The International Day of Mathematics (IDM), also known as Pi Day, is a worldwide celebration of all that Mathematics has brought to humanity: advancements in technologies, engineering, industry, sciences, health, and philosophy. The discipline has contributed significantly to improve many aspects of our daily lives and it has certainly lived up to its reputation as the glue that brings all branches of science together.

Every year on March 14, all countries around the world are invited to participate through various activities in schools, museums, libraries and other public spaces. It is a way to celebrate the beauty, elegance, and power of Mathematical Sciences.

This year, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa would like to celebrate the 2024 IDM with Faculty of Science students. To this end, we are launching a poster competition to encourage our students to think how Mathematics is at the center of many scientific discoveries and how the discipline has helped to improve the quality of our lives.

We invite undergraduate Faculty of Science students to design a poster that celebrates Mathematics and all its powers and contributions to the sciences. The theme for the 2024 International Math Day is “Playing with math”. However, students are free to choose a theme that best suits their views and appreciations of mathematics.

By entering your artwork in the“Playing with Math” poster competition,you agree to the contest rules listed below.

1. Eligibility: This contest is only open to undergraduate students registered in a program of the Faculty of Science. 
2. To enter: You must create and submit a poster according to the requirements listed below. You may not submit more than one entry. Subject to these contest rules and conditions, three prizes will be awarded to the participants whose entries are chosen as the winning posters. 
   • The award will be credited to the student's financial account.
3. Entry requirements:
   • Format of entry:  
     • Individual students or a team of students (maximum of four) can submit posters.
     • Posters can be submitted in either one of the uOttawa official languages or bilingually.
     • Every submission must be one page of A4 or A3 paper only. You will need to take a photo (JPG, PNG or PDF) and submit it here. Please name the poster and use that as the title to include in the registration form.
     • To also be included in the registration form, each poster submission must be accompanied by a short paragraph (maximum 200 words) explaining the idea and content of the poster.
     • Drawing and design software can be used. However, your entry (content and design) must be your original creation and must not infringe upon or violate any laws or any third-party rights (copyrights, etc.).
     • By submitting a poster
       • participants agree that if selected, posters will be printed and displayed in various locations on campus and shared with others (school boards, math institutes, etc.).
       • participants agree that if selected, they might be asked to give a presentation on the content of the poster.
       • Submitted files should not exceed 10MB
4. Subject: “Playing with Math”, but you are free to choose a theme that best suits your views and appreciation of Mathematics.
5. Language: Posters can be submitted in either one of the uOttawa official languages or bilingually.
6. Content and content restrictions: 
   • Your entry must not have been previously submitted, distributed or have won in any other competition.
   • Your entry must not include an identifiable image of a person without that person’s written consent. If an identifiable image of a person is used in your entry, then, you must send the person’s written consent to Joseph Khoury before the deadline, as mentioned in Section 4 of these rules, and that such consent includes permission to use such an image for uses consistent with the uses in relation to this contest.
   • Your entry must not contain, as determined at the University’s discretion, inappropriate content.
7.  The University reserves the right, at its sole discretion and without notice to you, to reject any entry that does not comply with the contest rules; simply entering the contest does not guarantee that your entry will be considered.
8. Entry process and deadlines
   • The last day to submit a poster is Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 5:00 PM. It is to be submitted after filling out this form. Please remember to upload the file and name it after your poster to avoid confusion.
9. Prizes:  Subject to these contest rules and the conditions listed, the participants whose entry is chosen as the winners will receive: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place and $500 for third (CAN). These prizes will be shared if won by a team, where the award will be credited to the student's financial account.
   • To claim the prize, the participant whose entry is chosen as the winner must have met the eligibility criteria and complied with these contest rules. The odds of winning a prize depend on the number of eligible entries received. The prize must be accepted as awarded or, if not, forfeited.
10. Selection of winners: After the deadline, submitted posters will be judged by a selection committee of professors in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Ottawa. All decisions by the selection committee are final. The entries will be judged on the following criteria:
    • Mathematical content (50%) 
    • Artistic aspect (15%)
    • Effective use of graphics/Figures (15%)
    • Relevance to the theme of the year: “Playing with Math” (20%)

Following the selection of the winning entries, the participants whose entry is selected as the winner will be informed by email at the uOttawa email address provided. The winner must also sign a form acknowledging receipt of the prize and releasing the University of Ottawa from any and all liability arising from participation in the contest or from the acceptance of any prize.

11. Use and ownership of entry: By entering the contest, participants authorize and grant to the University the right to use your poster for promotional, educational or other purposes. By entering the contest, participants expressly waive all moral rights in their entry. The University may, and it may authorize others, to use, edit, reproduce, publish, broadcast, exhibit, transmit and distribute both the entry itself, as well as the name, images, audio, text and any other information submitted by the participants, without further permission or compensation.
12. Publicity:  The winner’s name may be made public and by entering the contest, you agree to the publication of your name should your entry be selected as the winner.
13. Privacy: Information collected from contest entries will be used by the University solely to select the contest winners, award the prize and to send information about the University’s programs and services. By participating in the contest, you agree that your entry containing your image may be posted on the Internet and the University’s website. The University is under no obligation to post your entry on the University’s website.
14. Participant responsibilities: By entering the contest, participants have ensured:
    • that their entry is original and does not infringe any other person’s copyright, trademark, privacy rights and any other rights;
    • that permission from any recognizable individual appearing in their entry has been obtained and that permission for elements in the entry not owned by the participants has also been obtained.
15. Laws: The contest and these rules are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada. For Quebec residents, any litigation respecting the conduct or organization of this publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, de courses et des jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.
16. Disclaimer:  The University is not responsible or liable for any claims related to the entry, such as those related to infringements of intellectual property rights, public dissemination of the entry and invasion of privacy, libel or slander. The University is also not responsible for technical hardware or software failures of any kind, for lost or unavailable network connections or for failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions that may limit, or interfere with, a participant’s ability to take part in the contest. By participating in the contest, you agree to release and discharge the University of Ottawa, its directors, officers, employees, sponsors, prize suppliers and their agents from all actions, claims and demands arising out of your participation in the contest, the awarding of the prize or the use of any personal information.
17. Cancellation:  The University of Ottawa reserves the right to cancel the contest for any reason or modify these contest rules if fraud, technical failure or other circumstances threaten to destroy the integrity of the contest.