Annual Regulations for virtual BMO 2020 (BMOv)

  1. Because of the medical situation in Balkan countries, the present annual regulations will apply only for the virtual BMOv 2020. In the next years, as usual, the organizing country will provide adapted annual regulations.
  2. The Host Country for the 37th Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMOv 2020) is Romania.
  3. The Host Organization for BMOv 2020 is the Romanian Mathematical Society, which will propose the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad Board (BMOB). All the decisions (except the problem selection and the marking scheme) will be made by BMOB.
  4. The official language for BMO 2020 is English.
  5. An official delegation of a participating country of the 37th Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMOv 2020) consists of no more than six Contestants, the Leader and the Deputy Leader, jointly called Participants, as well as accompanying Observers.
  6. Participation must be confirmed online on the official site no later than the 15th of September 2020.
  7. At BMOv 2020 will also participate some invited countries (already approved by the BMO members). Each invited country should pay a fee of 400 euros. A second team of the Host Country will participate as an invited country.
  8. Registration of Leaders, Deputy Leaders, Observers and Contestants must be completed online on the official site no later than October 1st, 2020.
  9. The exam must take place in one (or by exception, maximum two) national BMOv Exam Centres, approved by the Host Organization. Any expenses associated with hiring facilities are the responsibility of participating countries, who are also responsible for ensuring that an Exam Centre is a suitable and safe environment, with all appropriate facilities that are expected at a normal BMO.
  10. The Contest day for BMOv 2020 will be November 1st.
  11. All Contestants must have been born on or after May 7th, 2000. Note that at BMOv 2020 students just enrolled at the University are allowed to participate as contestants but they should give the exam in the same national BMOv Exam Centres.
  12. The Official Program begins on 31 October 2020 and ends on November 5th 2020.
  13. Proposals for problems must be received by 23rd of September 2020. Proposals must be submitted to bmo.romania@gmail.com and to the Chairman of the Problem Selection Committee on the e-mail address mihai.baluna@gmail.com.
  14. There will be an online Opening Ceremony on 31 October 2020.
  15. The Contest problems will be selected by the Problem Selection Committee. There will be no Jury meeting for choosing the paper.
  16. The contest problems will not be released until shortly (three hours) before sitting the exam, for translation, where necessary. Leaders will send their translations in national languages (if needed) to the Problem Selection Committee and BOMB (only for information) no later than one hour before sitting the exam. The Leader will provide in time each contestant with a copy of the paper in English and a copy of the translation in their national language (if needed). Is the only responsibility of the Leader to provide an exact, correct and complete translation of paper. Solutions and marking schemes will be released to Leaders after the last student has finished the paper and its scanned paper was sent to the Jury. Leaders do not have to provide the translations of their students exam papers into the official language, unless asked by the coordinators. The Leader is responsible that nobody, excepting the Participants, will have access to the papers before the ending the official contest time.
  17. After the exam, each leader is responsible to send scans of the scripts to the Coordinators in a period of no more than one hour from the finishing hour.
  18. BMO exams should take place in a sufficiently large room or hall to facilitate social distancing (to the extent required by local authorities and the state of the pandemic). Desks should be widely spaced. It is compulsory that Leaders arrange to use webcams to provide the IT-Coordinator a live feed of pictures of examinations taking place.
  19. The exam must start for all Participants Countries at 11.00 - the Host Country official time (UTC 9.00 AM), finishing 4 hours 30 minutes later.
  20. Contestants are allowed to ask written questions in the first half hour of the Contest. Questions do not need to be considered by the Jury. The Leader may give a written answer to a question. If there is an unexpected question, leaders must contact the Chairman of the Problem Selection Committee by video conference, before providing a written answer to a student. Records of all questions and answers must be supplied to the BMOB.
  21. There are two scenarios for coordination. One is done by working on a special platform. The other one uses both the platform and online sessions (google-meet, zoom, etc). The final decision will be taken by October the 30th, 2020. The coordination days will be 2, 3, 4 November. There will be problem captains and a Chief Coordinator, as usual. A final appeal to the Jury will be not possible at this virtual competition. Instead, in the event that a final appeal is necessary, there will be a meeting of the BMOB.
  22. The boundaries for the medals and other awards will be decided by a BMOB. They will use exactly the same protocols as at a normal BMO.
  23. Certificates will be sent by email and the medals will be sent to the Leaders by the regular mail.
  24. There will be an online closing ceremony on 5 November 2020.
  25. During the meetings of BMOB proposals for BMO 2021 will be discussed and the Host Country of BMO 2021 will be approved.
  26. The Host Organization, with the approval of the BMOB, may vary protocols concerning the conduct of the virtual BMO 2020 as and when necessary. This contest is unrehearsed, so some flexibility may be required to make matters run as smoothly as possible.