Keiran Lewellen: IMO 2017 Brazil Report

The 58th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) was the culmination of years of studying. Since I first heard about the IMO in year 9 it has been a driving force for me to improve my skill in mathematics. To get to the level needed to make the IMO team, I had to focus my efforts in number theory, combinatorics, algebra, and geometry. This maths is like nothing that is taught in school. I had to work on my own to excel in mathematical fields that had no teachers or tutors available. Thus, I had to learn how to teach myself and learn how to find resources when I got stuck. These skills I have found to be incredibly useful in all areas of endeavour, from my music competitions to my english exams to my badminton games. I have found that working in high school towards the goal of attending the IMO has motivated me and allowed me to excel.

This was the second year that I attended the IMO, so this year was both less exciting and more nerve wracking for me. I knew that I was better than last year at maths, but I also had more personal pressure to do better than I did last year. The IMO competition forced me to overcome my personal concerns and focus on what was important -- my mathematical knowledge. After a week in Auckland taking practise exams and spending time with the team, we boarded a plane and flew to Rio de Janeiro where we spent a few days getting adjusted to the time zone difference before the exam. I had been studying hard for the past four months and felt pretty prepared. The exam was tough, and although I solved two full problems, I got stuck on the other two that I had had a good chance to get. I was a bit disappointed but I felt like in the end I gave a good showing, and the New Zealand team came in 47th place, the third best ever. We earned 3 bronzes and 3 honourable mentions, including myself. I enjoyed the ceremony on the last day. The host country always creates an atmosphere that reflects its culture, and Rio had brightly coloured dancers and authentic music. It was fun.

I found that my experience in Rio allowed me to meet people from all over the world who loved mathematics like me. Our team was split up for rooming, and I had the amazing opportunity to room with two members of the Canadian team. At first I was a bit concerned with staying with people I did not know, but in the end I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know them. Because my room was a corner room and thus large, the Canadian team often used it as a home base so I got to know the entire team and ended up spending almost as much time with them as the New Zealand team. Part of attending the international olympiad is the ‘international’ part, and it was easy to meet and make new friends with people from all over the world. By the end of the competition, I was able to collect souvenirs from more than 15 teams. The New Zealand team is well respected and I felt very much like I belonged there. The outings were amazing, the speakers were inspiring, and the people were interesting.

One of the main things I have learned about myself by attending the IMO, is that I want to pursue mathematics for the competition that also will help me in my mathematical career. Parts of competitions maths are really dead ends when it comes to university mathematics, but more than half is directly relevant. I have decided that in preparation for university next year I plan to buy some additional university textbooks and study these applicable parts of mathematics at the next level. This will allow me to both improve my IMO score while concurrently gaining knowledge to prepare me for the university level.

By spending time in competition maths, I have gone much further in mathematical knowledge than a typical high school student. This additional content has helped me to know more about what types of maths fields are available and helped me to consider what I want to do with maths. I have decided that I don’t want to go into pure mathematics, but rather to focus in natural sciences, in particular physics, or perhaps technology. I still want to pursue mathematics, but I want to use my skill to solve problems that will more directly help us to understand the world. I feel like my time in competition maths has help me to recognise my interest in working interdisciplinarily in maths and science and has helped me to know that that I want to work collaboratively on a large science or technology project rather than working independently and in isolation.

My time in Rio will remain in my memory forever. Not only did I meet students from around the world who love mathematics, I even had the chance to meet a Field’s Medalist. His speech was inspiring and encouraged me to continue to push forward and work hard. Mathematics is never easy but it is always rewarding.

I would like to thank the Royal Society and NZMET for their generous support for me to be able to attend this prestigious international event. It was a valuable experience which I very much enjoyed.