ITALIAN MENTAL CALCULATION CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
Genoa, Saturday 2 November 2024
Festival of Science
I.T.T.L. Nautico San Giorgio Auditorium
Old Port of Genoa
4 novembre 2024
HIC MANEBIMUS OPTIME
Quest’anno il Campionato Italiano di Calcolo Mentale si è trasferito a Genova, nell’ambito del meraviglioso Festival della Scienza. Scelta felice, perché – oltre al Campionato vero e proprio – è stato possibile realizzare anche varie iniziative collaterali a carattere più divulgativo.
Quindici laboratori, ai quali hanno partecipato un migliaio di ragazzi delle medie e delle superiori e che abbiamo organizzato in collaborazione con Giorgio Dendi e Agnese Del Zozzo.
Una chiacchierata su Giocare e divertirsi con i numeri con Dario De Toffoli, Furio Honsell e Michelangelo Sabatini, presentati da Pino Rosolini e con la sala piena. Wow.
E poi il Campionato vero e proprio con un centinaio di finalisti.
Quest’anno il test era più difficile, perché l’anno scorso in due erano riusciti a fare percorso netto. Alla fine ha prevalso ancora, seppur di misura, il torinese Domenico Mancuso con 367/400, tallonato dal giovane barese Samuele Stripoli con 361, che ormai è una realtà più che una promessa, da Michelangelo Sabatini di Narni con 358.
I premi di categoria sono andati a:
Scuole Medie: Vittorio Sassano di Frosinone con 164
Scuole Superiori: Samuele Stripoli di Bari con 361 (2° assoluto)
Senior: Alessandro Culatti Zilli di San Donà di Piave con 349 (4° assoluto)
Qui accanto trovate la classifica completa dei primi 60 e naturalmente il test integrale con tutte le soluzioni.
Grande interesse per l’intrattenimento scientifico pomeridiano, con Agnese Del Zozzo che ci ha portato con passione nel mondo della didattica della matematica facendoci intuire perché alcune persone hanno un approccio difficile con questa materia. Poi Fabio Chiarello ci ha introdotto al misterioso mondo del calcolo quantistico: nei prossimi anni ci aspettano sorprese davvero eclatanti. Furio Honsell e Silvia De Toffoli hanno spaziato fra filosofia e matematica, puntualizzando l’importanza delle notazioni matematiche. Giorgio Dendi ci ha come al solito brillantemente intrattenuto con i suoi giochi matematico-enigmistici. E infine collegamento in diretta gestito da Domenico Mancuso col campione del mondo, il 14-enne indiano Aaryan Shukla, che ha risolto in diretta alcuni calcoli che sembrano davvero andare oltre le possibilità umane.
Qui accanto trovate i link sia del collegamento con Aaryan, sia della chiacchierata tra Furio e Silvia.
All in all, un’esperienza davvero importante, un Festival strepitoso che ci ha accolto nel migliore dei modi, facendoci sentire parte di una fantastica squadra. Grazie davvero a tutti.
Se ci vorranno ancora e se sussisteranno le condizioni per una nuova edizione, ci sentiamo di dire “Hic manebimus optime”.
LABORATORI
CONFERENZA
GARA
OSPITI
PREMIAZIONI
25 settembre 2023
REGOLAMENTO
Il regolamento del Campionato Italiano di Calcolo Mentale 2024 è disponibile in formato PDF, nel menu a sinistra.
PROGRAMMA EVENTI CORRELATI
LABORATORI INTERATTIVI
29 – 30 – 31 ottobre 2024
ore 10:00 – 16:00
Auditorium Galata Museo del Mare
Calata de Mari, 1 – Genova
Gioca con noi al calcolo mentale
Quando fare i conti è un passatempo divertente
Laboratori a cura di studiogiochi in collaborazione con Giorgio Dendi
Questo è un laboratorio in cui è vietato l’ingresso a calcolatrici, ai computer e persino ai pallottolieri. L’unico strumento concesso sono il cervello e la nostra immaginazione, altrimenti che calcolo mentale sarebbe? Ma badate bene: non si tratta di imparare meramente un algoritmo da eseguire in velocità. Si tratta piuttosto di essere capaci di individuare la tattica che più rapidamente, e in modo più affidabile, ci porta al risultato, eventualmente decomponendo il quesito e scegliendo dalla rosa di algoritmi che si conoscono quello che, per quella data situazione, è il più efficiente. Si alterneranno sessioni di spiegazione, in cui animatrici e animatori mostreranno al pubblico trucchi e scorciatoie per fare i conti senza nemmeno usare carta e penna, e mini-test di una decina di minuti, in cui mettere in pratica quanto appena imparato e, chissà, magari allenarsi per la prossima edizione del campionato italiano di calcolo mentale, che quest’anno si tiene proprio durante il Festival della Scienza!
Età: dagli 8 anni
CONFERENZA
1 novembre 2024
ore 16:00
Auditorium Galata Museo del Mare
Calata de Mari, 1 – Genova
Giocare e divertirsi con i numeri
Tutta la verità sul calcolo mentale
Incontro con Dario De Toffoli, Furio Honsell, Michelangelo Sabatini
Proprio così: con i numeri si può giocare e ci si può persino divertire! Proveremo a dimostrarlo sfatando i diffusi pregiudizi sul calcolo mentale: non è arido, né meccanico, né serioso; al contrario, è un vero trionfo della creatività basata sulla flessibilità mentale. Sarà sorprendente riuscire a risolvere svariati calcoli senza ricorrere ai soliti noiosi, algoritmi: e badate bene che lo faremo a tutti i livelli, dai più elementari fino a operazioni che a prima vista vi sembreranno impossibili. Per finire, giocheremo con i numeri anche assieme a tanti autori della storia della letteratura mondiale, da Dante a Shakespeare, da Ionesco a Perec, da Buzzati a Dahl, da Joyce a Kafka. L’avreste mai detto?
Età: dai 14 anni
24 September 2024
PROGRAM
Saturday 2 November 2024
Auditorium Luigi Durand De La Penne
I.T.T.L. Nautico San Giorgio
Old Port, Calata Darsena building – Genoa
Verranno premiati con giochi e libri i primi classificati di ogni categoria.
ore 10:00-11:00
Accredito partecipanti
ore 11:00
Saluti istituzionali e presentazione della gara
ore 11:40
Inizio della gara (80 minuti)
ore 13:00
Pausa pranzo
ore 14:30-17:30
Programma culturale di intrattenimento per i concorrenti e gli accompagnatori, mentre un’equipe procederà alla correzione degli elaborati:
ore 14:30
Le mille sfumatura dell’apprendimento della matematica
Agnese Del Zozzo (Università di Trento)
ore 15:00
Giocare con il calcolo quantistico
Fabio Chiarello (Ist. di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie – IFN-CNR)
ore 15:30
Le notazioni matematiche e la loro importanza nel ragionamento
Silvia De Toffoli (IUSS Pavia) e Furio Honsell (Università di Udine)
ore 16:00
Calcoliamo assieme ad Aaryan Shukla
Aaryan è il Campione del Mondo di calcolo mentale e detiene innumerevoli strabilianti record. Sarà con noi in collegamento video, condotto da Domenico Mancuso, Campione Italiano.
ore 16:30
Informatica: il campo giochi della matematica?
Fablab Unitrento
ore 17:00
Giochiamo con la matematica
Giorgio Dendi (Mensa Italia)
Intrattenimento ludico-matematico-enigmistico in attesa della cerimonia di premiazione.
ore 17:30
Cerimonia/festa di premiazione
con trofei, giochi e libri per i vincitori:
10 September 2024
REGISTRATIONS
As of today, registration is officially open for the Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2024, which will take place on Saturday 2 November at 11 a.m. in Genoa as part of the Science Festival.
The competition venue is the new auditorium of the I.T.L. Nautico San Giorgio, at the Porto Antico.
The competition will last 80 minutes; during the correction of the papers, there will be scientific entertainment open to the public with speakers of national level (detailed programme by September); at the end, party/awards ceremony with trophies, games and books for the best classified in each category (absolute, middle school, high school, over 60) as well as the awarding of the titles of absolute and category Italian Champion.
We would like to remind you that registration is free and open to Italian citizens and residents in Italy, without distinction.
To register, each individual participant must fill in the registration form.
Registrations will be accepted in chronological order, subject to availability of places, and are considered effective upon receipt of a confirmation email.
Some places have been reserved for those who have qualified by right, based on performance in previous editions of the championship.
If for any reason, a participant is unable to attend the race, please notify the organisers as soon as possible.
INTERNAL SELECTIONS FOR SCHOOLS
Schools and institutes can participate by organising their own internal selections, using special tests provided by the championship organisation.
To join, please write to: calcolomentale@studiogiochi.com
The winners of the internal selections will be entitled to participate in the championship.
RELATED EVENTS
29, 30 and 31 October
Workshops on mental calculation in collaboration with Giorgio Dendi in which groups of students of all levels can participate, as well as individuals.
1 November
Public conference Playing and having fun with numbers, with Furio Honsell, Dario De Toffoli, Michelangelo Sabatini and Silvia De Toffoli.
HOTEL AGREEMENTS
Hotel agreements are announced directly by the Science Festival, follow the updates at: https://www.festivalscienza.it/info-utili
29 July 2024
It’s official!
The Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2024 will be held on Saturday 2 November in Genoa as part of the Festival of Science, by far the largest Italian science event, with over 200,000 visitors.
And there is important news!
Entries will be open in September, subject to a new announcement. The top finishers of the last editions will be contacted privately and will be entitled to participate.
We will also provide specially-made tests for schools that want to organise their own pre-selections.
All logistical details will be announced soon.
On Saturday 2 November, the actual Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2024 will take place, with 100 finalists taking part:
- online training test
- 80 minutes of competition
- during the correction of the papers, scientific entertainment open to the public with national level speakers
- party/awards ceremony with trophies, games and books for the best finishers in each category (overall, middle school, high school, over 60)
- awarding of the overall and category Italian Champion titles
On Friday 1 November there will be a public conference called Giocare e divertirsi con i numeri (Playing and having fun with numbers), with Furio Honsell, Dario De Toffoli, Michelangelo Sabatini, Silvia De Toffoli and others. With numbers you can play and have fun! We will try to demonstrate this by debunking the widespread prejudices about mental calculation; it is not dry, nor mechanical, nor serious; on the contrary, it is a true triumph of creativity based on mental flexibility. It will be surprising to be able to solve various calculations without resorting to the usual boring algorithms; at all levels, from the most elementary to the truly ‘impossible’. And we will also play with numbers together with many authors, from Dante to Shakespeare, Ionesco to Perec, Buzzati to Dahl, Joyce to Kafka.
From 24 to 31 October, some fifty workshops on mental calculation will be organised for students of all levels, as well as for individuals.
In terms of mathematical significance, Mental Calculus is not merely about learning an algorithm to be executed at speed. Rather, it is a matter of being able to identify the tactic that most quickly and reliably leads us to the result, possibly by decomposing the question and choosing from the shortlist of algorithms one knows the one that is most efficient for those values. Heuristics in identifying tactics is the most creative and least mental skill-related part, but it is absolutely necessary given the time constraints of the competition. Obviously, the mathematics of mental calculation is elementary, but it is very rich in artifices that often derive from polynomial manipulations. We therefore believe that Mental Calculus has both a pedagogical value and one of bringing young people closer to and orienting them towards mathematical-computational topics – cognitively different from that of strictly mathematical or computer-based competitions and olympiads. Mental Calculation is also a redemption of numerical literacy in the face of the computational torpor caused among our students by the indiscriminate use of calculators. More generally, Mental Calculation is a tool to sharpen rigorous thinking and educate a number-conscious citizenry in a society in which the citizen is increasingly crushed by a hypertrophy of data and their uncritically propagated analyses.
All the logistical details will be forthcoming.
2 July 2024
First press release
Finally the first news, albeit unofficial for now!
Keep free for Saturday 2 November.
We will be able to give you more precise news shortly, but we can anticipate that it will be a memorable edition, held in an exceptional setting!
Curious, eh?
But you must be patient a little longer.
In the meantime, start preparing with the 2024 training test.
ITALIAN MENTAL CALCULATION CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
Udine, Saturday 6 May 2023
Università degli Studi di Udine, Polo Economico-Giuridico
via Tomadini 30 – Aula 3M “Marzio Strassoldo”
8 May 2023
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP… TWO CHAMPIONS!
This year Mental Calculation enthusiasts met at the University of Udine on 6 May. A hundred finalists fought each other with calculations, shortcuts and lateral thinking on fifteen types of questions, each divided into three levels of difficulty.
A magnificent day made possible by the collaboration between us at studiogiochi and the synergies with our partners: University of Udine, AcegasApsAmga, Scuola Normale Superiore, Olimpiadi della Matematica and Mensa Italia.
After eighty minutes of testing, with an additional session in Cesenatico at the Olimpiadi della Matematica, the biggest surprise was crowning – not one, but well – TWO Italian Champions: the now infallible Domenico Mancuso (who reconfirms himself as Italian Champion also in edition 2023) and the ace Michelangelo Sabatini, who from the additional session in Cesenatico manages to reach the top of the standings and in turn become Italian Champion. Their performance is truly extraterrestrial: 400 points out of 400, no errors, a unique event since its origin in 2016! Third, with an equally stunning performance and 391 points out of 400, is Andrea Attili.
Among the high school students, awarded by Università degli Studi di Udine, the very young Samuel Stripoli from Bari prevailed with 353 points (who had won in the middle school category in the last edition).
However, the most surprising performance of the day was that of a middle school boy, in the AcegasApsAmga awarded category, Matteo Cappiello, who also took 6th place overall with his stratospheric score of 378.
Among the Over 60s, Antonella Fort from Arco established herself with an excellent score of 319.
In the photo gallery, the images of the event and the winners, and here the ranking of the top 50.
And while all those present awaited the results of the corrections, coordinated by Piero Modolo, the guests took turns on the stage, entertaining and intriguing those present.
The first two interventions by the University of Udine, Pietro De Poi with The eternal return of the same number and Alberto Policriti with What is an algorithm?; followed by Francesca Gagliardi and Sara Prapotnich of AcegasApsAmga, with How much does water count? and unsuspected curiosities about its management; finally Mensa Italia with a series of quizzes curated by Alberta Sestito and conducted by the engaging Giorgio Dendi.
A beautiful edition, and an always friendly and playful atmosphere. We are sure it was an unforgettable experience for those present, and we look forward to seeing you again next year!
Articolo pubblicato dal mensile Prisma – n. 53 giugno 2023
Articolo su Enigmistica24, supplemento del Sole 24 Ore del 2 giugno 2023
COMPETITION
GUESTS
AWARDS
7 April 2023
LIVE FINAL PROGRAM
Saturday 6 May 2023
Università degli Studi di Udine
Polo Economico-Giuridico, via Tomadini 30
Aula 3M “Marzio Strassoldo”
The winners of each category will be awarded.
10:00-11:00 am
Participants accreditation
11:00 am
Institutional greetings and presentation of the competition
11:40 am
Start of the competition (80 minutes)
1:00 pm
Lunch break
2:30-5:30 pm
Cultural and entertainment program for participants and companions, while a team will correct the tests:
2:30 pm
The eternal return of the same number
Pietro De Poi (University of Udine)
3:00 pm
What is an algorithm?
Alberto Policriti (University of Udine)
3:30 pm
How much does water COUNT?
Francesca Gagliardi and Sara Prapotnich
(AcegasApsAmga Networks Direction)
4:00 pm
Mind the quiz with Mensa Italia
curated by Alberta Sestito, presents Giorgo Dendi
Little competition based on verbal, logical and numerical quizzes to better train the mind and make it capable of facing the most difficult challenges; imagination and speed of resolution are required.
5:30
Award ceremony with trophies, games and books for the winners:
5 April 2023
COLLABORATION WITH “OLIMPIADI DELLA MATEMATICA”
We are pleased to announce the new collaboration with Olimpiadi della Matematica.
Thanks to their sensitivity, an extraordinary external session was set up to allow competitors and companions involved in the team competitions of the Olimpiadi della Matematica (Cesenatico, 5-6 May 2023) to also participate in the Italian Mental Calculation Championship.
The session will take place in Cesenatico at the same times as that of Udine; 15 slots are available, which can be filled in order of registration.
Anyone wishing to register, send an email to
calcolomentale@studiogiochi.com
and will then be contacted by Piero Modolo to possibly complete the registration and receive the details for participation.
27 March 2023
RULES
The Rules of the Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2023 is available in PDF format, in the menu on the left.
24 March 2023
REGISTRATIONS
From today it is possible to register for the Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2023, which will be held live in Udine on 6 May at the Polo Economico-Giuridico, via Tomadini 30 – Aula 3M “Marzio Strassoldo”.
We remind you that registration is free and open to all Italian citizens and to all residents of Italy, without any distinction.
To register, each individual participant must complete the registration form.
You can sign up until April 30, 2023.
Competition rules and schedule of the day soon.
INTERNAL SELECTIONS FOR SCHOOLS OR GROUPS
Schools or groups can independently organize internal selections, with the aim of spreading the practice of mental calculation and selecting the best students.
Starting in April, we will make dedicated tests available to all schools that request them. It is therefore sufficient for a representative of the school to contact us at calcolomentale@studiogiochi.com, informing us of the scheduled date for the internal selections. We will send you the tests in advance to print and use.
HOTEL AGREEMENTS
For any hotel needs, we report below the proposals of affiliated hotels in the vicinity of the competition venue.
Hotel Friuli
Special rates:
double room for single use – 70.40 euros with breakfast
double and/or twin room – 89.00 euros with breakfast
For reservations, quote studiogiochi / Calcolo Mentale
9 March 2023
First press release
We are pleased to announce that the next Italian Mental Calculation Championship will take place on 6th May 2023 in Udine, in collaboration with the University of Udine, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, AcegasApsAmga and Mensa Italia.
In the flyer below the very first information.
Anyone who wants to receive all the information as the details get finalized can send a short message to calcolomentale@studiogiochi.com and they will be added to the mailing list.
TRAINING TEST
The training test to prepare for the Mental Calculation Championship 2023 is available in PDF format, in the top left menu.
It is a facsimile of what will be proposed at the final on May 6, which will be similar, but not the same as the tests proposed in the past editions. In fact, in each edition, some new features are included.
The tests of the 2022 edition can be found here.
Tests of pre-2022 editions can be found here.
The test is one for all categories.
In each paragraph the questions are proposed in order of difficulty and it is not necessary to answer them all: everyone goes as far as they can answer. Broadly speaking, the questions with a WHITE background are accessible to everyone, those with a LIGHT PINK background already require a certain level of preparation and those with a DARK PINK background can only be solved by truly expert people.
So go as far as you can, the aim is to participate and have fun… not necessarily become champions.
Many of the problems proposed in the test may appear more difficult than they actually are, but in reality there are shortcuts that greatly simplify the solution.
All the possible shortcuts are dealt with in the volume Il grande libro del calcolo veloce e mentale (The great book of fast and mental calculation) by Dario De Toffoli, available in Italian bookstores in the Mondadori edition.
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
| 2022 | Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2022 |
Rome, April 2022 |
| 2020 | Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2020 Final |
Udine, October 2020 |
| 2020 | Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2020 Qualified selection |
online, September 2020 |
| 2019 | Italian Mental Calculation Championship 2019 | Udine, March 2019 |
| 2018 | 2nd Italian Mental Calculation Championship Kangourou | Cervia, May 2018 |
| 2017 | Kangourou Mental Calculation competition | Udine, December 2017 |
| 2017 | 1st Kangourou Mental Calculation Italian tournament | Cervia, May 2017 |
| 2016 | Kangourou Mental Calculation competition | Cervia, May 2016 |
HISTORY
The history of Mental Calculation in Italy was born a little by chance. In 2016 Angelo Lissoni invited Dario De Toffoli to give a small conference in Cervia, on the occasion of the finals of the mathematics competitions of Kangourou Italia, the association that every year makes almost 100,000 children play mathematics. De Toffoli tells something of the mental calculation, which he experienced in London during the Mind Sports Olympiad, the thing is interesting and immediately that same evening an impromptu contest is organized, among the general entertainment.
In 2017, again in Cervia, the first national tournament. A real party that celebrated the meeting of Mathematics with Playing: we played with numbers and we had fun. Furio Honsell underlined how much this practice can contribute to mental well-being, a real elixir for the mind that in the meantime trains itself to be more and more flexible.
From there to a real Italian Championship the step is short, it took place in Udine on the occasion of the Pi Greco 2018 festival, organized by the Italian Games Archive, always in collaboration with Kangourou Italia.
Another Udinese edition in 2019 (just before the pandemic) in which the Turin Domenico Mancuso prevails and again in 2020, this time with online selections and a small final in attendance, in which Mancuso manages to do an encore, confirming himself as the man to beat.
In 2022 new steps forward, the Championship arrives in Rome at the prestigious headquarters of the Luiss Guido Carli University. Over 400 competitors of all ages participated in the online selections and the best 100 competed at Luiss to win the title of Italian Champion. Mancuso has won again!
Category titles were also awarded for best middle school competitor, best high school competitor and best over 60s.
It was a beautiful and joyful party, where the playful spirit was accompanied by a healthy and stimulating competition. The day was enriched by a series of top-level speakers, who entertained competitors and companions in anticipation of the results.
PRESS REVIEW 2023
Articolo pubblicato dal mensile Prisma – n. 53 giugno 2023
La notizia è uscita anche su Enigmistica24, supplemento del Sole 24 Ore del 2 giugno 2023
PRESS REVIEW 2022
