Historic Outline
The African Mathematical Union (AMU) was created
during the first Pan-African Congress
of Mathematicians in Rabat (Morocco), 1976.
The executive Committee of AMU which was elected
in 1986 had created four commissions
namely the AMU commission on Mathematics Education
(AMUCME); the AMU commission
on History of Mathematics in Africa (AMUCHMA), the
AMU commission on Women in
Mathematics in Africa (AMUWMA) and the AMU commission
on Mathematics olympiad
(AMUPAMO).
Since 1987, the African Mathematical Union Commission
on Pan African Mathematics Olympiads
(AMUPAMO) has regulary organized Pan African Mathematics
Olympiads ( PAMO) in several
African countries in collaboration with the Ministry
of Education and the Mathematical society
of the host country, under the auspices of the
African Mathematical Union (AMU).
The first PAMO took place in Rabat (Morocco) in 1987
;the second in Ibadan (Nigeria) in 1989,
the third in Naïrobi (Kenya) in 1991 ; the
fourth in Dakar (Senegal) in 1993 ;the fifth in Yamoussoukro
(Cote d’Ivoire) in 1994, the sixth in Ifrane (Morocco)
in 1995 ;the eight in Cotonou (Benin) in 1997,
the nineth in Rabat ( Morocco) in 1998 and the tenth
in Cape Town (South Africa) in 2000.
The seventh planned to be held in Kampala (Ouganda)
in 1996 were cancelled in the last time upon
the request of the ugandan minister of education.
Usually PAMO were held in the last week
of july or the first week of august every year.
The organisation of such events is of major importance
for African youth. The detection and
development of African pupils with mathemacal talent
encourages others to emulate their achievements.
These objectives cannot be reached without full
participation of all african countries.
The four countries selected to organize the next
editions of PAMO are:
Burkina Faso in 2001
Senegal in 2002
Mozambique in 2003
Tunisia in 2004
During the PACOM' 2000 (the sixth Pan African Congress
of Mathematicians) organized by
the African Mathematical Union, Cape Town, South
Africa in January 2000, a round table was
devoted to the competitions in Mathematics. Among
the recommendations retained at the end
of this round table is the annual organization of
a meeting for the trainers and accompanists of
the pupils intended to take part in Pan African
Mathematics Olympiads.
The objectives of such a meeting can be summarized
as follows :
To prompt to more
massive participation in Pan African Mathematics Olympiades( PAMO).
To promote the PAMO
and to provoke more benevolent supports.
To initiate into the
organization of National and Regional Mathematics Olympiades.
To provide participants
with necessary informations concerning PAMO
To exchange training
methods of candidates
To bring up to date,
the documentation requisite to this training and to acquire
the Internet
technique for a more advantageous use.
To constitute a common
bank of PAMO problems.
To let, countries attending
PAMO for the first time to take advantage of pioneer countries
experience.
To Publish proceedings
of the Symposium.
Following the PACOM’2000 recommendations, the
Republic of Tunisia has gracefully proposed
to shelter the first meeting of this kind, and this
in Kairouan, Tunisia, from October 31 to
November 06, 2000.
This meeting was called: First Symposium of the
African Mathematical Union Commission on Pan
African Mathematics Olympiads, and was placed
under the topic: Pan African Mathematics
Olympiades ; Formation and Research.
