- #1
Mathy21
- 9
- 0
Hi, I am sorry about the length of this but I would appreciate if some you took the time to read and reply.
I guess I am posting this because I require a little direction at the moment. I am entering into my last year of a math degree in Australia. I have studied quite a bit of math in my degree so far, mostly is has been analysis i.e. calculus, ordinary/partial differential equations, mathematical analysis, complex analysis etc… along with a little algebra/discrete mathematics and statistics. My GPA is 7 which here in the Australian university system is the maximum achievable. I find studying the math at university interesting and easy.
This all lead to ego driven thoughts that just maybe I could become an eternal figure in mathematics. That I just might be able to solve some exceptionally hard problem and create a place in history for myself. This gave me purpose in life, and not being a religion person it was very comforting to have this purpose.
Then it all came crashing down. No doubt you have heard of the International Mathematics Olympiad. There is a book called the IMO Compendium and this book contains problems from the previous Olympiads with solutions. High school kids (very talented high school kids) participate in these Olympiads. So I thought these problems would be a fun challenge. Sadly though, the experience turned out to be quite depressing as I found relatively few of them easy, some of them difficult and most of them I just game up on and looked at the solution.
Here is my problem if I find it difficult to solve these problems, problems that thousands of people in the world can solve (including high school kids) what hope do I have off solving a problem nobody else has solved and receiving my slice of history? I have lost hope and purpose.
Strangely this experience brings another question to my mind. Why do I find studying mathematics at university so easy but these international mathematical Olympiad problems hard? Is it just lack of exposure to problems of this kind or is it a lack of ability?
Thanks in advance if you bothered reading this all.
I guess I am posting this because I require a little direction at the moment. I am entering into my last year of a math degree in Australia. I have studied quite a bit of math in my degree so far, mostly is has been analysis i.e. calculus, ordinary/partial differential equations, mathematical analysis, complex analysis etc… along with a little algebra/discrete mathematics and statistics. My GPA is 7 which here in the Australian university system is the maximum achievable. I find studying the math at university interesting and easy.
This all lead to ego driven thoughts that just maybe I could become an eternal figure in mathematics. That I just might be able to solve some exceptionally hard problem and create a place in history for myself. This gave me purpose in life, and not being a religion person it was very comforting to have this purpose.
Then it all came crashing down. No doubt you have heard of the International Mathematics Olympiad. There is a book called the IMO Compendium and this book contains problems from the previous Olympiads with solutions. High school kids (very talented high school kids) participate in these Olympiads. So I thought these problems would be a fun challenge. Sadly though, the experience turned out to be quite depressing as I found relatively few of them easy, some of them difficult and most of them I just game up on and looked at the solution.
Here is my problem if I find it difficult to solve these problems, problems that thousands of people in the world can solve (including high school kids) what hope do I have off solving a problem nobody else has solved and receiving my slice of history? I have lost hope and purpose.
Strangely this experience brings another question to my mind. Why do I find studying mathematics at university so easy but these international mathematical Olympiad problems hard? Is it just lack of exposure to problems of this kind or is it a lack of ability?
Thanks in advance if you bothered reading this all.