2026 IM²C Competition Results & International Summit
The 2026 International Mathematical Modeling Challenge brought together 68 finalist teams from 37 countries and regions, each earning the opportunity to represent their country or region on the international stage. During a five-day period between February and April 2026, teams tackled Protecting Wildlife at Scale, developing mathematical models to help guide conservation strategies for large wildlife reserves using Etosha National Park in Namibia as a case study.
2026 Competition Timeline
February-April 2026
Teams selected their own consecutive five-day period to solve the problem.
June 2026
International judging completed by the IM²C Expert Panel.
August 5-9, 2026
Finalist teams gather at Harvard University in Boston for the International Summit and Awards Ceremony.
2026 Modeling Problem: Protecting Wildlife at Scale
The 2026 IM²C problem challenged teams to develop a mathematical modeling strategy for Protecting Wildlife at Scale. Using Etosha National Park in Namibia as a case study, teams designed data-driven approaches to coordinate park rangers, monitoring technologies, and conservation resources to protect wildlife across a large and complex landscape.
Competition Resources
Access the official problem statement, competition results, and team certificates from the 2026 International Mathematical Modeling Challenge.
2026 International Summit & Awards Ceremony
August 5-9, 2026 | Boston, MA
The Meritorious Award-winning teams will be invited to the 2026 IM²C International Summit and Awards Ceremony, held August 5-9, 2026, at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. The Summit serves as the culminating event of the competition, bringing together finalist teams, educators, researchers, members of the Expert Panel and Organizing Committee, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the world.
Through student presentations, discussions, networking, and the Awards Ceremony, participants celebrate the power of mathematical modeling to solve real-world challenges. During the ceremony, the 2026 Outstanding Award winners will be announced from among the eleven Meritorious Award-winning teams.
Congratulations to the 2026 Teams
The creativity, analytical thinking, and problem-solving demonstrated by every participating team showcase the power of mathematical modeling to address real-world challenges. Congratulations to every student, advisor, and school that participated in the 2026 International Mathematical Modeling Challenge. We look forward to welcoming teams from around the world again next year.