Greeting address

by the Mayor of Burgas Municipality, Mr. Dimitar Nikolov, to the participants in 
Bulgaria International Mathematics Competition 2013

  Dear friends,

  I am happy to welcome you to Bulgaria and the beautiful seaside city of Burgas!

  For me, and for the citizens of Burgas, it is a great pleasure to greet you, the delegates and participants in Bulgaria International Mathematics Competition 2013. It is a particular honour that Burgas will be the first city in South-Eastern Europe to host the prestigious International Mathematics Competition.

  I am confident that this event will provide opportunities for you to acquire new skills and knowledge, and will be a useful basis for your future success and achievements.

  Burgas is one of the most dynamically developing cities in Bulgaria, a modern cultural and festival centre. Here you can visit the Sand Sculptures Festival, the only one on the Balkan peninsula, you can see the ancient Bulgarian treasures in “Sea casino” Cultural Centre, you can observe the birdlife of the region by visiting the ornithological centre in Poda Protected Area, you can get acquainted with the customs and traditions of Burgas in the Ethnographical museum, and explore the biodiversity of our unique nature in the Museum of nature and science. To feel the charm of Burgas, take the chance to walk in the romantic Sea garden and don’t miss the boat trip to the beautiful island of St. Anastasia.

  Whatever you choose to visit in Burgas, I am certain that you will be fascinated by the atmosphere, spirit and hospitality of our city, wishing to return to it.

  The Municipality of Burgas, the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, the Regional Inspectorate of Education - Burgas, the Union of Bulgarian Mathematicians and the High-school of mathematics and natural science - Burgas, as organizers of the International Mathematics Competition 2013, wish you success at the competition and a pleasant stay in our city.

Dimitar Nikolov  

1. To organize an international mathematics competition for key stage II (upper primary education) and key stage III (lower secondary education) students.
2. To motivate students and teachers to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and high-order thinking skills.
3. To establish cooperation networks of international mathematics improvement.
4. To provide students with opportunities to exchange mathematics knowledge and practice, and cultural experiences by participating cities and countries.
5. To upgrade school curriculum concerning mathematics to international standards.

1. Key Stage II Division (Upper Primary Education)
2. Key Stage III Division (Lower Secondary Education)

1. Key Stage II: Students must not have enrolled in the secondary schools or any equivalent institutions, and were born on or after 01 August 1999.
2. Key Stage III : Students must not have enrolled in the upper secondary education or any of its equivalence, and were born on or after 01 August 1996.

• Individual Award: gold, silver, bronze medals and Merit Certificate
  Approximately two-thirds of the contestants will receive Individual Awards, in the form of Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals as well as merit certificate, in approximately the ratio 1:2:3:4.
• Group Award: champion, 1st and 2nd runner-up trophies
  The highest score of the three contestants in each team for Individual Contest will be summed up. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams with the highest scores of each group in the form of one Champion, two 1st runner-ups and three 2nd runner-ups. If there is a tie, the team whose 4th contestant scores with higher marks in the Individual Contest will win.
• Team Award: champion, 1st and 2nd runner-up trophies
  In the team contest, the total score of all contestants in each team is considered the team score. The teams are first ranked by their total scores. Ties are broken according to the scores of individual problems, starting with the most difficult one. Prizes will be given to one Champion, two 1st runner-ups and three 2nd runner-ups of different groups. Grouping will be done through drawing of lots.
• Overall Award: Grand Champion, 1st and 2nd runner-up trophies
  The Overall Prize is awarded according to the sum of the four team members’ score in the Individual Contest, and of the team’s score in the Team Contest. The maximum score is 4x150+400=1000 (for EMIC) and 4x120+400=880 (for IWYMIC). Second and Third Prizes are also awarded.
• Certificate: Every participant will receive a BIMC 2013 certificate.

• Interested city or country must submit the application form through an e-mail (bimc2013@gmail.com with copy to ccmp@seed.net.tw ) on or before March 1, 2013. The organizer will send the acceptance notice to your teams on or before 15 March 2013.
• A filled-up application form must be submitted via e-mail to the organizer on or before 20 May 2013.
• Each participating team must inform the organizer about its arrival and departure schedule at Burgas International Airport on or before15 June 2013.

• The organizer will take charge of all official expenses including meals, accommodation, transportation for sightseeing of the teams from each invited city or country during the official period of BIMC (30^th June ~ 05^th July 2013).
• Participants who intend to stay in Bulgaria beyond the official duration (early arrival or late departure) are responsible for their own accommodation arrangements and food expenses.
• Observers, parents and other accompanying persons have to pay a fee for accommodation, meals, transportation, and sightseeing during the period of official competition. Additional information will be provided at a later stage.
• Participants may have to share rooms with their own team members or with members of the other teams.
• Each participating team is responsible for the travel expenses from its homeland to Burgas International Airport, including visa fees and other expenses for its entry to Bulgaria.

1. Municipality of Burgas
2. Ministry of Education
3. Regional Inspectorate of Education - Burgas
4. Union of Bulgarian mathematicians
5. High School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences - Burgas

Each participating country should do the following:

1. Inform the organizer in advance of any specified dietary requirements or restrictions;
2. Prepare a 5 minute cultural performance for the cultural night;
3. Complete visa procedures before arriving in Bulgaria.

Check the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mfa.bg/en/ to prevent possible problems/ inconveniences.