PAMO (OPAM)

AMU Pan African Mathematics Olympiads Commission (AMU-PAMOC)

PAMO is an activity of the African Mathematical Union Commission on Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (AMUPAMOC) created in 1986, ten years later, after the creation of African Mathematical Union (AMU) in Morocco in 1976.


The AMU-PAMOC Team for 2022-2026 period

AMU-PAMOC

Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO)

The Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO) are prestigious event of the African Mathematics Union (AMU) organized each year, since 1987, in an African Country where the best pupils in Mathematics of the Secondary Education who are less than twenty (20) years old, are invited to compete. 


While emulating the African Youth, it contributes to integration and allows the AMU to detect new talents in Mathematics in order to secure a changeover of quality.
The competition is made of two rounds. Each round is made of 3 problems for four hours and thirty minutes while each problem's total score is 7 points. There are up to six candidates per country.

Objectives of AMU-PAMOC

  1. To stimulate and develop the interest of African Youths in solving Mathematical problems.
  2. To promote positive interactions and healthy competitions among African youths at national, regional and continental levels thus furthering African unity through Mathematics.
  3. To use the medium of mathematics Olympiads to popularize Mathematics among African youths.
  4. To encourage many African countries, through their participation in the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO), to participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO).
  5. To enable exchanging experiences between African countries concerning teaching Mathematics.

Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO):

AMU-PAMOC has been involved in several activities involving secondary level pupils, notably the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad held every year in an African country gathering the best talents in African countries. In 2022, the Pan African Congress of Mathematicians PACOM held in Brazzaville (Congo) witnessed the election of Professor Basile Guy Richard Bossoto as the AMU President for the session 2022-2026. In the occasion, new commissioners were nominated and appointed to serve in the various AMU commissions. For the AMU-PAMOC, a new commission was established involving a Chair, a Secretary as well as seven members representing the different regions of Africa


Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO):

  • One of the most prestigious events of the African Mathematical Union organized each year in an African country.
  • The best pupils in Mathematics of the Secondary Education who are less than twenty (20) years old, are invited to compete.
  • It contributes to integration and allows the AMU to detect new talents in Mathematics in order to secure a changeover of quality.
  • Each African Team can send up to 4 participants and 6 participants since 2015 (3 girls and three boys), one team leader and one deputy team leader. Observers are responsible of their own fees.
  • Equality of Gender has been stimulated since 2015 by imposing the participation of 3 boys and 3 girls.
  • Medals and prizes are awarded to the best contestants as well as to top three ranked countries.

Mathematical olympiad training:

  • Ensure the training of women mathematicians in order to be mentors and in the future team leaders for PAMO-G and IMO.
  • Regional training camps for mentors.
  • Exchange of experts between African countries.

Promoting Mathematics among girls and women:

  • Creation of Pan African Mathematics Olympiads for Girls PAMOG.
  • Shared activities with AMU-CAWM (AMU Commission for African Women in Mathematics).

Improvements:

  • Introduction of new regulations since January 2001.
  • A problems Committee is introduced consisting of IMO experts in order to ensure a level of a good standard to the PAMO Problems.
  • African colleagues have been introduced progressively since 2007 and in 2017 All the Problems Committee members were African.

Impact of the AMU-PAMOC

  • Enhancement of the participation of African countries to PAMO and to IMO.
  • Increasing the number of African girls participating to PAMO by imposing three girls among each participating team.
  • Improving the level of PAMO Problems to make it closer to the IMO Problems level.
  • Creating PAMOG competition for girls where the first contestant is crowned African queen of Mathematics.

History and Background

The African Mathematical Union (AMU) was founded in July 1976. Later in 1986, the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad commission was established to serve under AMU. One year later, the first PAMO edition was held in Morocco. The following table shows all the details about the previous editions. 


Year -> Hosting country-> Number of participants

1987     Rabat (Morocco)     7 Countries

1989 Ibadan (Nigeria) 9 Countries

1991 Nairobi (Kenya) 3 Countries

1993 Dakar (Senegal) 4 Countries

1994 Yamoussoukrou (Côte D’Ivoire) 3 Countries

1995 Ifrane (Morocco) 6 Countries

1997 Cotonou (Benin) 4 Countries

1998 Rabat (Morocco) 6 Countries

2000 Cape Town (South Africa) 7 Countries

2001 Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) 8 Countries

2002 Pretoria (South Africa) 12 Countries

2003 Maputo (Mozambique) 12 Countries

2004 Tunis (Tunisia) 11 Countries

2005 Algiers (Algeria) 8 Countries

2006 Dakar (Senegal) 11 Countries

2007 Abuja (Nigeria) 9 Countries

2008 Porto Novo (Benin) 11 Countries

2009 Pretoria (South Africa) 13 Countries

2010 Abidjan (Côte D’Ivoire) 9 Countries

2012 Tunis (Tunisia) 8 Countries

2013 Abuja (Nigeria) 11 Countries

2015 Abuja (Nigeria) 9 Countries

2016 Dakar (Senegal) 8 Countries

2017 Rabat (Morocco) 10 Countries

2018 Nairobi (Kenya) 9 Countries

2019 Cape Town (South Africa) 11 Countries

2021 Sousse (Tunisia) 11 Countries

2022 Benguerir (Morocco) 9 Countries

2023     Kigali (Rwanda)      32 countries

2024     Johannesburg (South Africa)

PAMO 2023, 30th Edition of the Pan African Mathematics Olympiads


The Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (#PAMO2023)happened in #Kigali. This 30th ediction gathered 32 countries all accross Africa, among 26 countries attending in person and 6 participating online. Mathematics are the foundations to build Africa‘s digital future #AI #Robotics 

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