The first International Math Olympiad
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wrote 24 days ago last edited by Horace 5 Dec 2025, 17:23
Just got the final grades for my calc 2 semester, got a 97%. I don't really trust that the material is as hard as when I took this class 30 years ago, but whatever. On to calc 3, then I'll decide whether to pursue an advanced degree.
I know the calc textbooks teach the same material now vs 30 years ago, but the professor's discretion in how advanced to make the test questions, defines the difficulty of the class. The final exam two days ago had some pretty easy questions. But I guess finals tend to be more surface level, assuming they don't cover new material. I remember some "final" exams being just the last mid-term, but this final did not include any new material, just a retrospective on the four previous mid-terms. An easy retrospective, but it was 30% of the grade, so I was stressed.
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Just got the final grades for my calc 2 semester, got a 97%. I don't really trust that the material is as hard as when I took this class 30 years ago, but whatever. On to calc 3, then I'll decide whether to pursue an advanced degree.
I know the calc textbooks teach the same material now vs 30 years ago, but the professor's discretion in how advanced to make the test questions, defines the difficulty of the class. The final exam two days ago had some pretty easy questions. But I guess finals tend to be more surface level, assuming they don't cover new material. I remember some "final" exams being just the last mid-term, but this final did not include any new material, just a retrospective on the four previous mid-terms. An easy retrospective, but it was 30% of the grade, so I was stressed.
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wrote 24 days ago last edited by
Nice!
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wrote 24 days ago last edited by
Horace, great job. When I was a boy everybody was ok at 1+1, and maybe 2+2, but at 4+4 things fell apart.
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Horace, great job. When I was a boy everybody was ok at 1+1, and maybe 2+2, but at 4+4 things fell apart.
wrote 24 days ago last edited by@Tom-K said in The first International Math Olympiad:
Horace, great job. When I was a boy everybody was ok at 1+1, and maybe 2+2, but at 4+4 things fell apart.
That's where multiplication comes in handy. I haven't gotten to that part yet, but word on the street is that it works well.
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wrote 18 days ago last edited by jon-nyc
The new Romanian president scored a perfect score on the IMO in the 80s
Twice.
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wrote 18 days ago last edited by
Guy might be smarter than Biden and Trump. I mean, it’s possible.
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wrote 18 days ago last edited by
My Carnegie Hall concert buddy got a master is math (or as he says maths} just for the hell of it.
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wrote 18 days ago last edited by
@jon-nyc said in The first International Math Olympiad:
The new Romanian president scored a perfect score on the IMO in the 80s
Twice.
Apparently only 25 people have ever gold medaled twice in the IMO.
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wrote 17 days ago last edited by
@Horace said in The first International Math Olympiad:
@Klaus I'm considering pursuing a Masters in math after I re-do the calc courses.
Cool! What part of mathematics do you want to specialize in?
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@Horace said in The first International Math Olympiad:
@Klaus I'm considering pursuing a Masters in math after I re-do the calc courses.
Cool! What part of mathematics do you want to specialize in?
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wrote 17 days ago last edited by
Is this just for fun or do you want to make a living with it?
If it's just for fun, I'd specialize in some absurd, highly theoretical branch of mathematics with no applications in the next 300 years, such as higher-dimensional category theory or homotopy type theory or algebraic topology.
If you want to make a living: Probability/statistics and then make $$$ in the AI industry.
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wrote 17 days ago last edited by
You could diversify and become the next Tom Lehrer
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Is this just for fun or do you want to make a living with it?
If it's just for fun, I'd specialize in some absurd, highly theoretical branch of mathematics with no applications in the next 300 years, such as higher-dimensional category theory or homotopy type theory or algebraic topology.
If you want to make a living: Probability/statistics and then make $$$ in the AI industry.
wrote 17 days ago last edited by@Klaus said in The first International Math Olympiad:
Is this just for fun or do you want to make a living with it?
If it's just for fun, I'd specialize in some absurd, highly theoretical branch of mathematics with no applications in the next 300 years, such as higher-dimensional category theory or homotopy type theory or algebraic topology.
If you want to make a living: Probability/statistics and then make $$$ in the AI industry.
I am sort of curious whether there's such a thing as a job market for someone in their mid 50s with a fresh degree in the next big thing in tech. Curious enough to actually find out.
