The following is a detailed introduction to the competition mode of the competition:

Competition system:

The competition system of Alibaba Mathematics Competition consists of two main stages: preliminaries and finals.

Preliminaries:

Eligibility: The preliminaries are open to everyone, regardless of qualifications or age, as long as you love mathematics.

Exam format: The preliminaries are open-book exams online, allowing access to materials and the use of programming software.

Time for questions: The preliminaries last up to 48 hours, providing participants with ample time to think and answer questions.

Features of questions: The preliminaries are designed to test the mathematical thinking and daily accumulated thinking of the participants, rather than simply brushing questions.

Finals:

Qualifications: Among tens of thousands of participants, only a few (such as 685 in 2023) can successfully advance to the finals.

Track setting: The final is divided into five mathematics tracks, each track contains five major questions, which are carefully designed by the teachers of the question-setting group.

Competition format: The final adopts an online answering method, and the contestants need to complete the competition within 8 consecutive hours. They can choose to answer any 8 consecutive hours during the competition window.

Question difficulty: The questions in the final not only test the contestants' mathematical knowledge, but also emphasize their problem-solving skills and thinking ability.

Award setting:

The Alibaba Mathematics Competition has multiple award categories, including the Gold Award (1 winner, a prize of US$100,000), the Silver Award (2 winners, a prize of US$50,000), the Bronze Award (3 winners, a prize of US$20,000) and the Excellence Award (10 winners, a prize of US$5,000).

Contestant background:

The finalists include students from the mathematics departments of top universities around the world, as well as people from all walks of life, such as lawyers, salesmen, cultural relics restorers, programmers and couriers. What they have in common is that they are all passionate about mathematics.

Organizer:

The competition is jointly organized by the China Association for Science and Technology, Alibaba Public Welfare Foundation, and Alibaba Damo Academy.

In summary, the Alibaba Mathematics Competition has become a major event that attracts the attention of mathematics enthusiasts around the world with its unique competition system, wide range of participating groups, professional question design, and generous award settings.