At the end of November, we, as students from Shenzhen College of International Education (SCIE), travelled to Beijing to take part in the Berkeley Math Tournament.
This international high school math competition condensed several challenging rounds into two intensive days, including the Team Power Round, the Team Guts Round, and individual rounds.
In this year’s tournament, two SCIE teams both received Honorable Mention in the team contest.
In the individual general round, one of our teammates achieved an overall top-three placement, and five teammates received High Distinction.
These results reflect our long-term effort in mathematics and our ability to work together effectively as a team.
Our experience began on the first day with the Team Power Round and the Individual Round. The Power Round focused on knot problems in topology, a topic quite different from the algebra or geometry questions we are more familiar with in everyday practice. It allowed us to think about whether two shapes should be considered equivalent when they can be continuously deformed into each other.
We were given several pipe cleaners to help us visualize and manipulate knots. By following the definitions and explanations provided in the paper, and by physically bending and transforming the pipe cleaners, we tried to decide which knots should be regarded as the same in a topological sense and which should not.
To work more efficiently on the Power Round paper, we divided our team into three groups, with each group responsible for a different type of problem. For example, some groups focused on questions about knot equivalence, while others worked on problems involving coloring methods; the remaining group handled the other questions on the paper and helped to organize the overall solution.
Through this form of collaboration, we gradually built up an overall understanding of topology and knot problems as we tackled different types of questions, rather than simply applying familiar problem patterns.
To work more efficiently on the Power Round paper, we divided our team into three groups, with each group responsible for a different type of problem. For example, some groups focused on questions about knot equivalence, while others worked on problems involving coloring methods; the remaining group handled the other questions on the paper and helped to organize the overall solution.
Through this form of collaboration, we gradually built up an overall understanding of topology and knot problems as we tackled different types of questions, rather than simply applying familiar problem patterns.
Over the two days of competition, we explored topics such as knots and topology, and experienced both the abstract beauty of mathematics and the practical demands of teamwork.
For us, the Honorable Mentions in the team contest, the top-three placement, and the High Distinction awards in the individual round are not only marks of our current achievement, but also motivation to keep thinking deeply and learning further.
One tournament can be seen as a compact and multifaceted learning experience. Our trip to Beijing for the Berkeley Math Tournament has provided us with valuable memories of preparing and competing together, and has laid a solid foundation for our future study and growth.
- Article / Rayman Guo
