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Why are the chinese better?
i was jus wondering what everyone thought about this. my teacher was telling me that he was reading a list of the people that got full marks on the SMC paper because he was mailed it
he said that nearly all the names were definetely not not english or even indian but were mainly chinese.
is it that the chinese and japanese are naturally more gifted with numbers or is it the way that they are taught maths
Although i wasn't even close to getting full marks on the paper i wouldn't like to think the gaps between students is that large
what does everyone else think?
he said that nearly all the names were definetely not not english or even indian but were mainly chinese.
is it that the chinese and japanese are naturally more gifted with numbers or is it the way that they are taught maths
Although i wasn't even close to getting full marks on the paper i wouldn't like to think the gaps between students is that large
what does everyone else think?
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they do work awfully hard at school and at their jobs. they work harder than most western countries. but i dunno? 
its pretty odd
its pretty odd
They might be over-achievers in school, but the Chinese/Asians are certainly not the best mathematicians at a professional level. In fact, the only two prominent Asian mathematicians I can remember off the top of my head are Japs Yutaka Taniyama and Goro Shimura.
In any case, I think its simply the rule of averages. There are over a billion Chinese, and no doubt they would have people successful at everything.
Don't let it get to you, though. I have always had the feeling that Bulgarians and Romanians are the best mathematicians out there. One curl's ones lip - it means nothing.
In any case, I think its simply the rule of averages. There are over a billion Chinese, and no doubt they would have people successful at everything.
Don't let it get to you, though. I have always had the feeling that Bulgarians and Romanians are the best mathematicians out there. One curl's ones lip - it means nothing.
Revelation
they do work awfully hard at school and at their jobs. they work harder than most western countries. but i dunno? its pretty odd
its pretty odd~why do u say it's 'odd'? It just demonstrates where they emphasise their school work. In the modern world, the Western countries have had the power in the last 100 odd years, and Mathematics is one subject where there are only straight right or wrong answers, which is in their view easier,(you only need to practice, practice, practice
) compared to English: perhaps harder to grasp and more subjective in it's expression.International Mathematical Olympiad 2004
Sl. Name of the country Rank
1. China 220
2. USA 212
3. Russia 205
4. Vietnam 196
5. Bulgaria 194
6. Taiwan 190
7. Hungary 187
8. Japan 182
9. Iran 178
10. Romania 176
11. Ukraine 174
12. Korea 166
13. Belarus 154
14. India 151
15. Israel 147
16. Poland 142
17. Singapore 139
Sl. Name of the country Rank
1. China 220
2. USA 212
3. Russia 205
4. Vietnam 196
5. Bulgaria 194
6. Taiwan 190
7. Hungary 187
8. Japan 182
9. Iran 178
10. Romania 176
11. Ukraine 174
12. Korea 166
13. Belarus 154
14. India 151
15. Israel 147
16. Poland 142
17. Singapore 139
The Chinese are like super machines when it comes to solving a problem. That's why they excel in exams and olympiads. Their training is superb.
And btw, they own the IMO because the CMO (Chinese Math Olympiad) is harder since there are a LOT of Chinese who try for the Chinese team. So, naturally, those who make the cut are amazing problem-solvers.
And btw, they own the IMO because the CMO (Chinese Math Olympiad) is harder since there are a LOT of Chinese who try for the Chinese team. So, naturally, those who make the cut are amazing problem-solvers.
einstein was chinese? michael jackson was chinese? mohammed ali was chinese? tiger woods was chinese? biatoven was chinese?
Actually i read something about this in the guardian. Because of the chinese policy of 1 child/family and the lack of real pension scheme in china the responsibility for supporting both your parents falls on the child and therefore the child works a lot harder because achieving good grades is the only way his parents have of getting some financial secutiry in their old age. The kid is also under a lot of pressure from his parents and teachers there are all these cases of people getting 100% and being told they should have managed to finish the test faster.
In western countries, they're good at maths because their parents expect a lot from them. Plus there is natural competitiveness from seeing other chinese people they know doing well.
If we are talking about China, 1.3 billiion people who have the toughest competition in the world for good jobs in their own country what do you expect?
I'm chinese but born in the UK so it's cool for me to say that. But anyway thats probably the reason. Nothing much to do with their parents teaching them problem solving but in the UK certainly, I think a lot of chinese students want to get good grades coz their parents always bang on about how important a good job is, pleasing our parents is only natural so thats part of their incentive. Thats for the mandariny people anyway. Most cantonese speaking families in the UK have take-away backgrounds and have a lower percentage of super mathematicians/doctors but still higher than the UK average on the whole.
If we are talking about China, 1.3 billiion people who have the toughest competition in the world for good jobs in their own country what do you expect?
I'm chinese but born in the UK so it's cool for me to say that. But anyway thats probably the reason. Nothing much to do with their parents teaching them problem solving but in the UK certainly, I think a lot of chinese students want to get good grades coz their parents always bang on about how important a good job is, pleasing our parents is only natural so thats part of their incentive. Thats for the mandariny people anyway. Most cantonese speaking families in the UK have take-away backgrounds and have a lower percentage of super mathematicians/doctors but still higher than the UK average on the whole.
BloodyValentine
Actually i read something about this in the guardian. Because of the chinese policy of 1 child/family and the lack of real pension scheme in china the responsibility for supporting both your parents falls on the child and therefore the child works a lot harder because achieving good grades is the only way his parents have of getting some financial secutiry in their old age. The kid is also under a lot of pressure from his parents and teachers there are all these cases of people getting 100% and being told they should have managed to finish the test faster.
hmm i dont believe in this. People from hong kong are still amazing at maths -yet they don't have any one child policies...they still work very hard nevertheless.
It's mostly to do with the training. There are lots of bright people all over the world, but natural intelligence, no matter how much, only gets you so far. China takes all the International Science Olympiads very seriously, and I think all the people who represent the country are prepared for months beforehand.
Even Chinese parents living with their children in England tend to push them harder than most Western parents (not always true though...)
Even Chinese parents living with their children in England tend to push them harder than most Western parents (not always true though...)
its to do with the language.
numbers (i.e. the words for them) in chinese are very regular. (the same goes for slavic languages)
unlike in english, where you have different syntactical rules for forming numbers (e.g. 1-10 are ok, but then you get eleven, twelve (irregular) then 13-19 (quite regular, except thirteen) then an (almost) regular "n-ty m" type expression for the number nm, and so on
whereas in chinese (also slavic) you get a very regular "n-tens m" type expression fpr numbers
this doesnt explain affinity for more abstract level maths, but shows why children are more likely to enjoy maths when they begin learning it (alongside learning language)
numbers (i.e. the words for them) in chinese are very regular. (the same goes for slavic languages)
unlike in english, where you have different syntactical rules for forming numbers (e.g. 1-10 are ok, but then you get eleven, twelve (irregular) then 13-19 (quite regular, except thirteen) then an (almost) regular "n-ty m" type expression for the number nm, and so on
whereas in chinese (also slavic) you get a very regular "n-tens m" type expression fpr numbers
this doesnt explain affinity for more abstract level maths, but shows why children are more likely to enjoy maths when they begin learning it (alongside learning language)
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