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Chinese Maths

Are the Chinese the best at Maths, especially given the difficulty of their university entrance exams?

Does anyone know of candidates who have achieved grade S in STEP II and III?

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Reply 1
my friend (chinese) got a grade S in STEP but got rejected by cambridge (no idea why). he's going to imperial to study engineering.
Original post by Cells
my friend (chinese) got a grade S in STEP but got rejected by cambridge (no idea why). he's going to imperial to study engineering.


had he been skipped ahead a school year? apparently cambridge don't like to take under 18s...
Reply 3
Original post by Cells
my friend (chinese) got a grade S in STEP but got rejected by cambridge (no idea why). he's going to imperial to study engineering.


S in STEP I, II or III? If it's III, it was stupid to reject him.
Reply 4
Original post by Barden
had he been skipped ahead a school year? apparently cambridge don't like to take under 18s...


Especially this guy and the guy who was 16 the year before him?
Original post by around
Especially this guy and the guy who was 16 the year before him?


I said don't like to, not don't.


When it's a case of having merely 3 or 4 A*s at A-Level as opposed to having 6 or 7 of them, age will go against a candidate.
Reply 6
not STEP III for sure, i dont know which one. no he's 19 -_-
Original post by dugdugdug
S in STEP I, II or III? If it's III, it was stupid to reject him.



Original post by Cells
not STEP III for sure, i dont know which one. no he's 19 -_-


quote, its good for you
I remember reading something about why the Chinese are so good at maths in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. I can remember exactly why from the top of my head but its something to with numbers being shorter in Chinese languages. Also, their counting system is more logically structured eg...

Twelve is ten-two, thirteen is ten-three...
Reply 9
Original post by g_star_raw_1989
I remember reading something about why the Chinese are so good at maths in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. I can remember exactly why from the top of my head but its something to with numbers being shorter in Chinese languages. Also, their counting system is more logically structured eg...

Twelve is ten-two, thirteen is ten-three...


It also helps that the stereotype of parents "making" children study for 8-10 hours a day isn't really that untrue.
Reply 10
Nothing wrong with hard work to get success.

I'm sure most going to Oxbridge put in more hours than those who go elsewhere.

Not everyone are geniuses!

The Chinese IMO team are legendary, wondered why others don't copy their training regime to win it.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by lotsofq
Are the Chinese the best at Maths, especially given the difficulty of their university entrance exams?

Does anyone know of candidates who have achieved grade S in STEP II and III?


No Chinese Fields Medals yet so on current evidence no.
Original post by lotsofq


The Chinese IMO team are legendary, wondered why others don't copy their training regime to win it.


Most people don't have the time. And the school system doesn't allow it.
Original post by BillLionheart
No Chinese Fields Medals yet so on current evidence no.


Not true. Shing Tung Yau and Terence Tao.

In any case, it's subjective.

If you go by stats alone, GB are the best nation in tennis, or at least on grass, since they've won Wimbledon more times than any other country!
Original post by reallytired
Not true. Shing Tung Yau and Terence Tao.

In any case, it's subjective.

If you go by stats alone, GB are the best nation in tennis, or at least on grass, since they've won Wimbledon more times than any other country!


Terence Tao is Australian/American (competed in the IMO for USA aswell).

Most people would count wimbledon from the beginning of the open era, so it's not really an adequate comparison as the fields medal is a modern award.
Original post by TheMagicMan
Terence Tao is Australian/American (competed in the IMO for USA aswell).

Most people would count wimbledon from the beginning of the open era, so it's not really an adequate comparison as the fields medal is a modern award.


Terence Tao is a Hong Kong Chinese who emigrated to Australia as is Shing Tung Yau who went from China to HK then to the US.

When Sampras won his 7th Wimbledon crown, a newspaper remarked it was did not break William Renshaw's 6 in a row! Even Wikipedia cites this.

In any case, France has more winners (10) to the UK (6), so on that account, the best mathematicians are the French. However, their unis rarely feature in the top 30 in the world for maths, which either means judging by Fields Medals wins is inaccurate or league tables are sujective (or both)!
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by dugdugdug
Terence Tao is a Hong Kong Chinese who emigrated to Australia as is Shing Tung Yau who went from China to HK then to the US.

When Sampras won his 7th Wimbledon crown, a newspaper remarked it was did not break William Renshaw's 6 in a row! Even Wikipedia cites this.

In any case, France has more winners (10) to the UK (6), so on that account, the best mathematicians are the French. However, their unis rarely feature in the top 30 in the world for maths, which either means judging by Fields Medals wins is inaccurate or league tables are sujective (or both)!


Terence Tao was actually born in Australia but it's a minor point...I certainly wouldn't use fields medals as a measure of a nation's mathematical ability
Original post by TheMagicMan
Terence Tao was actually born in Australia but it's a minor point...I certainly wouldn't use fields medals as a measure of a nation's mathematical ability


Yes you are correct, my mistake!

However, whilst one might say never judge a book by its cover, let's be honest, if you were to spot him in the street, you'd say he's Oriental (not necessarily Chinese), not Australian.

Using Fields Medal to measure a nation's mathematical ability is a stupid idea.
Original post by reallytired
Not true. Shing Tung Yau and Terence Tao.

In any case, it's subjective.

If you go by stats alone, GB are the best nation in tennis, or at least on grass, since they've won Wimbledon more times than any other country!


I am willing to hear otherwise but I thought Tao was Australian born US citizen, you are right about Yau, born in China. PhD in Berkeley though. China comes of age mathematically when someone educated in China gets a Fields Medal (or similar achievement). I am sure they will get there soon.
Original post by around
Especially this guy and the guy who was 16 the year before him?


They gave Aaron a place but put a huge amount of restrictions on him. He's not allowed on college grounds after 6 and his dad has had to move to Cambridge to live with him. There were a pile of other restrictions as well that I can't remember off the top of my head.
(edited 11 years ago)

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