We have your learning goals covered with Spring and Summer courses available. Enroll today!

Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
3 M G
BBookmark  VNew Topic kLocked
Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
3 M G
BBookmark  VNew Topic kLocked
G
Topic
First Poster
Last Poster
a My Retirement & New Leadership at AoPS
rrusczyk   1345
N an hour ago by GoodGamer123
I write today to announce my retirement as CEO from Art of Problem Solving. When I founded AoPS 22 years ago, I never imagined that we would reach so many students and families, or that we would find so many channels through which we discover, inspire, and train the great problem solvers of the next generation. I am very proud of all we have accomplished and I’m thankful for the many supporters who provided inspiration and encouragement along the way. I'm particularly grateful to all of the wonderful members of the AoPS Community!

I’m delighted to introduce our new leaders - Ben Kornell and Andrew Sutherland. Ben has extensive experience in education and edtech prior to joining AoPS as my successor as CEO, including starting like I did as a classroom teacher. He has a deep understanding of the value of our work because he’s an AoPS parent! Meanwhile, Andrew and I have common roots as founders of education companies; he launched Quizlet at age 15! His journey from founder to MIT to technology and product leader as our Chief Product Officer traces a pathway many of our students will follow in the years to come.

Thank you again for your support for Art of Problem Solving and we look forward to working with millions more wonderful problem solvers in the years to come.

And special thanks to all of the amazing AoPS team members who have helped build AoPS. We’ve come a long way from here:IMAGE
1345 replies
rrusczyk
Monday at 6:37 PM
GoodGamer123
an hour ago
k a March Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Mar 2, 2025
March is the month for State MATHCOUNTS competitions! Kudos to everyone who participated in their local chapter competitions and best of luck to all going to State! Join us on March 11th for a Math Jam devoted to our favorite Chapter competition problems! Are you interested in training for MATHCOUNTS? Be sure to check out our AMC 8/MATHCOUNTS Basics and Advanced courses.

Are you ready to level up with Olympiad training? Registration is open with early bird pricing available for our WOOT programs: MathWOOT (Levels 1 and 2), CodeWOOT, PhysicsWOOT, and ChemWOOT. What is WOOT? WOOT stands for Worldwide Online Olympiad Training and is a 7-month high school math Olympiad preparation and testing program that brings together many of the best students from around the world to learn Olympiad problem solving skills. Classes begin in September!

Do you have plans this summer? There are so many options to fit your schedule and goals whether attending a summer camp or taking online classes, it can be a great break from the routine of the school year. Check out our summer courses at AoPS Online, or if you want a math or language arts class that doesn’t have homework, but is an enriching summer experience, our AoPS Virtual Campus summer camps may be just the ticket! We are expanding our locations for our AoPS Academies across the country with 15 locations so far and new campuses opening in Saratoga CA, Johns Creek GA, and the Upper West Side NY. Check out this page for summer camp information.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:
[list][*]March 5th (Wednesday), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, HCSSiM Math Jam 2025. Amber Verser, Assistant Director of the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, will host an information session about HCSSiM, a summer program for high school students.
[*]March 6th (Thursday), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Free Webinar on Math Competitions from elementary through high school. Join us for an enlightening session that demystifies the world of math competitions and helps you make informed decisions about your contest journey.
[*]March 11th (Tuesday), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MATHCOUNTS Chapter Discussion MATH JAM. AoPS instructors will discuss some of their favorite problems from the MATHCOUNTS Chapter Competition. All are welcome!
[*]March 13th (Thursday), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Free Webinar about Summer Camps at the Virtual Campus. Transform your summer into an unforgettable learning adventure! From elementary through high school, we offer dynamic summer camps featuring topics in mathematics, language arts, and competition preparation - all designed to fit your schedule and ignite your passion for learning.[/list]
Our full course list for upcoming classes is below:
All classes run 7:30pm-8:45pm ET/4:30pm - 5:45pm PT unless otherwise noted.

Introductory: Grades 5-10

Prealgebra 1 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 1
Sunday, Mar 2 - Jun 22
Friday, Mar 28 - Jul 18
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 13 - Aug 26
Thursday, May 29 - Sep 11
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Monday, Jun 30 - Oct 20
Wednesday, Jul 16 - Oct 29

Prealgebra 2 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 2
Tuesday, Mar 25 - Jul 8
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Wednesday, May 7 - Aug 20
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 29 - Oct 26
Friday, Jul 25 - Nov 21


Introduction to Algebra A Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra A
Sunday, Mar 23 - Jul 20
Monday, Apr 7 - Jul 28
Sunday, May 11 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Wednesday, May 14 - Aug 27
Friday, May 30 - Sep 26
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Thursday, Jun 26 - Oct 9
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Oct 28

Introduction to Counting & Probability Self-Paced

Introduction to Counting & Probability
Sunday, Mar 16 - Jun 8
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Thursday, May 15 - Jul 31
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Wednesday, Jul 9 - Sep 24
Sunday, Jul 27 - Oct 19

Introduction to Number Theory
Monday, Mar 17 - Jun 9
Thursday, Apr 17 - Jul 3
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Monday, Jun 9 - Aug 25
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Sep 30

Introduction to Algebra B Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra B
Sunday, Mar 2 - Jun 22
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 30
Tuesday, May 6 - Aug 19
Wednesday, Jun 4 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Oct 19
Friday, Jul 18 - Nov 14

Introduction to Geometry
Tuesday, Mar 4 - Aug 12
Sunday, Mar 23 - Sep 21
Wednesday, Apr 23 - Oct 1
Sunday, May 11 - Nov 9
Tuesday, May 20 - Oct 28
Monday, Jun 16 - Dec 8
Friday, Jun 20 - Jan 9
Sunday, Jun 29 - Jan 11
Monday, Jul 14 - Jan 19

Intermediate: Grades 8-12

Intermediate Algebra
Sunday, Mar 16 - Sep 14
Tuesday, Mar 25 - Sep 2
Monday, Apr 21 - Oct 13
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 23
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Nov 18
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 10
Sunday, Jul 13 - Jan 18
Thursday, Jul 24 - Jan 22

Intermediate Counting & Probability
Sunday, Mar 23 - Aug 3
Wednesday, May 21 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Nov 2

Intermediate Number Theory
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Wednesday, Jun 18 - Sep 3

Precalculus
Sunday, Mar 16 - Aug 24
Wednesday, Apr 9 - Sep 3
Friday, May 16 - Oct 24
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 9
Monday, Jun 30 - Dec 8

Advanced: Grades 9-12

Olympiad Geometry
Wednesday, Mar 5 - May 21
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Aug 26

Calculus
Sunday, Mar 30 - Oct 5
Tuesday, May 27 - Nov 11
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 17

Group Theory
Thursday, Jun 12 - Sep 11

Contest Preparation: Grades 6-12

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics
Sunday, Mar 23 - Jun 15
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Friday, May 23 - Aug 15
Monday, Jun 2 - Aug 18
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, May 11 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Problem Series
Tuesday, Mar 4 - May 20
Monday, Mar 31 - Jun 23
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Final Fives
Sunday, May 11 - Jun 8
Tuesday, May 27 - Jun 17
Monday, Jun 30 - Jul 21

AMC 12 Problem Series
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Wednesday, Aug 6 - Oct 22

AMC 12 Final Fives
Sunday, May 18 - Jun 15

F=ma Problem Series
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27

WOOT Programs
Visit the pages linked for full schedule details for each of these programs!


MathWOOT Level 1
MathWOOT Level 2
ChemWOOT
CodeWOOT
PhysicsWOOT

Programming

Introduction to Programming with Python
Monday, Mar 24 - Jun 16
Thursday, May 22 - Aug 7
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

Intermediate Programming with Python
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

USACO Bronze Problem Series
Tuesday, May 13 - Jul 29
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 1

Physics

Introduction to Physics
Sunday, Mar 30 - Jun 22
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15

Physics 1: Mechanics
Tuesday, Mar 25 - Sep 2
Thursday, May 22 - Oct 30
Monday, Jun 23 - Dec 15

Relativity
Sat & Sun, Apr 26 - Apr 27 (4:00 - 7:00 pm ET/1:00 - 4:00pm PT)
Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs, Jun 23 - Jun 26 (meets every day of the week!)
0 replies
jlacosta
Mar 2, 2025
0 replies
k i Adding contests to the Contest Collections
dcouchman   1
N Apr 5, 2023 by v_Enhance
Want to help AoPS remain a valuable Olympiad resource? Help us add contests to AoPS's Contest Collections.

Find instructions and a list of contests to add here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c40244h1064480_contests_to_add
1 reply
dcouchman
Sep 9, 2019
v_Enhance
Apr 5, 2023
k i Zero tolerance
ZetaX   49
N May 4, 2019 by NoDealsHere
Source: Use your common sense! (enough is enough)
Some users don't want to learn, some other simply ignore advises.
But please follow the following guideline:


To make it short: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!
If you don't have common sense, don't post.


More specifically:

For new threads:


a) Good, meaningful title:
The title has to say what the problem is about in best way possible.
If that title occured already, it's definitely bad. And contest names aren't good either.
That's in fact a requirement for being able to search old problems.

Examples:
Bad titles:
- "Hard"/"Medium"/"Easy" (if you find it so cool how hard/easy it is, tell it in the post and use a title that tells us the problem)
- "Number Theory" (hey guy, guess why this forum's named that way¿ and is it the only such problem on earth¿)
- "Fibonacci" (there are millions of Fibonacci problems out there, all posted and named the same...)
- "Chinese TST 2003" (does this say anything about the problem¿)
Good titles:
- "On divisors of a³+2b³+4c³-6abc"
- "Number of solutions to x²+y²=6z²"
- "Fibonacci numbers are never squares"


b) Use search function:
Before posting a "new" problem spend at least two, better five, minutes to look if this problem was posted before. If it was, don't repost it. If you have anything important to say on topic, post it in one of the older threads.
If the thread is locked cause of this, use search function.

Update (by Amir Hossein). The best way to search for two keywords in AoPS is to input
[code]+"first keyword" +"second keyword"[/code]
so that any post containing both strings "first word" and "second form".


c) Good problem statement:
Some recent really bad post was:
[quote]$lim_{n\to 1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{n}-lnn$[/quote]
It contains no question and no answer.
If you do this, too, you are on the best way to get your thread deleted. Write everything clearly, define where your variables come from (and define the "natural" numbers if used). Additionally read your post at least twice before submitting. After you sent it, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.


For answers to already existing threads:


d) Of any interest and with content:
Don't post things that are more trivial than completely obvious. For example, if the question is to solve $x^{3}+y^{3}=z^{3}$, do not answer with "$x=y=z=0$ is a solution" only. Either you post any kind of proof or at least something unexpected (like "$x=1337, y=481, z=42$ is the smallest solution). Someone that does not see that $x=y=z=0$ is a solution of the above without your post is completely wrong here, this is an IMO-level forum.
Similar, posting "I have solved this problem" but not posting anything else is not welcome; it even looks that you just want to show off what a genius you are.

e) Well written and checked answers:
Like c) for new threads, check your solutions at least twice for mistakes. And after sending, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.



To repeat it: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!


Everything definitely out of range of common sense will be locked or deleted (exept for new users having less than about 42 posts, they are newbies and need/get some time to learn).

The above rules will be applied from next monday (5. march of 2007).
Feel free to discuss on this here.
49 replies
ZetaX
Feb 27, 2007
NoDealsHere
May 4, 2019
Practice AMC 10 Final Fives
freddyfazbear   1
N an hour ago by WannabeUSAMOkid
So someone pointed out to me that the last five problems on my previous practice AMC 10 test were rather low quality. Here are some problems that are (hopefully) better.

21.
A partition of a positive integer n is writing n as the sum of positive integer(s), where order does not matter. Find the number of partitions of 6.
A - 10, B - 11, C - 12, D - 13, E - 14

22.
Let n be the smallest positive integer that satisfies the following conditions:
- n is even
- The last digit of n is not 2 or 8
- n^2 + 1 is composite
Find the sum of the digits of n.
A - 3, B - 5, C - 8, D - 9, E - 10

23.
Find the sum of the coordinates of the reflection of the point (6, 9) over the line x + 2y + 3 = 0.
A - (-17.7), B - (-17.6), C - (-17.5), D - (-17.4), E - (-17.3)

24.
Find the number of ordered pairs of integers (a, b), where both a and b have absolute value less than 69, such that a^2 + 42b^2 = 13ab.
A - 21, B - 40, C - 41, D - 42, E - 69

25.
Let f(n) be the sum of the positive integer factors of n, where n is an integer. Find the sum of all positive integers n less than 1000 such that f(f(n) - n) = f(n).
A - 420, B - 530, C - 690, D - 911, E - 1034
1 reply
freddyfazbear
2 hours ago
WannabeUSAMOkid
an hour ago
What should I do
Jaxman8   0
an hour ago
I recently mocked 2 AMC 10’s, and 2 AIME’s. My scores for the AMC 10 were both 123 and my AIME scores were 8 and 9 for 2010 I and II. What should I study for 2025-2026 AMCs? Goal is JMO.
0 replies
Jaxman8
an hour ago
0 replies
usamOOK geometry
KevinYang2.71   86
N 2 hours ago by deduck
Source: USAMO 2025/4, USAJMO 2025/5
Let $H$ be the orthocenter of acute triangle $ABC$, let $F$ be the foot of the altitude from $C$ to $AB$, and let $P$ be the reflection of $H$ across $BC$. Suppose that the circumcircle of triangle $AFP$ intersects line $BC$ at two distinct points $X$ and $Y$. Prove that $C$ is the midpoint of $XY$.
86 replies
KevinYang2.71
Mar 21, 2025
deduck
2 hours ago
Scary Binomial Coefficient Sum
EpicBird08   38
N 2 hours ago by Mathandski
Source: USAMO 2025/5
Determine, with proof, all positive integers $k$ such that $$\frac{1}{n+1} \sum_{i=0}^n \binom{n}{i}^k$$is an integer for every positive integer $n.$
38 replies
1 viewing
EpicBird08
Mar 21, 2025
Mathandski
2 hours ago
2 degree polynomial
PrimeSol   3
N 2 hours ago by PrimeSol
Let $P_{1}(x)= x^2 +b_{1}x +c_{1}, ... , P_{n}(x)=x^2+ b_{n}x+c_{n}$, $P_{i}(x)\in \mathbb{R}[x], \forall i=\overline{1,n}.$ $\forall i,j ,1 \leq i<j \leq n : P_{i}(x) \ne P_{j}(x)$.
$\forall i,j, 1\leq i<j \leq n : Q_{i,j}(x)= P_{i}(x) + P_{j}(x)$ polynomial with only one root.
$max(n)=?$
3 replies
PrimeSol
Monday at 6:13 AM
PrimeSol
2 hours ago
Additive Combinatorics!
EthanWYX2009   3
N 2 hours ago by flower417477
Source: 2025 TST 15
Let \( X \) be a finite set of real numbers, \( d \) be a real number, and \(\lambda_1, \lambda_2, \cdots, \lambda_{2025}\) be 2025 non-zero real numbers. Define
\[A = 
\left\{ 
(x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2025}) : x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2025} \in X \text{ and } \sum_{i=1}^{2025} \lambda_i x_i = d 
\right\},\]\[B = 
\left\{ 
(x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2024}) : x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2024} \in X \text{ and } \sum_{i=1}^{2024} (-1)^i x_i = 0 
\right\},\]\[C = 
\left\{ 
(x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2026}) : x_1, x_2, \cdots, x_{2026} \in X \text{ and } \sum_{i=1}^{2026} (-1)^i x_i = 0 
\right\}.\]Show that \( |A|^2 \leq |B| \cdot |C| \).
3 replies
EthanWYX2009
Yesterday at 12:49 AM
flower417477
2 hours ago
Inspired by IMO 1984
sqing   0
2 hours ago
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c\geq 0 $ and $a^2+b^2+ ab +24abc\geq\frac{81}{64}$. Prove that
$$a+b+\frac{9}{5}c\geq\frac{9}{8}$$$$a+b+\frac{3}{2}c\geq \frac{9}{8}\sqrt [3]{\frac{3}{2}}-\frac{3}{16}$$$$a+b+\frac{8}{5}c\geq  \frac{9\sqrt [3]{25}-4}{20}$$Let $ a,b,c\geq 0 $ and $ a^2+b^2+ ab +18abc\geq\frac{343}{324} $. Prove that
$$a+b+\frac{6}{5}c\geq\frac{7\sqrt 7}{18}$$$$a+b+\frac{27}{25}c\geq\frac{35\sqrt [3]5-9}{50}$$
0 replies
sqing
2 hours ago
0 replies
equal angles
jhz   2
N 3 hours ago by YaoAOPS
Source: 2025 CTST P16
In convex quadrilateral $ABCD, AB \perp AD, AD = DC$. Let $ E$ be a point on side $BC$, and $F$ be a point on the extension of $DE$ such that $\angle ABF = \angle DEC>90^{\circ}$. Let $O$ be the circumcenter of $\triangle CDE$, and $P$ be a point on the side extension of $FO$ satisfying $FB =FP$. Line BP intersects AC at point Q. Prove that $\angle AQB =\angle DPF.$
2 replies
jhz
5 hours ago
YaoAOPS
3 hours ago
Flee Jumping on Number Line
utkarshgupta   23
N 3 hours ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: All Russian Olympiad 2015 11.5
An immortal flea jumps on whole points of the number line, beginning with $0$. The length of the first jump is $3$, the second $5$, the third $9$, and so on. The length of $k^{\text{th}}$ jump is equal to $2^k + 1$. The flea decides whether to jump left or right on its own. Is it possible that sooner or later the flee will have been on every natural point, perhaps having visited some of the points more than once?
23 replies
utkarshgupta
Dec 11, 2015
Ilikeminecraft
3 hours ago
Smallest value of |253^m - 40^n|
MS_Kekas   3
N 3 hours ago by imagien_bad
Source: Kyiv City MO 2024 Round 1, Problem 9.5
Find the smallest value of the expression $|253^m - 40^n|$ over all pairs of positive integers $(m, n)$.

Proposed by Oleksii Masalitin
3 replies
MS_Kekas
Jan 28, 2024
imagien_bad
3 hours ago
Operating on lamps in a circle
anantmudgal09   7
N 3 hours ago by hectorleo123
Source: India Practice TST 2017 D2 P3
There are $n$ lamps $L_1, L_2, \dots, L_n$ arranged in a circle in that order. At any given time, each lamp is either on or off. Every second, each lamp undergoes a change according to the following rule:

(a) For each lamp $L_i$, if $L_{i-1}, L_i, L_{i+1}$ have the same state in the previous second, then $L_i$ is off right now. (Indices taken mod $n$.)

(b) Otherwise, $L_i$ is on right now.

Initially, all the lamps are off, except for $L_1$ which is on. Prove that for infinitely many integers $n$ all the lamps will be off eventually, after a finite amount of time.
7 replies
anantmudgal09
Dec 9, 2017
hectorleo123
3 hours ago
2025 Caucasus MO Seniors P1
BR1F1SZ   3
N 3 hours ago by Mathdreams
Source: Caucasus MO
For given positive integers $a$ and $b$, let us consider the equation$$a + \gcd(b, x) = b + \gcd(a, x).$$[list=a]
[*]For $a = 20$ and $b = 25$, find the least positive integer $x$ satisfying this equation.
[*]Prove that for any positive integers $a$ and $b$, there exist infinitely many positive integers $x$ satisfying this equation.
[/list]
(Here, $\gcd(m, n)$ denotes the greatest common divisor of positive integers $m$ and $n$.)
3 replies
BR1F1SZ
6 hours ago
Mathdreams
3 hours ago
IMO 2018 Problem 2
juckter   95
N 3 hours ago by Marcus_Zhang
Find all integers $n \geq 3$ for which there exist real numbers $a_1, a_2, \dots a_{n + 2}$ satisfying $a_{n + 1} = a_1$, $a_{n + 2} = a_2$ and
$$a_ia_{i + 1} + 1 = a_{i + 2},$$for $i = 1, 2, \dots, n$.

Proposed by Patrik Bak, Slovakia
95 replies
juckter
Jul 9, 2018
Marcus_Zhang
3 hours ago
Long condition for the beginning
wassupevery1   2
N 3 hours ago by wassupevery1
Source: 2025 Vietnam IMO TST - Problem 1
Find all functions $f: \mathbb{Q}^+ \to \mathbb{Q}^+$ such that $$\dfrac{f(x)f(y)}{f(xy)} = \dfrac{\left( \sqrt{f(x)} + \sqrt{f(y)} \right)^2}{f(x+y)}$$holds for all positive rational numbers $x, y$.
2 replies
wassupevery1
Yesterday at 1:49 PM
wassupevery1
3 hours ago
k Math Experiences
silversheep   125
N Nov 25, 2016 by smo
Source: Autobiographical
An essay I wrote about my math experiences (including experiences with USAMO)

Please feel free to comment, positively or negatively, and share your own experiences.
However, I respectfully ask that you do not comment until you have read the entire essay.
Thank you.
125 replies
silversheep
Jun 2, 2009
smo
Nov 25, 2016
Math Experiences
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: Autobiographical
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
silversheep
77 posts
#1 • 643 Y
Y by pi37, Yoni2b, masterofpupets, heartyface, Binomial-theorem, not_trig, hrithikguy, pnpcomplete, AIME15, EuclidGenius, calvinbodia, sophia, ProblemSolver1026, AkshajK, Fandro, ychen428, dnkywin, NewAlbionAcademy, sicilianfan, math154, tim9099xxzz, thecmd999, Smiley-Faces-88, mathman98, El_Ectric, cheetah17, slime, r31415, jellymoop, baijiangchen, dantx5, mathman523, q12, snapdragon, hyperbolictangent, forthegreatergood, MSTang, antimonyarsenide, AwesomeToad, Einstein314, ksun48, ssilwa, csmath, slian2012, explogabloger, mathisfun7, TheCrafter, sindennisz, hwl0304, droid347, kad2361, flamefoxx99, vinayak-kumar, Z201, infiniteturtle, cnnwy1282, SMOJ, ABCDE, rcc, Pythonprogrammer, pinetree1, InfinityInsight, jiujianxian, exmath89, efang, kenneth102099, fractals, chezbgone, TheStrangeCharm, MATHCOUNTSmath, AnonymousBunny, AdmiralF, howie2000, va2010, Wolstenholme, TheMaskedMagician, EpicSkills32, WalkerTesla, Not_a_Username, Benq, ninjataco, DigitalKing257, hesa57, schen001, DrMath, wangth100, lykarg44, jh235, DaChickenInc, RadioActive, ThePathOfWar, thomas___g_u_o___, nosaj, miru99, niraekjs, zmyshatlp, EricMathPath09, noobynoob, bestwillcui1, High, Boomer, kangrui, spartan168, EulerMacaroni, tastymath75025, Konigsberg, BFYSharks, pandyhu2001, measurement, abishek99, MathLearner01, AKAL3, MathSlayer4444, 8Invalid8, Eugenis, checkmatetang, champion999, ac_math, Royalreter1, mathwhiz16, hotstuffFTW, pican, mxgo, Tommy2000, Mathaddict11, Guendabiaani, joey8189681, iamatroll, mathwizard888, imbpe49, thkim1011, quinna_nyc, math101010, budu, yrnsmurf, Devila03, AstrapiGnosis, kaan168, jam10307, v_Enhance, MATH1945, MathAwesome123, Iamteehee, mathmaster2000, goseahawks, blep, xwang1, muti66, Isogonics, WL0410, Mudkipswims42, rkm0959, sturdyoak2012, eyzhang, Knin2820, BassMaster, FTW, Baban, e_is_cool, illumination, ShineBunny, jonyj1005, utkarshgupta, nasmith99, xuyanzhe, problemsolver314, raxu, Cube1, koteswari, mihirb, goldencat, brainpopper, shiningsunnyday, tkhalid, ptxpotterhead, Dot22, shubham1056, Christopher03151, thebackseatmoder8er, bearytasty, amplreneo, 15Pandabears, Einsteinhead, bluecarneal, econaxis, monkeyl, trumpeter, mathisawesome2169, thequantumguy, rafa2be, StarFrost7, katmcphie, B-mode, WhaleVomit, hodori01, anantmudgal09, Mathcounts829, azmath333, huricane, SHARKYBOY, Stens, blueflute19, bigmath, WarriorSon, Wiggle Wam, spin8, thinkinavi, flamesofpi, Echoz, CML, ilikepie2003, librian2000, whatshisbucket, Alnitak, leminscate, Flash12, HVishy, pad, DivideBy0, Ripjaw4000, gradysocool, Dukejukem, SFScoreLow, brianapa, Devesh14, Wave-Particle, aops777, Plasma_Vortex, lgbam, TheOneYouWant, ajd1234, Calculus123, PersonPsychopath, DominicanAOPSer, acegikmoqsuwy2000, mathguy623, qwerty733, rlzhang, aadavi, jhoer, kbird, bguo, math1012, ishankhare, phi_ftw1618, BitterGummy, 62861, oceanair, dzstar, graviton2, riemanntensor, liopoil, mjkkra, vrjmath, darthsid, pirosigma, hexagram, gibburlabbur, frikurbab, bartholemew_mcgregorson, entropie, BillytheChamp, dhusb45, yan_justin98, mathgenius64, mathsolver101, LSploitz, doitsudoitsu, blue8931, Dragon2kz, poonicle, hiabc, republicofalvinia, mewtwomew, mj434, randomdude10807, love_emojis, thegabster37, LunarLlama, CaptainFlint, AdBondEvent, claserken, anser, srg12, Rohan_Sushi, solvemath2, rafayaashary1, tigerat, katzrockso, biomathematics, thinmint, m1234567, FlyingCucumber, First, swe1, derpli, mathmonster369, jdeaks1000, eed7573, annieliu12, jlammy, brianzhang, QuantumMech, Python54, Dhman2727, The_Donger, bluespruce, ohmcfifth, Samchooo, mathguy5041, Intellectuality123, bogstop320, Mathguy5837, geoman523, cakeguy, Goos, tomg418, memc38123, bluephoenix, ThisIsASentence, aj38slf, chocobunnny123, skys, K_421, skipiano, CurryinaHurry, Phie11, smo, gimbob, fishy15, PiDude314, zxcv1337, Marzi, liant, AMC_Kid, zcjenny, algebra_star1234, Bobthemath, moab33, LoneConquerorer, RedPhoenix, soojoong, summitwei, linqaszayi, aopsp1, MrMXS, ramanujan101, lukezhuo, ar07jog, Snowfractals, frogs, JasperL, wu2481632, adik7, Aspen, Mathisfun04, shootingstar8, illogical_21, alifenix-, zac15SCASD, premchandj, GeneralCobra19, iks92, User254881, thedoge, Iyerie, techguy2, colinyao, fireclaw105, theguamian, dilworthpenguins, Superwiz, divijleisha, strategos21, rt03, KKMathMan, Iamawesome1, amackenzie1, celestialphoenix3768, AGCN19748, Hydrahead, aaronliu, gymnast19, kephas331, mathnesia, quantummath, DaniyalQazi2, Mathlete587, leequack, user2324335345, Mathnerd1223334444, eashang1, franchester, littlepiglet4428, jangkun217, 3_14152, koolhood7, laegolas, mathdude45, psa, ancientwarrior, thecoolchicken, winnertakeover, eisirrational, Madelyn, Tuktuk24, basketballguy, GeronimoStilton, Vfire, ccx09, lazysnorlax, Ferid.---., sriraamster, yegkatie, dram, DarkRunner, targo___, Kayak, Tugsuu, Unlimited, monkey8, Power_Set, Jiangnan, AmazingMonkey, medhasrisairavi, Qcumber42, m4ng0p1, Kagebaka, fatant, PizzaDog, synergy, mathleticguyyy, mathlogician, InfiniteAnswers, DoingWhatCounts, FreedomLantern, snow_monkey, MasterProblemSolver123, nosysnow, yeskay, math-legend, speulers_theorem, InfiniteQandA, fry8, spartacle, Mathphile01, scimaths, IMO_INDIA, Wizard_32, TheCosineLaw, MEGAKNIGHT, AlastorMoody, reedmj, tapir1729, Stormersyle, p_square, PhysicsMonster_01, ItsAmeYushi, enthusiast101, Scifan671, flashsonic, shankarmath, itised, smartninja2000, NoDealsHere, RandomOm18, montana_mathlete, Vrangr, Satyanweshi_math1729, studentlearner, khina, Susanssluk, Bill9000, Varuneshwara, Greenleaf5002, niyu, kc5170, 277546, Juno, song2sons, superagh, fishy16, hellomath010118, asterix_1, RudraRockstar, smartguy888, Aryan-23, Math_Is_Life_03, usernameyourself, Pi-rate, gyluo, PianoMan7, Bltbob, Zorger74, DSL13, mathbw225, ghu2024, nikenissan, kidcrumb10, Toinfinity, MintTea, VipMath, rayfish, centslordm, SnowPanda, Rg230403, v4913, bissue, SkyShark77, AntonioMacaronio, OlympusHero, sub_math, Offset, ApraTrip, vsamc, Mogmog8, TsunamiStorm08, Bluejay24, megarnie, Taco12, tintin21, cubical, kittysnowball43, ivyshine13, eagles2018, Eat314, PhysKid11, Jc426, andrewhaitian, Jndd, SigmaPiE, polarbear08, lovefractions, SmartGroot, russellk, Anandatheertha, ChrisalonaLiverspur, JHawk24, pith0n, DofL, Jiajia5, ArtyA6, MathJams, Giga, a_n, ThisUsernameIsTaken, NathanTien, Project_Donkey_into_M4, asimov, radlad5, magicarrow, ihatemath123, samrocksnature, pog, IceWolf10, kishblockpro, challengeitmath, MathNinja7, CyclicISLscelesTrapezoid, Michael1129, FIREDRAGONMATH16, SuperJJ, ASawesome, rrc08, Significant, songyanxin, ab2024, Ashley17, Bole, Adventure10, Mango247, Rijul saini, David_He, Cusofay, criet, and 68 other users
An essay I wrote about my math experiences (including experiences with USAMO)

Please feel free to comment, positively or negatively, and share your own experiences.
However, I respectfully ask that you do not comment until you have read the entire essay.
Thank you.
Attachments:
Math Experience.doc (83kb)
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
CircleSquared
970 posts
#2 • 24 Y
Y by rjiang16, mathmaster2000, dantx5, blep, DominicanAOPSer, kbird, acegikmoqsuwy2000, ar07jog, thedoge, InfiniteQandA, mathbw225, MintTea, megarnie, kishblockpro, Adventure10, and 9 other users
I respect this probably more than anything I ever have, because it is so true and heartfelt.

It was nice working with you at AMP 08, good luck for the future.

-PY
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
shelly32494
242 posts
#3 • 16 Y
Y by rjiang16, mathmaster2000, dantx5, blep, DominicanAOPSer, eee, ar07jog, MintTea, challengeitmath, Adventure10, Mango247, and 5 other users
Wow. Your 'Math Experience' was quite incredible. It contained so much raw emotion. I deeply respect this.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. However, I find it amazing that you have so much motivation and self discipline within you to do what you did, going from your first math competition to being usamo honorable mention. All the time you spent doing problem after problem. I applaud you on that. This isn't something many people can do, especially to the extent that you did it. I understand [sort of] how disappointing it must have been to not be a usamo winner despite all the work and effort you put in the last couple of years, although I would like to point out your journey has been a great one. You started much later than most people and ended up much farther ahead than most. You should be proud of that.
I , too, went to AMSP 08. I remember you from the team contest [many congrats; that was beast btw]. I don't think we ever talked, but your mathematical talent is incredible; your efforts really shined through [I watched a bit of the team finals]
There's more to life than usamo, more to life than math competitions. Loosen up a little and have some fun :]
Don't beat yourself up too bad. Continue to pursue your passion as I'm sure you will [Congrats on MIT]. Reading this made me think about my life as well.... I'm glad you've put this in the past & moved on. Thank you for sharing ;]
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Yankzgodzilla55
107 posts
#4 • 15 Y
Y by ptxpotterhead, blep, Alnitak, DominicanAOPSer, jhoer, ar07jog, Snowfractals, medhasrisairavi, MintTea, Adventure10, Mango247, and 4 other users
I really don't read many essays on math, but when I do, I don't like them very much. Your experience is absolutely amazing. If you think you lost, just because you weren't in the top 12, you are absolutely WRONG.

Qualifying for the USAMO and the AIME takes tons and tons of hard work. Lemme make this seem realistic. About 500 kids qualify for the USAMO, therefore there are over 14 millions kids (about 27,000 high schools, 500 kids in each). You are in the top 1% of math students around the country.

I am truly sorry to hear what has happened. It must have been very hard for you, but your dad would be proud. Going to MIT, making the USAMO, and most importantly having that faith in you, is truly a perfect math student.

There aren't many kids you start problem solving in late high school, and become one of the top math students in the country. It is truly phenomenal. And don't let people bring you down ever, so what if you do math on a regular basis.

I really want you to congratulate you on this accomplishment. THIS IS NOT THE END. LET ME REPEAT THIS IS NOT THE END.

THIS IS THE BEGINNING, it is start of an amazing journey for you. I wish YOU THE BEST OF luck at MIT, you deserve it greatly. Anyone who dedicates that much time into math, is truly a winner by itself.

I wish you the best of the luck in the future. Please remember this: Problem solving, Math competitions, the AMC, are the beginning steps now take that into the world and shine!
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
blackbelt14253
372 posts
#5 • 14 Y
Y by mathmaster2000, Baban, love_emojis, colinyao, MintTea, Adventure10, Mango247, and 7 other users
whew...that was a looooooooong essay.
2 pieces of advice:
1) turn this essay into a book and publish it. like, i'm serious. there are plenty of math nerds (sorry if this offended you, but other people would probably be mortified if they were caught reading a book like this) out there that would love to read something like this.
2)be happy that you got into MIT, because that's my goal (and i'm sure that lots of other people also have this goal.)

you made me feel a lot better about whether i will get into MIT or not too, as in "so i don't have to get into MOP 3 times to go to MIT!!!!"

well, yeah, i made MOP. hope this doesn't make you feel like a retard. but that's just because i was fortunate enough to discover competition math in 6th grade (although i had never heard of aops before 8th grade). so i feel quite fortunate.

this essay almost brought tears to my eyes. and i'm supposed to be tough, being a black belt in tae kwon do. i can half-sympathize with your loss. in 8th grade, i got 5th place at states...i was pretty p-o-ed. but losing on the usamo like that...after two years of monk-like piety...ooohh that must hurt.

some random thoughts after reading this AWESOME essay.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
sophia
367 posts
#6 • 26 Y
Y by mathmaster2000, Dot22, michigo, DominicanAOPSer, jhoer, kbird, hexagram, blep, ar07jog, medhasrisairavi, shankarmath, MintTea, challengeitmath, Adventure10, Mango247, and 11 other users
Your autobiography is very moving, thoughtful, and beautifully written.

I think you have learned a lot of important lessons, some lessons that some much older than you have never learned. Please always remember never to dismiss yourself as "lesser" than anyone based on the outcome of a test. There is so much random noise in how a given student does on a particular test on a particular day. In particular, the difference between your getting an honorable mention on the USAMO (an extraodinary accomplishment for anyone, especially for a student who only discovered the AMC exams in tenth grade!) and someone else placing in the top 12 is not a statistically significant distinction.

What is not random noise is all you have learned from the process of preparing and from your reflections on that process.

One of your conclusions struck me as especially worth noting:
Quote:
I took some time to read over the letters my dad’s students left for him. I have always known him to be very smart, but what his students remember him for most is how he goes to great lengths to help everyone understand, how his door was always open when they needed help.

Then, I resolved that when I grew up to be a math professor, I would try to be just like him. However, now I know, just as he realized, that helping others with my knowledge is just as important as pursuing it, and much more meaningful than trying to be better than everyone else.

I was so sorry to hear that you lost your father at such an early age, and I think your thoughtful and insightful essay--and this statement in particular--would make a parent very proud and happy. No matter what your future path in life, you can know joy in your life from using your knowledge to help others.

I hope you have a wonderful summer visiting your family in Taiwan this summer and great college experiences ahead at MIT.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Bijection
1563 posts
#7 • 9 Y
Y by ar07jog, MintTea, Adventure10, and 6 other users
with such a great work ethic im sure you will be a great mathematician. I think u should consider doing the Putnam just for the sake of the great problems
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
timwu
973 posts
#8 • 13 Y
Y by mathmaster2000, DominicanAOPSer, ar07jog, MintTea, Adventure10, and 8 other users
This is truly an odyssey. As unqualified as I am to say, I think you got more than what there is out of math olympiads. Best luck in your future endeavors.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Zeph
92 posts
#9 • 11 Y
Y by mathmaster2000, greenpepper9999, Dot22, DominicanAOPSer, ar07jog, Adventure10, and 5 other users
I was literally brought to tears by this; I think everyone's suffered the agonizing feeling one gets after a math test where you were just off from advancing. This year, for example, I had a 129/8 index that prevented me from even making USAMO, and I made several very stupid mistakes on the AMC 10 that I would desperately love to fix. On the other hand, I don't think many of us can claim to have the same devotion to problem solving and the same work ethic that you have demonstrated: this skill, and this development of your affinity and intuition in mathematics in particular, is much, much more important than making MOP, I think.

And another thing: it made me happy to find out that you also want to go into mathematics. :D
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
K81o7
2417 posts
#10 • 17 Y
Y by coolcheetah157, mathmaster2000, Dot22, blueflute19, DominicanAOPSer, kbird, ar07jog, Adventure10, Mango247, and 8 other users
I have to say, I could really feel the sequence of thoughts you put across in this essay. From the time I really started taking the AMC competition seriously in my freshman year, through two years of missing the USAMO by an AIME point, I feel I had the same sort of thoughts as you initially had (except I wasn't training as hard). I saw the competitions as actual competitions, and, as you said, didn't enjoy them as much as I could have. There was always the nail-biting nervousness as time ran out, the anxiety afterwards of making mistakes you would not have made had you just looked that one more time...And I took as much free time as I could to do that one more AIME problem, one more problem from the Pre-Olympiad forum, one more USAMO problem...

And the sinking feeling afterwards...I'm sure I had it nowhere nearly as bad, since I had two more chances, but I remember it vividly.
Quote:
I wanted to be the best, but there’s no point. Isn’t there room in the US for thousands of math professors? We should all work hard, but it’s not necessary to be better than everyone else: everyone working in the field contributes to it in some way, and often the work of hundreds of unknown people matters greatly. Who are we to judge?

If you anticipate fame and glory ahead, every failure will be that much more disappointing, but if you truly enjoy struggling with problems, it will only motivate you to continue. If you don’t look for competition, you will like what you do without needing to win, and because of the purity of your motivation, likely find success as well.

I think that these two paragraphs, in particular the very last sentence, resonates soundly with me. I know this is the most important thing I learned from math competitions. Before I found, in my sophomore year (2006), I'd missed the USAMO just barely for a second time (and the year I was hoping to make blue), I would always be measuring people's worth by what they did. How good were they at math? Music? Other subjects? Etc etc...the math competitions were a measure of my worth, they were what made me feel I had purpose, something I was good at.

After that, I think I re-evaluated things and the two paragraphs above were close to my thoughts then. In general, I think I also really started to understand that in any competition of any kind, there are factors you cannot change, luck elements. It's impossible to absolutely guarantee you'll end up at the top, even if you're Alex Zhai. Now there are some extremely smart people I know who did not do so well at these competitions. I kinda let go of the competition part, and simply tried to enjoy the mathematics in every competition I did. And I started to try to let go of the competitive rush too.

(skip the next two years of high school)

I'm glad to know you took these lessons from your competitive experience going into college (and glad to know MIT's getting someone like you, I'll keep an eye out for you among math majors :D). Once you get to college, I'll be honest, it's extremely collaborative, doing math because you love it with other like-minded people. Even though math competitions seemed like the end-all be-all of high school, I look back at it now along with people who didn't do competitions and we laugh at it over a math problem. And yeah, tbh people don't care all that much about Putnam in college... What you've got ahead of you is much bigger, and it looks like you're perfectly prepared for it.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
silversheep
77 posts
#11 • 28 Y
Y by soulspeedy, CalcCrunch, DrMath, coolcheetah157, mathmaster2000, Dot22, shiningsunnyday, DominicanAOPSer, kbird, eee, Samchooo, ar07jog, Talker32332, Kayak, Stormersyle, scibeast, OlympusHero, Adventure10, Mango247, Mango247, and 8 other users
Thanks to everyone for your positive and supportive comments! I admit, I never thought this would resonate so much with everyone. I'll be sure to take your advice to heart.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
greentreeroad
484 posts
#12 • 3 Y
Y by ar07jog, Adventure10, and 1 other user
What a touching and profound soliloquy! Look forward to see you in MIT this fall.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
BOGTRO
5818 posts
#13 • 12 Y
Y by whiteawesomesun, Alnitak, eee, kishblockpro, challengeitmath, Adventure10, Mango247, and 5 other users
This is a very nice piece of work. Some random thoughts I had were:

* I didn't think you should have spent every spare moment on difficult math problems. It might have been good to take an hour or so a day to just have fun. A computer game, a good book, anything probably would have helped. Although working is a good thing, too much of a good thing is... too much of a good thing.

* I was glad that you began working very hard and continued to do so even after your tragedy. I was also glad that you were not discouraged by the USAMO. You have great perseverence.

* Math competitions aren't that important. Until you do them.

* I felt that if you had heard of math competitions earlier, even just a year, you would have had a good chance at MOSP. If you had heard of math competitions at the age I did (4th grade), I have no doubt you would have been a USAMO winner.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Ihatepie
2083 posts
#14 • 6 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247, and 4 other users
BOGTRO wrote:
* Math competitions aren't that important. Until you do them.
I'm gonna have to disagree with you here. While we may get caught up in the moment and think that they are, math competitions are not important. If that's what you are saying, then disregard this post.
Z Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Bijection
1563 posts
#15 • 4 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247, and 2 other users
BOGTRO wrote:
This is a very nice piece of work. Some random thoughts I had were:

* I didn't think you should have spent every spare moment on difficult math problems. It might have been good to take an hour or so a day to just have fun. A computer game, a good book, anything probably would have helped. Although working is a good thing, too much of a good thing is... too much of a good thing.

* I was glad that you began working very hard and continued to do so even after your tragedy. I was also glad that you were not discouraged by the USAMO. You have great perseverence.

* Math competitions aren't that important. Until you do them.

* I felt that if you had heard of math competitions earlier, even just a year, you would have had a good chance at MOSP. If you had heard of math competitions at the age I did (4th grade), I have no doubt you would have been a USAMO winner.
HM is still amazing and is something many MOPpers will never achieve!!
Z Y
G
H
=
a