IYPT 1998
IYPT 1998 – Donaueschingen, Germany
(June 1–5, 1998)
Overview
The 11th International Young Physicists’ Tournament continued to refine its format and international governance. Held in Donaueschingen 🇩🇪, it was the first IYPT with a dedicated event website launched before the competition. Regulations were consolidated during a special meeting in Stuttgart in October 1997, and the roles of President and Secretary of the IYPT were formally established—marking an institutional milestone for the tournament’s administration.
Participation
- Venue: Donaueschingen, Germany 🇩🇪
- Dates: June 1–5, 1998 (some documents mention May 31–June 5)
- Teams: 18
- Countries: 16
Participating Teams
🇦🇺 Australia
🇦🇹 Austria
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🇫🇮 Finland
🇬🇪 Georgia
🇩🇪 Germany I
🇩🇪 Germany II
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇵🇱 Poland
🇷🇺 Russia I
🇷🇺 Russia II
🇸🇰 Slovakia
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇺🇦 Ukraine
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
Format
- Selective PFs: 3 rounds
- Semi-Final PF: Top 9 teams in 3 groups
- Final PF: 3 group winners, held June 5
- Max PF Score: 318
- Max Total after PF3: 954
Performance Language
- Reports: English (mandatory)
- Presentations & Discussions: English, or optionally Russian
- Interpretation: Provided unofficially, mostly by jury members
Jury & Regulations
- Jurors appointed and organized by the LOC
- Jury grades ranged from 5+ to 3−
- Finalists chose problems within 2 hours after Semi-Final results, with priority based on ranking
- Timing (adjustable based on translation needs):
- Report: 12 min
- Opposition: 5–8 min
- Discussion: 5–8 min
- Review: 3–5 min
Diplomas
- Signed by:
- Annette Schavan (German Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports)
- Robert Bosch (President, Foundation for Education)
- Prof. Gunnar Tibell (President of the 11th IYPT)
Final Physics Fight – June 5, 1998
| 🏆 Place | Team | Problem | SP | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | No. 17 “Icicles” | 294 | 🥇 Gold |
| 🥈 | 🇩🇪 Germany I | No. 11 “Current system” | 293 | 🥈 Silver |
| 🥈 | 🇵🇱 Poland | No. 9 “Woven textiles” | 277 | 🥈 Silver |
Final Results
🥇 Gold Medalist
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
🥈 Silver Medalists
🇩🇪 Germany I
🇵🇱 Poland
🥉 Bronze Medalists (Semi-Finalists who did not reach the Final)
🇩🇪 Germany II
🇧🇾 Belarus
🇦🇹 Austria
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
🇬🇪 Georgia
Notable Scores and Ranking Data
| Team | TSP3 | TR3 | SPsf | TRsf | TSPsf | TRsf | SPf | Final Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 829 | 13 | 275 | 4 | 1104 | 17 | 294 | 🥇 1 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany I | 864 | 13 | 277 | 4 | 1141 | 17 | 293 | 🥈 2 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 812 | 12 | 298 | 5 | 1110 | 17 | 277 | 🥈 3 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany II | 828 | 12 | 272 | 3 | 1100 | 15 | — | 🥉 4 |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | 826 | 11 | 258 | 3 | 1084 | 14 | — | 🥉 5 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 809 | 11 | 270 | 3 | 1079 | 14 | — | 🥉 6 |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 809 | 11 | 265 | 3 | 1074 | 14 | — | 🥉 7 |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 797 | 12 | 255 | 2 | 1052 | 14 | — | 🥉 8 |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | 841 | 11 | 249 | 2 | 1090 | 13 | — | 🥉 9 |
Organizers and Administration
- President of LOC: Rudolf Lehn
- IYPT President (elected): Prof. Gunnar Tibell (Uppsala 🇸🇪)
- IYPT Secretary (elected): Dr. Andrzej Nadolny (Warsaw 🇵🇱)
The IOC Protocol signed on June 4, 1998, established:
- Creation of President and Secretary posts
- Four-year term for both roles
- Institutional responsibilities for representation and archival management
Miscellaneous
- First IYPT with a website launched prior to the event
- Visual aids included Windows 95 PCs, VHS systems, overhead/slice projectors
- Regulations from Stuttgart 1997 formalized selection and language rules
- Scores from some sources (e.g., TSPs, TRs) showed minor inconsistencies but were marked as official
- Ten out of seventeen problems were chosen for the Semi-Final by participant voting