IYPT 1989, Задачи на турнира — Задача 1. Invent yourself

Note [4]

The Russian traditional title «Придумай сам» has been internationally translated as “Think up a problem yourself” at the 6th IYPT, the 7th IYPT, and the 8th IYPT, but later most commonly as “Invent yourself” (at the 9th IYPT, the 10th IYPT, and the 11th IYPT.) “Invent yourself” is also used in the Soviet OC’s translation for the 4th IYPT. Other versions are: “Invent for yourself” (13th IYPT), “Your invention” (Soviet OC’s translation for the 3rd IYPT), “Think for yourselves” (Soviet OC’s translation of the Kvant text for 1989) [Jordens 1989], “Invent it yourself” (1992 translations for the 5th IYPT)

Note [5]

In [Jordens 1989], the problem reads: “Think for yourselves. Make a device for demonstrating wave properties and sound propagation in air.” “And” (not “of”) might have been a misprint. In the problems for the Correspondence Round [Kvant 1988], the laws of sound propagation were mentioned: “Develop and construct a setup for visual demonstration of the wave properties of sound propagation in air, and the laws of it”. The wording is made overall shorter in [MGU 1989]

Notes [1]–[2] — critical edition and text history

[1] These dates are confirmed in detailed reports [Kvant 1989], [GTI 1991], [MGU 1989] published after the event, although [MGU 1989] is providing an extended schedule of March 24‒April 5, 1989, including thus the International Consultative Meeting, held after the IYPT proper

[2] This edition does not include possible Problems for Finalists, Problems for Captains, or Problems for Observers, that might have been proposed at certain stages of the 2nd IYPT for rapid, immediate solution. There is currently little to no information about such problems at the 2nd IYPT, while their existence is plausible.

Problems for the Young Physicists’ Tournaments of 1989 first appeared in August 1988 in Evgeny Yunosov's article in Kvant magazine [Kvant 1988], submitted for publication before June 15, 1988. These problems, in the Russian language, were intended to be used at the Correspondence Rounds of 1988‒1989 for local Soviet students.

The problems discussed during the event on March 24‒April 2, 1989 differed significantly from the Kvant problem set, as confirmed by a typeset booklet titled Young Physicists’ Tournament: Summary Document of the 2nd all- Soviet and International Young Physicists’ Tournament (Турнир юных физиков: итоговый документ II Всесоюзного и Международного турниров юных физиков) printed shortly after the event [MGU 1989]. The booklet clearly states that the new problem set was indeed recognized by the LOC as the genuine problem set of the 2nd IYPT. There is almost conclusive independent corroboration for this fact from participants of the 2nd IYPT [Zelenko 2007], [Nosov 2009], [Yarovy 2009], [Kopelevich Shabat Yablonskiy 2010].

Nine problems (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) were replaced with entirely different tasks, some others (No. 3, 9) had important factual changes, and there were more minor editorial amendments.

A few non-Soviet participants recall, however, working on particular problems (Nos. 5, 6, 13, 14) from the initial list, but can identify some of the new problems (No. 11) [Bachev Piperov 2010], giving grounds for a suggestion that the replacement happened quite shortly before the event.

Two of the new problems (Nos. 5, 9), are visibly identical to problems No. 1 and No. 9 of the Problems for the Correspondence Collective Competition of Young Space Researchers’ Tournament (Задания заочного коллективного конкурса Турнира юных исследователей космоса) published a Evgeny Yunosov's article in Kvant magazine in February 1989, but submitted for publication before November 23, 1988 [Soyuz 1989].

The list of 17 problems in Czech language titled Problems for Young Physicists’ Tournament 1988―1989 was published within Zdeněk Kluiber’s article in Rozhledy mat.-fyz. in May 1990, more than a year after the competition [RMF 1990]. The source document is not reported, while the translation is made most probably from the Russian. It may be speculated, with no solid grounds, that the editorial board of the journal might have contributed to the translation, reprinting also the list of problem authors, reminiscent of the same list in [MGU 1989].

The list of 17 problems in Czech language titled Problems for International Young Physicists’ Tournament. Russia ― Moscow ― 1989 (Úlohy mezinádodního turnaje mladých fyziků. Rusko ― Moskva ― 1989) was published by Zdeněk Kluiber in review book Turnaj Mladých Fyziků in 1996 [Kluiber 1996]. This Czech translation is found to be fully independent from the 1990 version, with quite different style, wording and factual nuances. In comparison to 1990 Czech, Slovak and Hungarian texts, it introduces different or extra parameters, details, specifications and numerical values in the problems Nos. 3, 5, 10, 13, 15. The source language, the source document and the year of this translation are not reported.

The Slovak translation, published in a 1996 brochure, is titled to be translated from 1990 Czech Rozhledy mat.-fyz. translation [TMF 1996], providing a direct reference to that source. There is furthermore all linguistic evidence that the Slovak text follows the 1990 Czech text closely, and may not be considered a translation from the 1996 Czech text, or vice versa. The Slovak is linguistically very close to Czech and, to a lesser extent, Russian.

In spite of minor factual differences, it might be assumed that 1990 Czech [RMF 1990], 1996 Czech [Kluiber 1996], and Hungarian [Rajkovits 2003] versions are the translations of a single Russian source text, or very close text editions.

An English version was published in 2006 by Silvina Simeonova in the Proceedings of the 16th IYPT on the basis of the text provided to the publishers by Zdeněk Kluiber [Proceedings 2006]. The year of translation and the source language are not reported. This version, however, is almost certainly translated from the 1996 Czech text because all notable distinctive details of the 1996 Czech text are reproduced in the 2006 English text, Zdeněk Kluiber is directly acknowledged by Silvina Simeonova as the source, and many linguistic nuances are similar in both versions.

The problems for the 2nd IYPT were originally prepared and distributed to the participants in Russian language, as it was the main working language at the entire event (non-Russian speaking teams were assisted by interpreters) [Zelenko 2007], [Nadolny 2008], [Yufryakov 2008], [Kopelevich Shabat Yablonskiy 2010].

There is indirect evidence that copies a text similar or identical to [MGU 1989] were distributed to non-Moscow Soviet participants in early 1989 [Nosov 2009].

Two-page typeset document titled Young Physicists’ Tournament / Questions for the Collective Competition by Correspondence was provided to the Dutch delegation leader Hans Jordens by Evgeny Yunosov in 1988 or 1989 [Jordens 1989]. This document, the official English translation of the Kvant problem set, has minor deviations from the source: numerical values are missing in formulae, some details read differently, inaccuracies in translation exist.

So called Problems for the 2nd IYPT appeared in 2002 on Evgeny Yunosov's Faraday Tournament website [Farad 2002]. However, they exactly reproduced the list of the Problems for the Collective Correspondence round published in Kvant. Most likely, the name of the problem set was given by mistake. Besides, the Faraday Tournament publication had included the list of physical demonstrations that have been discussed at the 2nd IYPT.

The primary “standard” source is the Russian text of [MGU 1989], compared against the available Russian [Kvant 1988], [Farad 2002], [Nosov 2009], Czech [RMF 1990], [Kluiber 1996], Slovak [TMF 1996], Belarusian [Zelenko 2007], Hungarian [Rajkovits 2003], and English [Proceedings 2006] accounts and translations. Every notable discrepancy among language versions is being discussed.

An early draft of this translation has been performed in October 2007 from Slovak and Russian texts.

The history of text transmission: colors indicate the languages of the sources (black for the Russian, red for the Czech, blue for the Slovak, green for the English, pink for the Hungarian); dotted lines indicate that notable factual inaccuracies were introduced with translation or copying; the tick indicates the version taken as “standard” for the current edition; the cross indicates that the amendments were major (many problems replaced)

Note [3]

Translated from Polish by Michael Kandel (Stanisław Lem. The Star Diaries. New York, Avon Books, 1976.) Original version: „na kurdle poluje się od środka”, “a kurdl is hunted from the inside” (Polowanie na kurdle. Instrukcja dla cudzoziemców // Stanisław Lem. Podróże Ijona Tichego. Podróż czternasta (zbiór Dzienniki gwiazdowe, Iskry, 1957). The Russian version of the epigraph reads «На курдля охотятся изнутри» and quotes the translation either by Z. Bobyr (Путешествие четырнадцатое / Пер. З. Бобырь // Лем, С. Звёздные дневники Ийона Тихого. — М.: Мол. гвардия, 1961. — С. 17—41) either by D. Bruskin (Путешествие четырнадцатое / Пер. Д. Брускина // Лем, С. Возвращение со звёзд; Звёздные дневники Ийона Тихого. — М.: Мол. гвардия, 1965. — С. 43—67.) This epigraph is present only in the Kvant text [Kvant 1988] and in the brochure [MGU 1989], appearing as an epigraph to the entire tournament

Sources

[MGU 1989] Турнир юных физиков: итоговый документ II Всесоюзного и Международного турнира юных физиков. 24 марта ― 5 апреля 1989 года. ― М.: МГУ, 1989. ― стр. 7―9

[RMF 1990] Úlohy Turnaje mladých fyziků 1988 ― 1989 // Zdeněk Kluiber. Turnaj Mladých Fyziků. Rozhledy matematicko-fyzikální, ročník 68, č. 9 (květen 1990), 1989―1990, s. 429―430

[TMF 1996] II. medzinádodný TMF ( 1988 ― 1989 ) // Juraj Braciník, Jozef Brestenský, Miroslav Helbich, Karol Macák. Turnaj mladých fyzikov : štatút a úlohy. Iuventa, Bratislava (1996), s. 26―27

[Kvant 1988] Е. Н. Юносов. XI Турнир юных физиков // Квант, №8, 1988. — стр. 61—63

[Jordens 1989] Young Physicists’ Tournament / Questions for the Collective Competition by Correspondence, an English translation of the Kvant problem set, printed with a dot matrix printer, provided by LOC to Hans Jordens in 1988 or 1989

[Farad 2002] Evgeny Yunosov's Faraday Tournament official website (http://www.farad.ru, in Russian, retrieved in 2002)

[Kluiber 1996] Úlohy mezinádodního turnaje mladých fyziků. Rusko ― Moskva ― 1989 // Zdeněk Kluiber. Turnaj Mladých Fyziků. Informace o nádodní i mezinádodní soutěži studentů výrazně talentovaných pro fyziku. Gaudeamus-MAFI, Hradec Králové, s. 22―23

[Proceedings 2006] Problems for the 2nd IYPT. In: Proceedings of the 19th IYPT 2006 (eds Silvina Simeonova, Myeung Hoi Kwon, Zvezdi, Sofia 2007), pp. 233‒234

[Zelenko 2007] Private communication with Eugene Zelenko, Belarusian participant in 1989

[Yufryakov 2008] Private communication with Konstantin Yufryakov, Russian participant in 1989

[Nosov 2009] Private communication with Igor Nosov, Turkmen participant in 1989

[Yarovy 2009] Private communication with Ruslan Yarovy, Ukrainian participant in 1989

[Nadolny 2008] Private communication with Andrzej Nadolny, Polish delegation leader in 1989

[Bachev Piperov 2010] Private communication with Rumen Bachev and Stefan Piperov, Bulgarian participants in 1989

[Kopelevich Shabat Yablonskiy 2010] Private communication with Grigory Kopelevich, Vasily Shabat, and Alexander Yablonskiy, Russian participants in 1989

[Rajkovits 2003] Zs. Rajkovits, L. Skrapits, P. Kenesei. Ifjú Fizikusok Nemzetközi Versenye: problémái (1989—2003). Retrieved at http://metal.elte.hu/~dlab/ifnv.doc

[Soyuz 1989] Е. Н. Юносов. «Союз» открывает турнир // Квант, № 2, 1989, стр. 45, 61

[GTI 1991] T. D. Korneeva et al. Young Physicists’ Tournament (YPT): A collective competition. Gifted Talented International, 7, 1‒2, 86‒95 (1991)

Edition credits

Translated, edited and commented by Ilya Martchenko. Originally translated and released from many secondary sources in October 2007, the authoritative Russian source found, shared by Vadim Manakin and Pavel Viktor in April 2011, revisions made until May 2011. This edition would never have been prepared without the early work in copying, translating, publishing and preserving problems, made in different years by Evgeny Yunosov, Pavel Viktor, Vadim Manakin, Zdeněk Kluiber, Jozef Brestenský, Zsuzsanna Rajkovits, Hans Jordens, Jaroslav Zhouf, and others, without cornerstone information from Eugene Zelenko, Igor Nosov, Ruslan Yarovy, Konstantin Yufryakov, Grigory Kopelevich, Vasily Shabat, and Alexander Yablonskiy on the ultimate problem set at the 2nd IYPT, and without proofreading and valuable suggestions made by Matej Ftáčnik, Tymofii Nikolaienko, Timotheus Hell, and Dahl Winters.

Authors of the IYPT problems were often reported in late 1980s and early 1990s. The Kvant text names them: V. B. Braginski, P. V. Elyutin, A. N. Korotkov, A. Yu. Kusenko, E. N. Yunosov. The 1990 RMF text and the Summary Document provide the list of V. B. Braginski, S. D. Varlamov, P. V. Elyutin, A. N. Korotkov, A. Yu. Kusenko, M. M. Tsypin, E. N. Yunosov, reminiscent of the authors who contributed to nine new problems at the 2nd IYPT, not present in the Kvant text.

Everyone who may shed more light on early IYPTs is kindly invited to contribute.