History of Mathematical Olympiads

Any Olympiad is one of the most significant forms of development of human cognitive activity. Mathematical Olympiads for schoolchildren have been held in our country for several decades. Such a «long life» of the Olympiad movement speaks of importance of this form. The article discusses the main stages of formation and development of mathematical Olympiads. A brief overview of emergence of the olympic movement in Russia and other countries is given. A special place is given to the experience of holding such Olympiads within the walls of Russian University of Transport, where mathematical Olympiads have been held since 2000. Therefore, the current year can be considered an anniversary year. The article presents some forms of work with schoolchildren that preceded the emergence of mathematical Olympiads within the University. The importance of such work, which is aimed at developing interest in engineering education and a deeper study of mathematics, is discussed.