangaroo” was first organized in 2006 in Riga. Students from the private secondary school ISMA “Premjers” participated and showed very good results. The first winners were then 6th-grade students Vika Kalashnikova, Antons Bardishev, and Konstantins Okunevs.
2013. In 2007, the number of competition participants in Latvia significantly increased—students from 17 schools participated, totaling 1297 participants.
In the same year, Latvia became a full member of the international association “Kangourou sans Frontières.”
Currently, more than 110 countries in Europe, Asia, and America participate in the competition, and the total number of participants worldwide exceeds 6.5 million students.
In Latvia, the organization of the competition is provided by the organizing committee of the international mathematics competition “Kangaroo,” which operates with the support of Riga Nordic University.
Contest Symbolism
The author of the logo for the International “Kangaroo” Competition is the renowned French artist and designer Raoul Raba.
The International Competition Association has granted Latvia official rights to use the competition’s symbolism and logo.