This repository contains the materials used for the 2022-2023 South African Mathematics Training Programme, the primary objective of which is the training and selection of the South African teams for the Pan-African and International Mathematics Olympiads.
Students are invited to a training camp in December each year. Selection for the camp is based on a student's performance in various mathematical competitions and activities throughout the year, the most important of which is the final round of the South African Mathematics Olympiad. Traditionally this camp has taken place at Stellenbosch University, and so has come to be known as the "Stellenbosch Camp" or "Stellies Camp". (Or even just "Stellies".)
At the Stellenbosch Camp, students were divided into three streams: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each group writes a series of tests, with the Advanced group writing a 2.5 hour test each day. The tests and solutions for the 2022 Stellenbosch Camp are available in the stellenbosch folder.
Following the Stellenbosch Camp, students are given an assignment to complete each month. These are known as the "Monthly Assignments", or simply "Monthlies". Usually there are at least three sets of assignments: one each for January, February, and March, but assignments are often sent out later in the year as well. The monthly problem sets from 2023, together with solutions, are available in the monthlies folder.
The results from the Stellenbosch Camp, and the first two or three assignments are used to select students to attend another training camp in March or April. (Traditionally this has taken place in April, and the camp is known as the "April Camp", even when it takes place in March.) The tests and solutions from the April Camp are available in the april folder.
The results from the April Camp, together with the results from the monthly assignments and Stellenbosch Camp (with the April Camp results carrying more weight) are used to select a team of 6 students for the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad, and another team of 6 students for the International Mathematics Olympiad.
A final training camp for each team is held just before the competition itself. The details of these camps have varied considerably over the years. In 2023 the team attended an externally-organised training camp that took place in China.