imo 2006 (2 Viewers)

[airie]

Well, that is usually expected. It's the three perfect scores, followed by only mid 30s that threw me off. I suppose I can dig up all the stats from previous IMOs and find a similar situation somewhere before, but it still seems odd.

It must've been a conspiracy, Templar, it must have been. Some aliens are at work out there! :O xP

 

[SoulSearcher]

Don't worry, you're not dashing anyone's hopes *coughSoulSearchercough*

What hope? I already knew that I had no hope

 

[modezero]

Sorry to dash your hopes, but I believe you still have a long way to go before you get to that level. In addition there is the divide between being good enough to make the team, and being good enough to get a medal at the IMO, which seems to the be main problem with the Australian team. We have reasonable talent at the top end, but this drops off very quickly.

Overall, a pleasing result for Australian, on par with recent years. Judging from the overall marks and cutoffs, this year's IMO seems to be harder than the previous two, although the questions don't appear overly difficult at first sight.

The problem shorlist designations were:
q1:G1 (far too easy)
q2:C2 (jury underestimated difficulty)
q3:A6 (hardest algebra on shortlist)

q4:N2
q5:A4 (also classified as N4)
q6:G10 (hardest geometry on shortlist)

ripped off mathlinks:
Question number | Mean score | Standard deviation

1 | 5.614/7 | 2.497
2 | 1.833/7 | 2.500
3 | 0.659/7 | 1.685
4 | 4.998/7 | 2.480
5 | 1.183/7 | 2.152
6 | 0.187/7 | 0.988

In all fairness, I think this years team was pretty good and we were unlucky to have no real geometry problems. On a better day we could have all gotten silvers.

 

[vulgarfraction]

Sorry to dash your hopes, but I believe you still have a long way to go before you get to that level. In addition there is the divide between being good enough to make the team, and being good enough to get a medal at the IMO, which seems to the be main problem with the Australian team. We have reasonable talent at the top end, but this drops off very quickly.

Actually, the girl you're talking to has a (relatively) good chance of making next year's team, and an awesome chance of making the next two camps as a senior.

On topic, congrats to the whole team btw. =)

 

[SoulSearcher]

Actually, the girl you're talking to has a (relatively) good chance of making next year's team, and an awesome chance of making the next two camps as a senior.

On topic, congrats to the whole team btw. =)

If you're talking about airie, I already knew that, although now I'll be punished by her for saying that

 

[Templar]

Actually, the girl you're talking to has a (relatively) good chance of making next year's team, and an awesome chance of making the next two camps as a senior.

On topic, congrats to the whole team btw. =)

A relative good chance? Yeah, just as relative as anyone from #15 to about #40.

I have no doubt she will make it as a senior to future camps, but for those unaware it is a far larger step up from an AMO certificate to an international arena eg APMO.

I'd like what you say to be true, but unfortunately that will most likely not be the case.

 

[vulgarfraction]

A relative good chance? Yeah, just as relative as anyone from #15 to about #40.

I have no doubt she will make it as a senior to future camps, but for those unaware it is a far larger step up from an AMO certificate to an international arena eg APMO.

I'd like what you say to be true, but unfortunately that will most likely not be the case.

There's a huge difference in 15th and 40th if you want to make the team. If you can get to a camp as a senior, then you've got some chance. That's a huge step up from, say, one AMO bronze, no?

 

[KeypadSDM]

Konrad and Vinh, I'll be seeing them again in january 07. Good work to both of them!
Konrad's a pretty cool guy, incedentally, gifted and social - lucky bastard.

 

[Templar]

There's a huge difference in 15th and 40th if you want to make the team. If you can get to a camp as a senior, then you've got some chance. That's a huge step up from, say, one AMO bronze, no?

On the contrary, only an exceptional performance in the APMO followed by an equivalent effort in the selection school would see #15 make the team. Even if you get to camp as a senior, the chance is very low.

People at that ranking know whether they're up to it or not. While theoretically every member at selection school could make the team, realistically every year only a very minor fraction of the six required is still inconclusive after the AMO.

Your comments seems to be made by someone who have not seen the talent present at the extreme top end of the scale in Australia. I will support the statement when there is evidence, but currently there is no evidence to suggest that she could make the team, and that's the end of that topic.

And to follow on from Keypad, I look forward to meeting Konrad too. He's a great all rounder, and I've been waiting for this opportunity for a while.

 

[ngai]

i hope ur saying all this because u really do know her and her abilities..it wouldnt be very nice otherwise

i agree, he is gifted and social, but just wondering, how do u know he's a great all rounder if u havent met him before? just word of mouth?

 

[Templar]

i hope ur saying all this because u really do know her and her abilities..it wouldnt be very nice otherwise

i agree, he is gifted and social, but just wondering, how do u know he's a great all rounder if u havent met him before? just word of mouth?

I understand your concerns but do remember that I do work for the AMT, so I am aware of her abilities.

Well, I'm very good friends with Pat Coleman, who did go to Saint (the same school as Konrad). Pat has spoke highly of Konrad and with someone like Pat I have no reason not to believe in what he says.

 

[July 2001]

So what if you work for the AMT, Templar? Or even, so what if you have made the team yourself, by any chance, or accomplished a similar feat? It does not give you a damn right to put others down like you did. It seems that you are a little too eager to win this, should I say, "debate", even from a bystander's perspective.

Let's set this thread back on topic, shall we, everyone? I'm sure the thread starter would appreciate it.

 

[who_loves_maths]

July 2001, you have to learn that with people such as Templar, the size of who's ego inproportionately outstrips he's mathematical abilities, emotionally punching others of higher abilities down is his only means of achieving personal satisfaction; let's face it, without any significant mathematical success, and yet carrying the self-imposed burden of working for the AMT amidst the highly talented, knowing the mere statistics behind the real players would be his only means of salvaging some undeserved pride .

His harsh and premature statements toward Airie, without really knowing her, is a reflection of his frustration toward his own mathematical impotence.
Let's hope for him that he was never served with a dosage of his own medicine when he was in Airie's shoes years ago.

So don't be angry with him, it's not worth it, the best reaction is pity.


Btw Airie, all the best with making the team! Don't be driven into carrying a self-depricating attitude towards your evident and striking abilities, as Templar probably wants you to feel. His opinions shouldn't ever matter to you.

Good luck!

 

[acmilan]

reow

 

[fishy89sg]

wtf turkey came 19th? i never knew turks were that good

 

[buchanan]

There's a new movie called Hard Problems to be released in 2008. It's about mathematics competitions (with particular focus on the 2006 IMO).

The trailer is at http://zalafilms.com/hardproblems/hardproblemstrailer.mov

The world premiere of the new movie is the highlight of the Joint Mathematics Meeting of the AMS and MAA in January 2008. I especially like the bit where Zuming Feng says in front of a group of students "If you didn't do well, it's OK. You can even call me and cry with me. That's fine. I have lots of tissues."

I'm a big fan of Zuming Feng. I buy all his books.

 

[buchanan]

This trailer is also on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ZDgjzNeBU

 

[buchanan]

The Deluxe Edition of the DVD of Hard Problems is now available at

https://www.maa.org/ecomtpro/timssnet/books/VIDEO.cfm

The full movie is 82 minutes. This edition also includes a pdf of USA and IMO Olympiads + solutions - a well as a shorter classroom version (45 minutes), and 52 minutes of bonus features including Mathematics in Finance, Families and Schooling, Girls and the IMO, History of the IMO.

One memorable part of the movie is when the only student from China who got full marks said I study mathematics using my heart.