Behind the fact that the Chinese team won five consecutive championships in the International Mathematical Olympiad with total points: The path to mathematics in the Olympiad stems from talent and love for talent | Mathematics | Total Points
In the eyes of Chinese team leader Xiao Liang, who led the team to participate in the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad in Japan, the math Olympiad is a difficult path, and players need both talent and interest to persevere.
In the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad, which ended in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on the 12th, all six Chinese athletes won gold medals. Two of them won the gold medal with perfect scores, and the Chinese team achieved a total score of 240 points, achieving five consecutive team championships.
Xiao Liang felt proud of his classmates' grades. He said that when he saw the questions, he was worried that some of them would be a bit difficult for them, especially the sixth question in this competition, which was a very difficult geometry problem. He estimated that one or two of his classmates could do it well, but they performed much better than expected. In the end, four students completed this problem.
Xiao Liang believes that the Chinese team has achieved good results in the Mathematics Olympiad for many consecutive years, partly because the country and families attach great importance to education, especially in basic subjects such as mathematics; On the other hand, it is because these athletes themselves are very talented and interested in mathematics. They are willing to spend a lot of time exploring mathematics and constantly improving themselves.
Xiao Liang said, "These children are all very talented in mathematics, and they can easily learn mathematical knowledge in school classes. They hope to find some ways to challenge themselves, and Olympic mathematics has given them such an opportunity."
During a training session of the National Mathematical Olympiad team in Shanghai, Xiao Liang gave a lecture to the students, and a classmate left a deep impression on him at that time.
"Teacher Xiao, can I not listen while you speak? I want to go out and think for myself." The student explained that they want to independently solve a difficult problem that was not completed in the previous exam.
This student, who enjoys the joy of solving independent problems, is one of the two Chinese team players who won the gold medal with full marks in this competition. His name is Wang Chunji and he is currently studying in the first year of high school in Shanghai.
Wang Chunji, who has been very interested in mathematics since childhood, said, "I enjoy this process and solving difficult problems makes me feel very happy and accomplished."
Zhang Xinliang, from Zhenhai Middle School in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, has been exposed to Olympiad mathematics since his third year of primary school. As a recent high school graduate, he chose a major related to mathematics when filling out his college application.
"The happiest time is when I independently solve a problem," said Zhang Xinliang. Learning Olympiad mathematics can exercise my thinking and logical abilities, and is also helpful for learning other subjects. "Studying Olympiad mathematics allows me to view other subjects from a mathematical perspective, giving me a new perspective and discovery."
Xiao Liang believes that Olympic mathematics can be understood as an improvement on mathematics in class. So whether it's encouraging students to learn mathematical knowledge well in class or learning Olympic mathematics, the goal is to lay a solid foundation for students to enter basic mathematics or important fields related to mathematics for research in the future.
He said that basic mathematics is very important, and disciplines related to mathematics such as probability and statistics, computational mathematics, and even the popular artificial intelligence now require talents. The Olympic mathematics competition selects students with talent in mathematics, some of whom are willing to study basic mathematics, while the other part will devote themselves to subjects closely related to mathematics that require a very good mathematical foundation. This will improve the overall level of mathematics, also known as macromathematics, and science as a whole.
However, Xiao Liang admitted that the journey of Olympiad mathematics is very arduous and requires interest to continue. He said that only about 1% to 2% of students are really talented in mathematics, and he hopes parents can clearly recognize this. Children can have some exposure to Olympiad math, and parents can quickly determine whether their children can continue on this path. People who truly have mathematical talent do not find it difficult to learn mathematics; If children find it particularly difficult to learn, they don't necessarily have to take this path.