Once again, the Aula Magna of the University of Trieste hosted the selections for the 18th edition of the Coppa Aurea, a team math competition that pits high school students from across Italy against each other.

Over 200 participants, representing 24 schools from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, from the provinces of Trieste, Gorizia, Udine, Pordenone, Treviso, Venice, and Padua, competed in the event organized by the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Geosciences at UniTS.

The Leonardo da Vinci high school from Treviso raised the cup in Piazzale Europa with the team "I 7 del Leone"; the second place was claimed by the Galilei high school, which, after seven years, brought a school from Friuli Venezia Giulia back onto the podium with the team "I Piani Complessi."

The third place went to the Ippolito Nievo high school from Padua with the team "Gente poco seria," while just outside the podium, the fourth place was sweet for the ISIS Malignani of Udine, which secured the last qualifying spot for the national finals scheduled for May in Cesenatico.

The preliminaries were held simultaneously at 37 locations across Italy, with a total of 4788 students tackling 21 questions.

The "Coppa Aurea" is an initiative aimed at engaging students with mathematics in a fun and playful way. The required team-based approach encourages participants to organize tasks rationally and, most importantly, fosters collaboration and respect for others.

The Trieste trophy will be up for grabs again in the next edition and will be awarded definitively to the institution that wins three times. Currently, the Ippolito Nievo high school from Padua leads with two victories, followed by the da Vinci high school from Treviso and the Levi high school from Montebelluna, each with one win.