Abstract
In the performance of the nations most renowned for the quality of their primary and secondary mathematics training and for the excellence of their research, we observe the frequent practice of extracurricular investment in clubs and in training for the many mathematical competitions that mark the early socialization just mentioned. Although much studied elsewhere, this extracurricular investment in mathematics is far too little studied in France. Its mention in the 2018 Villani-Torossian report and the recommendations for developing action were welcome, but little has been done since.
To learn more about mathematics competitions, and the ludo-mathematical energy they solicit and develop, the Sociology of Creative Work Chair team studied participation and success in a range of them, from the most selective to the most popular - Olympiades de mathématiques, Tournoi français des jeunes mathématiciennes et mathématiciens, Concours général des lycées, and in the general public competition category, the Kangourou des mathématiques, by far the most practiced mathematics competition. This presentation, given as part of the "Reenchanting Mathematics" program, focuses on the latter.
Launched in France in 1991, and subsequently in dozens of countries, by 2024 this competition had mobilized almost 3,200 schools and some 223,000 students, from the end of elementary school through to the final year of secondary school, on a voluntary basis by teenagers, their families, teachers and participating schools. The study of this competition provides us with a less depressing view than the results of national and international tests, when it comes to understanding what mathematics can represent for some of the young people who attend school.
