SMS' Interview with Prof Bela Bolobas some 20 years ago

Interview was conducted on September 14, 1994.

When asked of his opinion on 心算 (mental arithmetic), Prof Bolobas said:

"Oh my God! It's terrible. It trains you to be more comfortable with numbers to a certain extent, but it has nothing to do with mathematics, it has nothing to do with thinking. "


SMS: Singapore Mathematical Society
BB: Prof Bela Bolobas

SMS: Do you think that mathematics competitions promote mathematics? 

BB: I am a strong supporter of mathematics competitions; I have no doubt whatsoever that, on the whole, competitions serve a very useful purpose: they demonstrate that mathematics is not about getting results by applying well worked out, standard and boring methods, but is full of exciting, beautiful and unusual problems, whose solutions need ingenuity. Competitions should and do awaken the participants to the beauty of mathematics and to the role of ingenuity and imagination in attacking mathematical problems. In my experience, ordinary school mathematics very rarely indicates that one of the greatest assets of a professional mathematician is his imagination. Also, competitions enable youngsters to get some idea where they stand compared to their contemporaries, whether they are among the very best in the country at the stage or only better than their school friends.

SMS: So are competitions entirely good?

BB: Not entirely, far from it. The usual competitions have a number of drawbacks. Maybe two of the greatest drawbacks are that they happen only very occasionally and there is a time constraint which makes them too much like exams, which almost nobody likes. Also, it is rather sad, but undeniable, that for some people, competitions may do more harm than good. They think that they are rather good at mathematics and they go along to a competition thinking that they must do well. Then they become very nervous and they don't do well, so they get discouraged.

SMS: Do you think that mathematics competitions are just for the elite few?

BB: In some sense this is true, for the people who get the greatest pleasure out of the exam-like competitions are those who do well in them, and they are, by definition, the elite few. For the others the exam-like competitions can even be harmful, by signalling to them that they are not as good as they think, at least not in that type of competition, so they may be discouraged. As a matter of fact, this kind of discouragement happens often at Cambridge, and at any other university with outstanding mathematics undergraduates. As a Director of Studies in Trinity College, I have seen many students who are used to being at the top of the school, and upon their arrival in Cambridge, they find two boys on their staircase who are much better. Such a discovery can be devastating. I have to tell them not to be upset, since it is better to see the very best of their contemporaries at close range, so that they know where they stand. As for the competitions, one way to avoid discouraging students would be to have some easy problems as well, so that many competitors can go home with a sense of success. But there should also be some genuinely difficult problems, to sort out the very best. For example, the problems at the last International Mathematical Olympiad were far too easy.
.....
Prof Bolobas mentioned PM Lee, who was a senior wrangler (one who graduates as the top Cambridge Math student).

SMS: There have been many Singaporeans reading mathematics at Cambridge. Who do you recall to have been the most outstanding one?

BB: There have been many good Singaporean students, but one stands out among them; Lee Hsien Loong, your Deputy Prime Minister. He graduated at the top of his class, and he really won by a street. The one who came second has now become a world-class mathematician, but it was clear to everyone at the time who was the better one.

Read more of the interview here.

SIMO Senior Team 2015/2016

SIMO Senior Team 2015/2016 (31)

RI
Lee Jun Long Matthew, Y1
Shen Xinyi, Y1
Tan Wee Kean, Y1
Tan Xu Chen, Y1
Mar Teng Chou Nathan, Y2
Lee Chenxu, Y2
Liu Siyong, Y2
Loh Wai Kit Victor, Y2
Low Chen Yi, Y2
Pan Liyu, Y2
Lee Yong Le Isaac, Y3
Seah Fengyu, Y3
Wang Jianzhi, Y3
Tan Xue Liang, Y4

NUS High
Ho Li Xiong Timothy, Y1
Liau Yi Jun Jovan, Y1
Leong Zhi Ming Daniel, Y2
Li Yuelin, Y2
Zhang Xiaorui, Y2
Ahnt Htoo Myat, Y3
Chan Li Xuan Beverly, Y3

HCI
Loo Yi He Scott, Y2
Ng Yu Peng, Y2
Shi Cheng, Y2
Sun Longxuan, Y2
Kong Winfred, Y4

RGS
Chen Xinyi, Y1
Lee Estelle, Y3

ACSI
Ang Boon Han Nathaniel, Y1
Lin Zien, Y3

NYPS
Low Choo Ray, P6

Training for SIMO Senior Team has started on 17 October 2015.

Singapore Junior Physics Olympiad 2015 Results

Main Category

Gold Medalists
HCI - 1
NUS High - 15
RI - 8

View Full SJPO 2015 Results

SIMO National Team 2015/2016

SIMO National Team 2015/2016 (23)

RI
Cheng Puhua, Y2
Khor Jun Wei, Y2
Ang Ben Xuan, Y3
Caleb Leow, Y3
Lee Ker Yang, Y3
Ma Zhaoyu, Y4
Sheldon Tan, Y5
Liu Yijia, Y5
Glen Lim, Y5
Yang Gan, Y5

NUS High
Joel Tan, Y2
Dylan Toh, Y3
Gabriel Goh, Y3
Jacob Teo, Y3
Clarence Chew, Y4
Lee Zheng Han, Y4
Lim Li, Y4
Matthew Fan, Y4
Teddy Ong, Y4

HCI
Bryan Wang, Y4
Goh Hong Pei, Y4

RGS
Li Anqi, Y3

NYPS
Lucas Boo, P6

Training for SIMO National Team will start on 17th October 2015 (Saturday).

QS World University Ranking 2015-2016: No small feat for NUS, NTU

No small feat for NUS, NTU

by Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 17 September 2015

In a global ranking released on Tuesday, Singapore's two oldest universities made it into the top 13. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) took the 12th and 13th spots in the World University Ranking.

Last year, the same ranking by London-based education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), placed NUS and NTU 22nd and 39th.

QS said it assessed research citation differently this year, to even out a bias created by a large volume of citations from some fields, such as life sciences. But it noted that NUS and NTU would have improved their placings even without the change, as both did well in other areas like academic and employer reputation.

The survey is one of many each year. After the first global ranking - Shanghai Rankings - was published in 2003, others have evaluated universities by region and subjects. Used as global benchmarks, they have been criticised for reasons such as methodologies that may let institutions take shortcuts to raise scores. But despite this, the rankings are not ignored. They play a growing role in governments' higher education funding decisions and even immigration laws in countries such as Denmark.

They also influence partnerships in research and academic programmes, and help to boost the standing of universities among academics. At a time of higher student mobility, many may consider rankings when choosing where to study.

It is no small feat for NUS and NTU to rank so high. They beat the likes of Yale, Johns Hopkins and King's College London, and are the only ones in Asia to do so. Universities worldwide are racing to attract top talent, and their performance is a testament to the Republic's investment in higher education.

The two have climbed the league tables over the years, and the QS ranking is significant, placing both among the top of a list dominated by Western institutions. This is good for NUS and NTU, as they seek the best researchers, professors and students not just for themselves but also for Singapore.

The results will help to improve their standing in the world, and show that they can hold their own among the best.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 17, 2015, with the headline 'No small feat for NUS, NTU'.

Dean's List Academic Year 2014/2015 - Mathematical Sciences

SMO 2015 Prize Presentation

SMO Junior 2015

Champion Team: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Top 10 Ranking
1. Joel Tan Junyao, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
2. Khor Jun Wei, Raffles Institution
3. Zhang Xiaorui, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
4. Tan Wee Kean, Raffles Institution
5. Boo Tse Yang Lucas, Nanyang Primary School
6. Victor Loh Wai Kit, Raffles Institution
7. Cheng Puhua, Raffles Institution
8. Ho Li Xiong Timothy, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
9. Ng Yu Peng, Hwa Chong Institution
10. Ang Boon Han Nathaniel, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

SMO Senior 2015

Champion Team: NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Top 10 Ranking
1. Bryan Wang Peng Jun, Hwa Chong Institution
2. Dylan Toh Shan Hong, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
3. Tan Likai, Raffles Institution
4. Clarence Chew Xuan Da, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
5. Ma Zhao Yu, Raffles Institution
6. Teo Por Loong Jacob, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
7. Lee Ker Yang, Raffles Institution
8. Matthew Fan Xin Yu, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
8. Ong Hong Ming Teddy, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
10. Wang Jianzhi, Raffles Institution

SMO Open 2015

Champion Team: Raffles Institution
Top 10 Ranking
1. David Lin Kewei, Raffles Institution
1. Liu Yi Jia, Raffles Institution
3. Sheldon Kieren Tan, Raffles Institution
4. Ma Zhao Yu, Raffles Institution
5. Dylan Toh Shan Hong, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
6. Clarence Chew Xuan Da, NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
6. Tan Siah Yong, Raffles Institution
8. Lee Hua Jun Eugene, Raffles Institution
9. Bryan Wang Peng Jun, Hwa Chong Institution
10. Tan Likai, Raffles Institution

Congratulations!

Other results can be found here.


Lim Li won the 16th Individual prize in SMO Senior

SMO Senior Champion Team (Dylan, Clarence, Jacob) with Prof Victor Tan

IMO 2015 Singapore Team

Lim Jeck and Yap Jit Wu, trainers of SIMO National Team 2015-2016, Observers B of IMO 2016