15-year-old Cambridge undergrad, 2009, will be 2nd youngest for 200 years

Going to university at 15 will give him the chance to further his mathematical knowledge by giving him access to tutors he would not otherwise be able to see.

And in the limit $N \to \infty$ you get the fascinating identity e >= 2.

That question got me into Cambridge!

I would've got a 3 without it... virtually all of my complete answers came out in a mad five minute rush. I sat and panicked for the remaining 2 3/4 hours.

Incidentally my favourite question was II 2009 Q2, I laughed aloud when I got the final result out without a hitch.

I don't really understand what you're trying to say. The questions are easy, but you weren't able to get the solution...

The whole point of STEP is that it is non algorithmic. Calculators can do algorithmic maths. They can solve quadratics, etc. This is also largely what A level maths involves. However STEP is completely different, you have to think about questions and come up with novel solutions. Calculators can't do that.

Sorry guys but if you actually look at the statistical evidence, intelligence is highly heritable.

People aren't born equal, and mathematics says so. Come on, no shocker really. Our brains are built by our genes and genes vary between people. You think mentally retarded people had the same potential as others? No, of course not. And as intelligence is a continuous variable, the same principle applies to everybody else.

Now please abandon this idealistic egalitarian society thing, Labour are still trying it and it fails even harder each year.

thats absolute crap. my parents achieved diddl squat academically however they did know what was needed to allow me to be great academically. there is very little deviation in the intelligence potential or whatever you wantto call it between you and me and everybody on this planet. how comes we are 98% similar genetically to monkeys? mentally retarded people are biologically seperable and not included. labour ftw

Yeah, ignore the actual objective statistical tests. 'How comes we are 98% similar genetically to monkeys' clinches it.

Interestingly by your argument if we put a monkey through the education system it should have the same potential as Einstein.

Cool.

And labour have gone bat **** insane.

thats absolute crap. my parents achieved diddl squat academically however they did know what was needed to allow me to be great academically. there is very little deviation in the intelligence potential or whatever you wantto call it between you and me and everybody on this planet. how comes we are 98% similar genetically to monkeys? mentally retarded people are biologically seperable and not included. labour ftw

i take it you're not a bio natsci/medic then :P

pretty hard, my ass? is it pretty hard to you or that mod guy ? no it isnt, its easy to you. 1 year ago simple as maths like differentiation seemed like a different language, until i learned it. the only reason people are finding step "hard" is because sixth formers these days are too busy partying. sixth formers fail in general. monkeys could do step, monkeys can do maths. calculators can do maths. end of debate. have a think about what i said ; " calculators can do maths

(emphasis mine)

No they can't. They can do arithmetic and calculation. Go prove the infinitude of primes with a calculator.

if you updated a calculator with enough neccessary information it would be able to calculate that.

if you updated a calculator with enough neccessary information it would be able to calculate that.

Why so?

I got 90%s in all my Biology modules, including applications of genetics...

I could've applied for NatSci but it didn't seem like enough of a challenge. :P

(Although I want to do mathematical biology actually).

calculators can do maths

Statistics