Interview with educator and director of ITYM, International Tournament of Young Mathematicians

We are happy to discuss about some educational projects with ITYM organiser and main driver of the tournament.

Dr. David Zmiaikou (president of the ITYM) graduated from the École Polytechnique and obtained his Ph.D. degree at the University Paris-Sud under the supervision of Jean-Christophe Yoccoz (Fields Medal). After that, he had postdoctoral fellowships in Austria, Brazil, France, Germany and Switzerland. Also, David Zmiaikou did research in DNA analysis at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge.

He participated in numerous national and international mathematics competitions himself, and coached thousands of students.

Nowadays, David is professor at the Belarusian State University and leader of the national team at the IMO. ITYM already has been organised for a long time and there have been many sessions.

LeWiBo:The 18th ITYM https://www.itym.org/  is being organised by the Yerevan State University, Square Educational Foundation (Armenia) and the Belarusian State University. It will take place in the resort town Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, from January 24 to January 31, 2027. Teams that cannot come to Armenia will be able to participate online. It is coordinated by Dr. David Zmiaikou (president of the ITYM). ITYM now is a big network of people, researchers and people around the globe with many international teams. In LeWiBo we are very interested in studying how students can incorporate experience from various researchers and how they can make sure that the quality of education is high enough. How did it start and why did you start it, David?

David: ITYM was created to enable young mathematicians from around the world to participate in the international fair, to be able to participate and contribute to solving mathematical problems, some of which may not have been solved yet. 

Lewibo: Many people are familiar with traditional mathematics olympiads. What makes the International Tournament of Young Mathematicians different?

David: What makes ITYM different from traditional mathematics olympiads is that it is much more research-oriented. Instead of solving problems within a few hours during a competition, students receive the problem set more than three months before the tournament.

Some of the questions are genuinely open-ended. In some cases, even the authors of the problems do not know the complete solution. This means that participants are encouraged to explore different approaches rather than search for a single correct answer.

Students work together in teams, guided by their team leaders, and in many cases researchers and scientists also provide advice and suggest possible directions for investigation. Over several months, the teams develop their ideas, test hypotheses, and prepare research reports for each problem. At the tournament, they then present and defend their findings, discuss them with other teams, and receive feedback from the jury. The example of problems one can find here https://www.itym.org/welcome#h.3na8n8vozgay 

Lewibo: The judging process has also changed over the years. How has it evolved?

David: The judging process has evolved gradually because we wanted to make it work better and become more objective. We've refined the evaluation system over the years to ensure that teams are assessed as fairly and consistently as possible.

Overall, the changes have been very positive. Based on the feedback we've received, students are much happier with the process, and there are far fewer disputes or objections regarding the scores.

Lewibo: Why was Armenia chosen to host the 18th edition of ITYM?

David: There were several reasons. First, we have good friends and reliable partners in Armenia who are helping to organize the event. Armenia is also a very convenient location: many participants do not need a visa, and the cost of accommodation and food is relatively affordable.

As we continue returning to more in-person participation after the online years, Armenia offers an excellent balance between accessibility, quality, and cost.

Lewibo: This year, teams can participate either in person or online. How has the hybrid format worked?

David: The hybrid format has worked surprisingly well. Many teams strongly prefer to participate in person because it creates a completely different atmosphere. Students have the opportunity to meet each other, exchange ideas, and take part in social activities outside the competition. For example, during the last edition in Armenia, we even organized a hiking trip together.

At the same time, the online option makes the tournament accessible to teams that otherwise would not be able to participate. For some countries, travelling is simply too expensive, while for others there may be administrative or political barriers that make international travel difficult. Offering both formats allows many more students to take part in ITYM.

Lewibo: What are the main obstacles preventing more teams from participating in person?

David: The biggest challenge is financial. International travel can be expensive, and although the participation fee only covers part of the accommodation and organizational costs, it can still be difficult for teams from lower-income countries to afford.

That's one of the main reasons we continue to offer an online participation option—it helps ensure that talented students can take part regardless of their financial circumstances.