Chongqing - The 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition announced its winners on November 3, awarding a total of 86 prizes, including five gold, ten silver, and twenty bronze medals, along with 51 commendation awards. Among the gold medalists is 18-year-old Qu Xiaoyu from Chongqing, who clinched his second consecutive gold after his perfect-score victory in 2023, which made him the youngest full-score gold medalist in the competition's history.
Screenshot of the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition winners list.
Born in July 2006, Qu was a student at Chongqing Bashu Secondary School and gained national recognition when he earned a perfect score gold at the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2022, which secured him a place in Peking University's mathematics department.
At the 2023 Alibaba award ceremony, Qu passionately expressed his love for mathematics, humbly saying, "I'm no genius, just a beginner. The deeper I dive into math, the more I realize how vast it is and how small I am." He recounted beginning his journey with advanced math texts like Mathematical Analysis as early as fifth grade, captivated by the rigor and beauty of mathematical proofs, revisiting the material repeatedly over the years. By high school, he represented China at the IMO, earning perfect-score gold and solidifying his place at Peking University.
2023 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition gold medalists receiving their awards.
Beyond mathematics, Qu finds beauty in both math and piano, calling them “wondrous arts.” “Math's symmetry is beautiful—perfect symmetry. As I delve deeper, my thinking transforms, becoming more rigorous yet open-minded. Playing piano for 30 to 40 minutes daily brings me immense joy; it’s my emotional outlet.”
Notably, another Chongqing Bashu Secondary School student, Zhang Hengye, also distinguished himself in the competition, earning a commendation award.
Scene from the 2023 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition awards ceremony featuring a performance by Quxiaoyu. (Photo/Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition)
Founded in 2018, the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition has grown into the world’s largest online math competition. This year’s winners include 39 from Peking University and six from Tsinghua University, with these two institutions accounting for over half of all awards. One of the competition's inaugural gold winners in 2018 was Wei Dongyi, a renowned figure at Peking University.
Jointly organized by the China Association for Science and Technology, Alibaba Philanthropy, and Alibaba DAMO Academy, the competition aims to inspire global math enthusiasts through intriguing questions that celebrate and highlight mathematics as a foundational discipline. Now in its sixth year, the event has attracted over 250,000 participants from more than 70 countries and regions, solidifying its position as the world’s largest online mathematics competition.