MsF Logo

Mathématiques sans Frontières

Mathématiques sans Frontières is an annual international mathematics competition for schoolchildren, centrally run by the Académie de Strasbourg, where the UK branch of the competition is administered and funded by the Scottish Mathematical Council and volunteers.

The competition involves several mathematical puzzles where one is posed, and must be answered, in a foreign language. The light-hearted competition is designed to promote mathematics, the practice of a foreign language, and teamwork.

There are two divisions to the competition: the Junior section (S4 level) has 10 questions, and the Senior section (S5 level) has 13 questions. Both sections have a 90 minute time limit. It is a team event, with teams normally consisting of an entire class. However, pupils should split the questions up between themselves for full effectiveness.

On this page
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    Timeline

    January 2025
    March 2025
    April 2025
    May/June 2025
    Deadline for applications to the event
    Competition day!
    Marking day
    Results released and certificates issued

    Register for 2024 Competition

    Complete your details below before 26th January 2024 to register for the 2024 competition.

    Registration for the 2025 competition will open in December 2024.

    Notebook animation

    This Year's Competition (2024) and Last Year's Competition

    In 2024, 30 schools provided 45 entries with the furthest entry reaching us from Al Yasmina British Academy in Abu Dhabi!

    In the Junior Competition, the Top 10 Teams were:

    1. Albyn School for Girls - The Pioneers
    2. St Mary's Music School
    3. Peebles High School
    4. High School of Dundee - MA4B1
    5. Robert Gordon's College - RGC Ellis Kids joint with The Glasgow Academy - The Geometric Gigglers
    6. Strathallan School - Paul's Baddies joint with The Glasgow Academy - The Mathemachickens
    7. Al Yasmina British Academy joint with Bell Baxter High School

    In the Senior Competition, the Top 10 Teams were:

    1. Strathallan School - No Inglis
    2. The Glasgow Academy - Pi Hard with a Vengeance
    3. Robert Gordon's College - Fogiel's Funktion Fanatics
    4. High Storr's School
    5. Robert Gordon's College - Ananth's Boyz
    6. Charterhouse - Team 2
    7. Myddleton College - Myddleton Mathletes
    8. St Thomas of Aquin's RC High School - The Number sin2x+cos2x Team
    9. High School of Dundee - MA5A1
    10. The Glasgow Academy - Charlies Angles

    In 2023, we welcomed 40 entries from 18 different schools across Scotland, England, and Germany.

    The top teams in the Junior Section were Neeks (from Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen) in 1st place, Pi Me To The Moon (The Glasgow Academy) in 2nd place, and, in joint 3rd place, 2M1 (Grange Academy, Kilmarnock) and ENB (European School Frankfurt, Germany).

    In the Senior Section, we congratulate the winning entry from Charterhouse School in England, the Calcaholics (The Glasgow Academy) in 2nd place, and MA5B1 (High School of Dundee) in 3rd place.

    Charterhouse School forgo a prize and instead opted to have a donation made to mental health charity Papyrus.

    MSF_winners_2023
    AnimatedWin

    Previous Winners

    2024 To be Announced 6/6/2024 To be Announced 6/6/2024 To be Announced 18/6/2024
    2023 Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen Charterhouse School, England Charterhouse School, England
    2022 Glasgow Academy Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen
    2021 No Competition due to Covid-19
    2020 High School of Dundee Lochaber High School Lochaber High School
    2019 Wellington School, Ayr Grange Academy, Kilmarnock Grange Academy, Kilmarnock

    Entries from previous participants

    Contact us

    If you are interested in learning more about Mathématiques sans Frontières, please contact us here, contact organiser Dr Alan Walker ([email protected]), or see us on Twitter (@MSF_Scotland).