Our director team brings together highlights from each of these contests into a single event that showcases the essence of a US math tournament.
The AMT is not only a math tournament -- it is also a venue for building a stronger global math community. This year's disruptions make the mission of AMT more important than ever before. We have been isolated away from each other during this pandemic, but we are not alone. The AMT community is bound by shared passions and by a shared belief that math is fun. This summer, we will meet to rekindle those connections, and I hope to see you there.
Moor Xu
Director of ASDAN Math Tournament
June, 2022
Haydn Gwyn, UC Berkeley Math and Computer Science
BMT Problem Writer
Writer for BMT, participant in USAMO, HMMT, PUMaC, CMIMC, JHMT
Short wishes: Math competitions like AMT are what brought my interest in mathematics from a byproduct of my endeavors in school to a definitive aspect of my character. Beyond the creativity and problem solving ability these contests allow you to gain, the relationships you form with event organizers and other competitors will affect you for years to come. I urge you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to work on every problem, read every solution, and create lasting bonds with fellow members of the mathematical community. Best of luck!
Samuel Marks, Math
PUMaC Organizer
My name is Samuel Marks, and I am a 2nd year math major at Princeton. While in high school, I participated in a number of math challenges - mostly local challenges including the Georgia Tech math challenges - and I also organized an annual math challenges at my high school. Since entering college I've participated in the Putnam each year, and I was on the PUMaC team in 2016 where organized a new event for the contest similar to a guts round.
I hope that by participating in math challenges, students can gain a more profound appreciation for mathematics. Math is not just about knowing answers to problems - it's about problem solving: being able to look at a difficult problem you have no idea how to solve and come up with a way to approach it. I hope that the problems that students encounter inspire them to think about math in new ways and gain a more profound understanding of what mathematics really is. Good luck to everyone!
Ashwath Thirumalai, Math and Computer Science
Experience with USAMO, MOP, SMT, ARML, HMMT
Math contests were a very important part of growing up for me. They taught me how to collaborate with others, how to engage in friendly challenge, and how to learn on my own and from others -- all skills that have come in handy for me later on. As you all participate in this challenge, I hope you take the time to appreciate the peer group and community around you, meet new people, and make new friends.
Julia Huang, MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
HMMT Problem Writer
Math is amazing because it makes us think creatively and try new things. It makes us struggle but prevail, teaching us to never give up. But more than anything, it brings people together. I can't remember when I haven't had my math friends to turn to for help, for guidance, regardless of how many miles we were separated by. Take the time today to make some new friends, because it is so worthwhile to be part of a community of just a bunch of people who kind of love math a whole lot.
Bill Huang, Princeton Mathematics
PUMaC Head Grader and Problem Writer
To me, competition math is a really nice medium of exploring some of the gems of mathematics - maybe not deep truths, but nevertheless beautiful. Thus, I hope that you all enjoy the problems on the competition and hopefully learn something new. Finally,remember that this competition is also a social event: what I took away the most from these events were the new friends I made. Make sure to set aside time to meet others and have fun!
Nathan Wong, UC Berkeley Mathematics
Experience with BMT
Math will show up in creative and unexpected ways no matter what you decide to do in the future. We hope that this tournament will serve as a fun and friendly introduction to some of the problem solving and thinking methodologies that will be expected of you sooner than you think, while also being a great opportunity to network among a large community of talented individuals like you from diverse backgrounds.
Xiaoyu Xu, Princeton Mathematics
PUMaC Head Grader and Problem Writer
When I was a Mathematics Olympiad participant, I also competed at HMMT and I found that, in these tournaments run by students, the ex-MO-participants shared with us their precious MO experience as well as problems, which lead us to appreciate the beauty and fun of math. I hope that I, together with our whole team, can bring the aforementioned fun of US math tournaments to China, in particular, the ASDAN Math Tournament this summer. So just enjoy it!
Jing Jing Li, UC Berkeley Mathematics
A fractal is a mathematical set that displays a repeating pattern at every scale; when you zoom in along the edges, the overall shape remains the same, showing infinitely fine detail. Studying math is like plunging into a fractal - each discovery leads to more paths to follow, and the more you zoom in, the more you can appreciate the beautiful patterns they weave. We are excited to be holding this tournament this summer, and we hope to introduce you to interesting mathematics and share the joy of problem solving.
Kyle Gatesman, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Math and Computer Science (double major)
JHMT Problem Writer
Wishes to the students: I hope the virtual competition experience this year is just as rewarding as the in-person experience!
Aurick Zhou, Computer Science
BMT Problem Writer
Mathematics has always been exciting to me not only for the constant thrill of finding solutions to complex problems and learning new things along the way, but also for the community of I found myself immersed in. It is truly an invaluable experience to be surrounded by a group of such fun, curious, and motivated peers, a group of people that one can always turn to for help and support. I hope you all will enjoy solving the problems at this math tournament, as well as take the time to meet your fellow students and make new friends.
Harrison, Ho Stanford Computer Science
SMT Problem Writer and Organizer
Math fascinates me not only for the solutions to problems but for the process of finding those solutions. It is rewarding to work through problems, try various strategies, and discover clever or unexpected results. Just as rewarding is the opportunity to discuss these findings with other students and learn from their insights. During the math competition, I hope that you will be able to tackle interesting problems that you may not.
Aaron Lin, MIT Computer and Cognitive Science
HMMT & BMT Problem Writer
Math tournaments have been a definitive part of my growing up in high school. It taught me an extraordinary amount about tackling challenging problems and helped me appreciate the beauty of mathematics. More importantly, tournaments introduced me to a fun, supportive, and equally passionate community of peers, something that a math book or test cannot offer. The people you'll meet at this tournament will ultimately be the most valuable part of the experience, so I hope that you'll spend time talking to other students and staff members.
Benjamin Ponedel, UC Berkeley Ph.D. Candidate in Theoretical Physics
SMT Problem Writer for 5 years, Founder of JHMT
Welcome to the ASDAN Math Tournament! We are a dynamic and diverse set of university students from across America who are passionate about mathematics. In building this tournament we strive to bring you interesting, sometimes non-standard, mathematics that makes you think in new and creative ways. Whether you are new to mathematics or a practiced expert, we hope that AMT can help to expand your math horizons and encourage you to pursue an intellectually challenging life.
Debbie Ma, UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering Computer Science
BMT Problem Writer
Wavelet decomposition creates a "tree" structure of a complex image. You may not be able to analyze the picture you have just by looking at it; sometimes you need to decompose the image into different resolutions -- its overlaying structure and then more detail as you understand the structure itself. Similarly, with math problems, if the problem seems impossible, take a step back and break it up into the big idea and then start concentrating on the details. Remember, don't panic, breathe, and take a step back to appreciate the bigger picture. Let the power of math compel you!
Andrew Guo, Stanford Physics
SMT Problem Writer and Grader
Engaging with a community of like-minded individuals at math competitions not only guarantees everlasting friendships, but also motivate you to put forth your best efforts and reach your academic goals. Both diligence and intelligence will be necessary to overcome these challenging problems. I encourage you to prepare well for the high level of thinking that our tests demand.
Willem Van Eck, UC Berkeley Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science
SMT & BMT Problem Writer
I hope that this tournament will both get more Chinese students interested in mathematics and problem solving, and provide a suitable challenge for all participants. The tournament is also a valuable opportunity for participants to meet talented students throughout China. I hope that they use this opportunity to make friends and strengthen the community of young Chinese mathematicians.
Xingyou Song, UC Berkeley Mathematics
BMT Problem Writer
Hi, I'll be one of the problem writers this year. I hope to create good and insightful problems, as well as a good experience in general for the math contest.
Zehao Zhao, UC Berkeley, Math & Computer Science & Stats & Data Science
BMT Problem Writer
I appreciate the beauty and charm of mathematics, especially number theory. Unlike physical sciences, math, especially number theory, holds eternally, because numbers have the meaning of existence without real-world objects. Math is also a language, a human language, and a universal language. I hope you appreciate both problem solving and the essence of Mathematics!
Benjamin Chen, Math
HMMT Organizer
I started my journey through mathematics in middle school through math competitions. I was a competitive person, I wanted to win, and I treated math simply as something to compete in, because that's what those competitions emphasized. It was not until later that I seriously tried to study math in a systematic way and understand it as a story to enjoy rather than merely an arena to compete in. I hope that this competition can be not only an exciting competitive experience, but also an invitation and an introduction to the great variety of stories math has to offer beyond the normal scope of challenges.
Edward Dai, Stanford Mathematical and Computational Science
SMT Head Problem Writer
Welcome to the ASDAN Math Tournament! Mathematics is an ever-important subject in today's quantitative society, and it's great that you've already begun a journey in this field. Math, for me, has always been about more than doing arithmetic quickly or even solving problems cleverly and elegantly. It's been about the people,the collaboration, and the community. I hope you enjoy competing in the tournament and perhaps experiencing some of the camaraderie in the math community that I've had the privilege of being a part of. Best of luck!
Heesu Hwang, Princeton Mathematics
PUMaC Head Problem Writer
I'm excited to be a part of this tournament and hope to help bridge our different tournaments and math communities together. I first became interested in mathematics through contests and I know the importance of engaging in interesting problems. I'm studying mathematics as an undergrad, and hope to continue on towards math academia. I owe my interests in math to competitions like AMT. With this in mind, I wish to help make AMT as gerat as I can so that others might be encouraged to pursue mathematics as I was.
Ronald Kwan, UC Berkeley Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science
Experience with BMT
Math competitions have been an integral part of my life since early in my high school career. From participating in and organizing them, I have gained an appreciation for a vast horizon of mathematical concepts and problems. Pursuing mathematics and math contests has also enabled me to meet a wide variety of amazing people I would not have otherwise, and many of them remain some of my closest friends to this day. Because of what I've gained from math competitions, I'm excited to help organize this tournament, and I hope our contestants can reap these rewards of their hard work.
Alvin Jin, UC Berkeley Mathematics
BMT Problem Writer
Problem solving helps highlight the beauty of mathematics. In fact, problem solving is used in many fields of study and is a valuable life tool. Through this tournament, we hope to show you some neat and elegant tools and ideas in mathematics. Moreover, this is an opportunity for you all to meet like-minded peers who love mathematics as much as you do. We hope that this tournament helps propel you into your mathematical career. Most importantly, we hope you have a lot of fun!
Lennart Jasson, Stanford Computer Science and Music
SMT Problem Writer and Software Developer
All of us from Stanford are very excited for this occasion to enrich math education overseas. AMT China is not only an event for you to compete with your classmates and test your ability to solve math problems. It's also an opportunity to open your mind to new and intriguing mathematical ideas, which you may then use as a launching point for your own mathematical studies. We hope you enjoy the tournament!
Rio La Vigne, Stanford Mathematics
SMT Grader & Organizer
Math is not about how quickly you can divid e or multiply, it is about solving puzzles and thinking outside of the box. Math is about working as a team, and understanding your strengths and weaknesses together. We, as a team, have come together from colleges and tournaments across the US to make this tournament for you. Our variety of backgrounds means we have a great variety of problems sure to make you and your team think. We hope you enjoy them!
