IMC, SMC, BMO -Who, What Why and How? Ethan Langley-Wilson's School

The IMC (Intermediate Maths Challenge) now hosted by UKMT is a competition many rival to score full marks in and others simply see as a chore thrust upon them by their maths teacher. With a history, stretching back for the better part of a century, Competitions maths in Britain (and the rest of the world!) is an often competitive but almost light hearted way at weeding out those with an exceptional mathematical and problem-solving prowess. So why was the IMC, SMC and the BMO (British Mathematical Olympiad) started?

IMC, SMC, BMO -Who, What Why and  How?  Ethan Langley-Wilson's School
The IMC (Intermediate Maths Challenge) now hosted by UKMT is a competition many rival to score full marks in and others simply see as a chore thrust upon them by their maths teacher. With a history, stretching back for the better part of a century, Competitions maths in Britain (and the rest of the world!) is an often competitive but almost light hearted way at weeding out those with an exceptional mathematical and problem-solving prowess. So why was the IMC, SMC and the BMO (British Mathematical Olympiad) started?