Alibaba has introduced an innovation in the annual Global Math Competition by adding a separate category for artificial intelligence. The competition is divided into 2 rounds: the first focuses on the “enjoyment of the beauty of mathematics”, while the final round “emphasizes the advanced achievements of academic research.” In 2023, over 50,000 participants competed in the qualifying tournament, with 685 finalists battling for the top prize of $40,000 during an 8-hour competition.
The competition is organized by the research institute of Damo Academy, an entity of Alibaba. In 2024, the competition expanded to include a category for AI, welcoming entries from individual developers, universities, scientific institutions, and corporations. This expansion allows large companies to vie for top honors alongside mathematics enthusiasts.
Prizes are set at $10,000, $5,000, and $2,000 for the top three AI models, while winners in the mathematics category can expect $30,000, $15,000, and $8,000, respectively. Participants who excel but do not make the top three can also receive an additional prize of $2,000.
Registration for the competition is now open. AI participants must train models or develop algorithms after registering and submit them to the organizing committee by April 12. During the competition, AI contestants will have 48 hours to answer questions using AI technology to generate human-understandable responses.
Since 2017, the Global Math Competition was open only to human participants. The competition has seen individuals from various age groups, with the oldest contestant at 80 years old and the youngest at 8 years old. Last year, the competition crowned its youngest winner ever, a 17-year-old teenager. According to Damo Academy, the competition aims to combine competition, training, and knowledge exchange to garner global attention and interest.