Lower Franconian maths aces at university

03/10/2026

At the end of February, 49 maths-loving children from lower franconia's schools puzzled their way through the state round of the 65th Mathematical Olympiad at the University of Würzburg. JMU uses the event to specifically promote young talent in the STEM field.

Pupils from 17 schools in Lower Franconia were guests at the Institute of Mathematics at the end of February. (Image: Jonas Hollenberger / Institut für Mathematik)

Imagine a square made up of 16 small boxes, like on a spreadsheet. The task is now: Colour some of the lines between the boxes so that each of the 16 boxes has an odd number of coloured sides. What is the minimum number of lines that must be coloured and the maximum number that can be coloured?

The 49 participants from grades 5 and 6 tackled this and many other questions during the state round of the 65th Mathematical Olympiad at the end of February at the Institute of Mathematics at the University of Würzburg.

A day full of puzzles and community

The visit to the university was a special experience for the pupils from 17 secondary schools in Lower Franconia. They are often the only ones at their own schools who share such a great passion for maths. In Würzburg, they met like-minded people and realised that they are not alone in their enjoyment of logical thinking.

The course of the competition day was both unusual and exciting for the participants: after the allocation of starting numbers and the search for a seat in the lecture theatre, three hours of concentrated work on four complex tasks followed. After lunch together in the canteen and a fun afternoon programme, the day ended with the award ceremony.

The nationwide regulations stipulate that around half of the participants receive an award. In Würzburg, five pupils were delighted to receive a first prize - the highest recognition that can be achieved in these year groups.

The winners

The path to becoming a Bavarian maths ace

The Maths Olympiad is the official competition for the lower grades at Bavarian schools and takes place annually. The route to the state round involves two previous stages: a homework round at the beginning of the school year and a written examination round at the schools in November. This year, the competition set a new record in the second round with 4,167 participants from Year 5 onwards.

Of these, 522 pupils from grades 5 and 6 qualified for the state round throughout Bavaria. While this round for the younger grades takes place decentrally at ten different locations in Bavaria, it is organised as a central, three-day event from the 7th grade onwards. Alongside Erlangen and Bayreuth, Würzburg is one of the regular hosts of this format. From Year 8 onwards, the best talents also have the opportunity to qualify for a fourth round at national level.

Long-term support for the specialists of tomorrow

The University of Würzburg has been involved in promoting talent for many years. Richard Greiner from the Institute of Mathematics emphasises how important it is to consolidate an interest in mathematics as early as lower school. The aim is to carry the enthusiasm so far that the pupils "stay on the ball" in middle and upper school and may later consider studying in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences or technology (STEM).

The university's commitment, which is carried out in cooperation with the MOBy e.V. association and the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, is seen as a long-term investment. It is intended to help secure a steady stream of successful maths students for the future.