The Australian National University (ANU) has been recognised as the top performing university in Australia in a prestigious global mathematics competition for undergraduate students.
The Simon Marais Mathematics Competition is an esteemed annual event that encourages creative mathematical problem-solving among undergraduate students worldwide.
The ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute proudly hosted the Australian prize-giving ceremony on our campus in February.
The prize-giving ceremony celebrated Australian entrants who placed in the top 15 per cent in the 2024 competition, with mathematics students travelling from around the country to network and commemorate their achievements.
Reflecting on the competition
The 2024 East Division competition took place on 12 October, with 1,056 students from Australia and New Zealand participating. Competitors tackled two three-hour closed-book exams, one of which featured an open-ended problem.
When asked to describe the competition, the group used words ranging from “fun”, “engaging”, “social” and “innovative”; through to “hectic”, “challenging”, “thought-provoking” and “mindbending”.
The most enjoyable problems according to participants included the tripairable numbers (A2), mapping lines to points (B3), and infinite prime sequence (A4).
Meanwhile, the most challenging – and least enjoyable – were the floor function equation (A1) and coins in boxes (B1), which stretched our competitors’ problem-solving abilities.
ANU students shine
In the East Division Pairs group, ANU students Xiaoyu Chen and Stanley Li placed equal third with a score of 43, earning the Optiver Best-in-University Prize for topping the category.
Liam Murray and Ruiying Wu from ANU also performed exceptionally well, achieving a Pairs score of 31 and receiving the IMC Prize for Female and Gender Diverse Entrants.
In the Individuals category, Max Judd placed seventh with a score of 39, securing an Optiver Best-in-University Prize. ANU students Julius Clegg and Ryan Yang were also in the top quartile of Individuals, each achieving a score of 32.
Best-placed Australian university
Using a complex formula to determine university rankings across all categories, ANU received a total score of 163 and was recognised as the best-performing university in Australia.
Professor Lilia Ferrario, Director of the ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute, proudly accepted the award on behalf of the University.
“I am moved and so happy that ANU has done so well,” said Professor Ferrario. “We need to do everything we can to support mathematics and promote it among young people. So, it’s wonderful to see so many bright and talented students here today.”
Competition legacy
The Simon Marais Mathematics Competition has been running since 2017, established in honour of the late Dr Simon Marais, a South African-born physicist with a lifelong passion for mathematics and problem-solving. His wife, Corena Marais, attended the ANU ceremony and expressed her gratitude to all participants.
“To the prize winners – your talents are exceptional,” said Corena Marais. “What I love about maths is that it keeps us humble and intrigued. Keep it up and try to inspire more young people to follow in your footsteps. On behalf of my children and I, thank you for keeping Simon’s legacy so worthwhile.”
Interested in participating? Save the date, as the competition will be held again on Saturday 11 October 2025 and is open to eligible undergraduate students.
The Organising Committee has kindly published an archive of past problems and solutions for those interested in testing their skills. Plus we hear that the ANU Mathematics Society runs fantastic training sessions and study groups where you can try your hand at some of the problems – so why not get involved?