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Maths Opportunities and Goals

Mathematics is often associated with boredom, formulae, and endless equations, right? Well, maybe not always. Last academic year, I was invited to two weekly residential camps organised by the UK Maths Trust (UKMT), the Leeds National Maths Summer School (NMSS) and the Oxford Olympiad Training Camp. Candidates invited to the Leeds NMSS are selected from the top 1.5% of results in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge for Years 10-11. On the other hand, those invited to the Oxford Olympiad Training Camp are chosen based on performance in various competitions over the previous year, especially the BMO1, Hamilton Olympiad, and Maclaurin Olympiad for Years 10 and 11. The UKMT aims to invite the top 24 performing students to the Oxford training camp. Contrary to what one might expect from a maths camp, the NMSS was quite relaxed, even though there was a daily session on geometry and number theory. Topics covered ranged from Logic Puzzles and Flatland to Graph Theory and the Pigeonhole Principle. Interestingly, there were also a fair amount of “anti-maths” activities—like playing football or bowling. Some of us even went around asking for random numbers and shouting “INTEGER! INTEGER!” when someone answered with “pi.”

If you’re truly serious about maths, the Oxford Olympiad Training Camp is an excellent goal. It is more intense, featuring a week of challenging maths with daily sessions on advanced geometry and number theory, as well as topics like solving cubic equations, functional equations, knight’s tour problems, and geometric inequalities. Since it prepares you for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), there’s an IMO-style exam at the end—a 4.5-hour test with 3 questions. Despite the intensity, everyone was friendly (or as friendly as mathematicians can be), including the volunteers, making the entire experience incredibly enjoyable.

If you want to make it into one of these camps, come to the Junior Maths Society on Thursday Week B for years 9-11 or Monday Week B for years 7-8 in A01 at 13:30. In Junior Maths Society, we discuss problem-solving and maths challenges in a group of like-minded mathematicians, which will better equip you to excel in the UKMT maths challenges.

For more information about UKMT maths challenges and camps, visit their website: UKMT.

Thanks, Adi