How to Improve your Mathematical Creativity Through Olympiads
Ever since I was in kindergarten, I was a number guy. I preferred the simple and straightforward solving of maths problems over the creative complications of art and writing. Even the most complicated unsolved equation only has one correct solution, while two literary texts can convey the exact same message even when they are written in completely different ways. I have learned and enjoyed learning maths in different forms throughout my life, so here is the complete mathematical journey of my life.
I personally don’t remember my life in kindergarten, but according to my parents, I was always a numbers guy. My teachers would tell my parents that I wasn’t as into the art and english subjects but rather mathematics and numbers.
In elementary school, I was in extended mathematics since grade 2, the earliest grade that I could join in. I had some incredible teachers and maths was my favorite subjects. I got consistent a pretty consistent 7 out of 7 in my topic tests, but at this age my knowledge did not seem extraordinary.
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My first mathematical olympiad was the PMC — the Primary Maths Challenge. I did this the first time in grade 4, in which I got a silver certificate but was the highest in my grade. I was also the only person in grade 4 to get invited to the bonus round. I sat with many people in grade 5, and I got a certificate of participation. In grade 5, I got a gold certificate and this time got a bronze certificate in the bonus round. These were my first mathematical challenges, which marked the beginning of my olympiad journey.
Middle school marked the end of the PMCs and the start of the UKMT challenges. In grade 6, I did the Junior Maths Challenge and only got one question wrong. I was far ahead of the second place student and hence got a gold certificate and into the second round — the olympiad. This was my first proper olympiad, where I had to give a thorough thought process of how I managed to worked out much more difficult questions. I had no experience doing this, and hence only managed to get a certificate of distinction.
In grade 7, I once again got a gold certificate and this time got a bronze medal. Since this is a much more difficult challenge, the winners get medals rather than certificates, which made it feel much more prestigious and an incredible achievement.
In grade 8, I did my first UKMT intermediate challenge. This challenge was made for students up to grade 10, and hence it was quite a bit harder. However, I still managed to get a gold certificate and into the olympiad. This time, the olympiad was the Cayley Maths Olympiad. Once again, the questions were far too tough for me, and I couldn’t give proper working, and hence ended up with a certificate of qualification.
In grade 9, the UKMT took place during a holiday, and hence the school did not organize it. However, instead I did the Singapore Maths Olympiad. This was a very different curriculum, and was made for students in grade 10. I practiced a lot for this and managed to get a certificate of distinction.
Now, in grade 10, I have used my experience to be a leader of my schools new Mathematical Society. I am the chair of pure mathematics, and help others build an interest in mathematical research and problem solving. I will again be taking part in the UKMT intermediate challenge and the SMO, and aim to do better than the times I have done it before.
