On June 13, the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition (hereinafter referred to as the "Alibaba Mathematics Competition") announced the list of finalists. The top 30 finalists are mostly from prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Peking University, Tsinghua, and MIT. One st

On June 13, the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition (hereinafter referred to as the "Alibaba Mathematics Competition") announced the finalists. The top 30 finalists are mostly from prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Peking University, Tsinghua, and MIT. One student is studying in Lian, Jiangsu Province. Girls from Shuishui Vocational School (hereinafter referred to as "Lianshui Vocational School") appeared at the top of the list, which surprised everyone.

Jiang Ping is doing math problems. Source: Alibaba Damo Academy

This girl is named Jiang Ping. She is 17 years old and majoring in fashion design. She scored a high score of 93 in the Ali Mathematical Competition preliminaries and ranked 12th. Jiang Ping's academic background is in great contrast to her mathematical ability. At Lianshui Junior High School, the story of Jiang Ping's immersion in the world of mathematics and the tutoring and help given to her by her mathematics teacher Wang Runqiu also aroused heated discussion. Some netizens said that the real-life version of "Good Will Hunting" has been released. Behind Jiang Ping's popularity, a question is also worth thinking about: How to discover and fully cultivate such "mathematical geniuses" as early as possible?

"95% of mathematics majors cannot write such an answer sheet"

According to media reports, Jiang Ping showed sensitivity to mathematics when she was in junior high school. She glanced at her classmates' math homework and knew they weren't worth doing. But her parents and teachers told her not to focus on subjects. "The college entrance examination is not just about mathematics." In the first math test after entering Lianshui Junior High School, Jiang Ping was far ahead. She scored more than 130 points on the paper with a full score of 150 points, while the second place only scored 50 or 60 points.

Yan Jun, who was also shortlisted for the Ali Math Competition finals, is a high school mathematics teacher in Singapore. In her opinion, Jiang Ping is "extremely talented." She told China News Weekly that the questions in the preliminaries of this year's competition mainly tested undergraduate mathematics knowledge points such as linear algebra, probability theory, and functions. The total score of the preliminaries is 120 points, and the cutoff for the finalists is 45 points. Yan Jun explained that the questions were very difficult and it was not easy to score 45 points in the exam. Jiang Ping scored 93 points in the exam. "I studied mathematics as an undergraduate and graduate student. Even if I returned to my peak state, I would never be able to pass the exam." 93 points”.

"A colleague saw the answer sheet submitted by Jiang Ping and commented, 'The wording is precise, the expression is fluent, and the latex (a mathematical typesetting software commonly used in academia) is used proficiently.'" Yao Yijun, a professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences at Fudan University, said in an interview with " China News Weekly said in an interview that if we do not discuss the level of mathematics and only look at the level of the answer sheet, "it can be said (conservatively) that 95% of domestic mathematics majors will not be able to write such an answer sheet within the specified time."

After entering Lianshui Junior High School, Jiang Ping's talent attracted the attention of mathematics teacher Wang Runqiu. Wang Runqiu gave Jiang Ping a "little start": he took the initiative to recommend textbooks such as "Advanced Mathematics" and "Mathematical Analysis" to her. In the process of studying multivariate calculus, Jiang Ping encountered difficulties and continued to study "Partial Differential Equations" written by Lawrence C. Evans. Wang Runqiu encouraged Jiang Ping to apply for this Ali Counting Competition. At that time, Jiang Ping's first reaction was: "Am I not worthy of participating?"

Jiang Ping’s math teacher Wang Runqiu. Source: Alibaba Damo Academy video screenshot

As a mathematics teacher, Yan Jun mentioned that no matter how talented students are, they need someone with a higher position to lead students to view mathematics from a broader perspective. Wang Runqiu graduated from the School of Mathematical Sciences of Jiangsu University in 2022, and then taught classes in Lianshui. He usually likes to study basic mathematics. And Jiang Ping likes high mathematics, "I like to prove step by step and get what I want to prove, because I like this process and it brings me happiness." Jiang Ping said.

But Wang Runqiu does not think Jiang Ping is a "genius student". Her achievements depend on diligence and self-discipline. He noticed that Jiang Ping devoted almost all her spare time to mathematics, "sometimes working on problems until one or two o'clock at night."

It was an accident to participate in the Ali Math Competition. Jiang Ping hoped to prove herself. This is also the third time that Wang Runqiu has participated in the Ali Math Competition, and was shortlisted for the finals together with Jiang Ping. Wang Runqiu's qualifying ranking is 125th. "China News Weekly" learned that Jiang Ping and Wang Runqiu are currently preparing for the finals on June 22.

A zero-threshold mathematics competition

Jiang Ping became famous overnight, which also brought the Ali Mathematical Competition into the public eye. The

Ali Mathematics Competition is a global charity event with zero registration threshold and a purely online competition. It is jointly organized by Alibaba Charity and Alibaba Damo Academy, aiming to promote mathematics science popularization and cutting-edge exploration. Since 2018, it has been held for the sixth time, with past contestants covering more than 70 countries and regions. Each competition will ultimately select 35 gold, silver and bronze medal winners, as well as several excellence awards. The gold medal winner will receive a bonus of US$30,000. "Beida Wei God" Wei Dongyi is one of the gold medal winners in the first event.

2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition Questions. Source: Alibaba Damo Academy official website

The well-known mainstream mathematics competitions at home and abroad are often aimed at specific groups such as primary school, middle school or university students. Yao Yijun told China News Weekly that the biggest feature of the Ali Math Competition is that it is open to everyone, making it a unique competition. The results are not linked to utilitarian purposes such as further education, and the propositions are less restricted. From the past few competitions, there are many top mathematics contestants. "In addition to their love for mathematics, part of the reason is nostalgia, reliving the feeling of doing competition questions."

Yanjun has not touched advanced mathematics for many years. This year he signed up for the competition on a whim and wanted to experience "the focus and excitement of being immersed in mathematics" again. The competition preliminaries include multiple choice questions, solution questions, proof questions, and open book examinations. Yan Jun introduced that the preliminaries focused on testing knowledge and mathematical thinking ability. However, the finals will examine the contestants’ research abilities in a certain field. There are five tracks of questions, including algebra and number theory, geometry and topology, analysis and equations, combination and probability, and applied and computational mathematics. Contestants can choose any one to take the exam.

Yao Jiangang, a gold medalist in the 35th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) with a perfect score and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, told China News Weekly that the finals are equivalent to the difficulty of the doctoral qualification examination in the Department of Mathematics. Even if middle and high school students can be shortlisted, what they have learned Knowledge is limited, so most of the winners in past finals were senior undergraduates or graduate students.

In Yanjun's opinion, even students with mathematical talent will not be able to answer the final questions if they have not learned certain knowledge points. Yan Jun guessed that Jiang Ping is likely to choose the track of partial differential equations, which she is good at. “It is unknown whether the knowledge she has learned in two years can reach the doctoral level. Even if she does not achieve good results in the final, It’s normal, but we can’t deny her ability in mathematics.”

From answering questions to research

Contrary to outside speculation, Jiang Ping was not forced to attend a technical secondary school because she was partial to subjects. Recently, "Xinhua Daily" and other reports stated that according to villagers in the same village as Jiang Ping, Jiang Ping's sister also studied at Lianshui Junior High School, had excellent grades, and had just completed the college entrance examination. Influenced by her sister and considering various factors such as the family's financial burden, Jiang Ping had originally been admitted to a regular high school, completed military training, and transferred to Lianshui Junior High School.

Jiang Ping is studying fashion design. Picture source: Alibaba Damo Academy

Liu Haifeng, director of the Zhejiang University Imperial Examination and Examination Research Center, mentioned to China News Weekly that in technical secondary school, Jiang Ping was lucky enough to meet "Bole" Wang Runqiu, without the pressure of taking exams. , showing talent in the field of mathematics, "Suppose she enters a key high school and has difficulty spending all her energy on mathematics." At present, basic education emphasizes the all-round development of students. He believes that for the vast majority of students, this is no problem, but the total score admission model will allow some talented students to be buried.

Yan Fengqiao, dean of the School of Education at Peking University, also believes that sometimes talents do not have to be deliberately "top-notch". Inadvertent education and inspiration may also have a good impact. Under traditional exam-oriented education, today's Jiang Ping may not have been cultivated.Curiosity and interest are the sources of creativity and require a relaxed environment from schools and teachers.

In the field of mathematics, China already has a selection mechanism for top talents. An important channel is to rely on mathematics competitions to stand out. Take the well-known "Beida Wei Shen" as an example. He was selected into the Mathematical Olympiad training team of the Middle School Affiliated to Shandong Normal University in his second year of junior high school. After being promoted to a key high school without taking the exam, he participated in the National Mathematical Olympiad training team, was recommended to university, and finally entered Take the path of basic research.

Liu Haifeng introduced that at present, some channels are open for the selection of top talents. For example, students who win prizes in competitions such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and international Mathematical Olympiads can be recruited by universities. This year, a number of prestigious schools have successively released the "Strengthening Foundation Plan" "In the admissions brochure, it is also clearly mentioned that those with good enough scores in a single subject of mathematics can be shortlisted. "The top students participating in the Olympiad will not be missed, but students like Jiang Ping may not be outstanding at first, but develop top-notch innovative abilities in a special environment. Cases like Jiang Ping are relatively rare, and education The industry can consciously study or explore. "

Yao Jiangang currently works in finance in Hong Kong. In his spare time, he trains primary and secondary school students in mathematics competitions. In his view, many people believe that learning mathematics well requires talent or high IQ, but in fact, this does not guarantee a person’s success. It also requires self-effort and acquired environmental support. “When you meet a good teacher, you enter a good school. Schools are all conducive to talent development." "Some math problems may seem difficult, but there are many exquisite designs inside. Teachers need to guide them so that students can understand the framework of mathematics." Yao Jiangang told China News Weekly.

In Yanjun’s view, in economically developed areas, if students have expertise in fields such as mathematics, most of them will be discovered slowly. However, in areas with relatively backward economic conditions, due to the relative lack of awareness among schools and parents, talent discovery is difficult. There will be certain challenges. She told China News Weekly that the prerequisite for cultivating talents is to identify them, let them know that there are many interesting mathematical problems, and guide them to study them. If you go to a teacher with high academic attainments in mathematics and find clues from her way of answering questions or talking to her, you may be able to discover them earlier and train them in accordance with their aptitude.”

In Yan Fengqiao’s view, the issue of uneven distribution of educational resources still needs attention. Lianshui County, Huaian City, where Jiang Ping is located, is located in the economically backward northern Jiangsu region of Jiangsu. The inspiration brought by Jiang Ping is that the country should adopt some guidelines and policies to allow more outstanding teachers to communicate with schools in rural areas in the long or short term to play a positive role in improving their educational standards. Yao Jiangang believes that for some primary and secondary schools with relatively poor educational resources, relevant departments still need to think about how to benefit more people in an effective way.

At present, some universities are also extending olive branches to Jiang Ping. According to reports, on the afternoon of June 14, Jiang Ping’s father received a call from someone claiming to be a staff member of a university in Tianjin. The other party expressed interest in communicating with Jiang Ping about her enrollment. Changshu Institute of Technology posted on Weibo that "it is recommended that you first come to Changshu Institute of Technology to lay a solid undergraduate foundation, and then continue your studies at Zhejiang University at the master's level." Jiangsu University has publicly stated that Jiang Ping is welcome to apply, but relevant personnel mentioned in interviews that entry still needs to go through the normal process of the college entrance examination.

In Yao Jiangang’s opinion, after this competition, she will definitely get more resources to support her. But he believes that the outside world has made too many assumptions about Jiang Ping's future - good performance in mathematics competitions does not mean that she will definitely become a mathematician in the future. To produce high-quality mathematics research, the second is that mathematics competitions are about solving problems, and mathematics research needs to find a new research problem.”

Previously, Jiang Ping said in an interview that she was more interested in the clothing major than mathematics. "If studying fashion design is my plan, then exploring the world of mathematics is my plan" b. Yao Jiangang believes that the premise depends on Jiang Ping's personal choice. If she likes clothing design and combines mathematical thinking, she may be able to make a good clothing brand in the future.

(Yan Jun is a pseudonym)

Author: Yang Zhijie

Editor: Du Wei