On November 5th, the third S.T. Yau High School Girls’ Mathematics Contest was successfully concluded in Beijing. More than 300 students from 23 provinces and autonomous regions, as well as the United States, Australia, and other overseas countries, signed up for the competition, and more than 120 contestants were shortlisted. After two rounds of fierce competition of written tests and interviews, 18 students stood out and won gold, silver, bronze, and winning prizes respectively. Chen Tongtong from Suzhou Middle School in Jiangsu Province won the gold medal.
In the afternoon, the award ceremony was held at the Experimental High School affiliated with Beijing Normal University. Academician Shing-Tung Yau, chairman of the competition and Professor of Tsinghua University, Pang Jianli, Director of the Second Department of Basic Education of Beijing Municipal Education Commission and Second-class Inspector, Wang Yan, Deputy Director of the School Committee of Tsinghua University, and Li Xiaohui, President of Experimental Middle School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University attended the award ceremony and delivered a speech. Professor Lin Yong, vice president of Qiuzhen College, first introduced the competition.
The guest speech
Pang Jianli delivered a speech
Pang said that mathematics is an important foundation of natural science and plays an irreplaceable role in forming human rational thinking, and scientific spirit and promoting intellectual development. The mathematics competition for female middle school students is a vivid practice of thoroughly implementing the strategic deployment of strengthening the country through education, and an active exploration of the early discovery, early training, and comprehensive training of top-notch innovative talents in the field of mathematics. He hoped that the students would cherish "the big country", remember the "mission of strengthening the country" and inherit the "scientific spirit" so that their interests and specialties could "sprout" and "emerge" in the new education ecology, and grow into pillars as soon as possible.
Wang Yan delivered a speech
Wang Yan believes that the establishment of Qiuzhen Academy has innovated the training mode of leading mathematics talents, created a precedent for the complete localization of top mathematics talents, and promoted the training of mathematical talents at Tsinghua University into a new stage of development. Tsinghua University will continue to provide guarantee and support for the development of mathematics discipline and the training of top talents, and constantly strengthen the ability of independent cultivation of talents.
Li Xiaohui delivered a speech
Li Xiaohui introduced that the Experimental Middle School affiliated with Beijing Normal University has always been committed to cultivating "talents with all-round development and special skills", and the students have particularly outstanding achievements in mathematics. This year, they applied for the establishment of a "Yau Youth Class". He and the participating students encourage, that the journey of mathematics exploration is still far, and the exploration of talent education is always on the way.
Academician Yau delivered a speech
Yau stressed that only when China's basic science excels on the world stage can the country make continuous progress. After 40 years of development, China has accumulated a strong scientific and technological force. Today's task is to train its own scientific and technological talents at home and bring China to the center of the world scientific research stage. He hopes students to focus on the world and the technological powers in Europe and the United States, as well as the development of scientific and technological power in emerging Asia. He believes that a small number of outstanding students should be selected for special training to find a group of leading scientific and technological talents. He hoped that girls would know that as long as they did well, they would be respected and develop Chinese mathematics well and show the ability of Chinese people on the world stage.
Student representatives speak
The winning student representative is Chen Tongtong
Wang Xinjia spoke
In her acceptance speech, Chen Tongtong, from Suzhou Middle School in Jiangsu Province, thanked the organizing committee for providing a platform for girls who love mathematics to compete, learn from each other, communicate, and discuss with each other. With her own experience, she encourages students to study on the road of mathematics learning, to overcome yesterday's self as the goal, to adhere to the original aspiration, to maintain the love for mathematics, constantly pursue, and harvest their success and applause.
Wang Xinjia of the Experimental Middle School affiliated to Beijing Normal University won the bronze prize in the competition. Wang Xinjia has had a strong interest in mathematics since she was a child. When she arrived in middle school, she gradually strengthened her ambition to engage in future mathematics research through further in-depth study. She enjoyed the process of learning mathematical theories, savoring mathematical ideas, conducting logical reasoning, and solving mathematical problems.
Zhang Ronghang, the representative of the second Yau Girl’s Contest winners
Zhang Heyun spoke
Zhang Ronghang, the silver award winner of the second Yau Girl’s Contest, shared their colorful study life at Qiuzhen College. Zhang Ronghang said that her love for mathematics makes her grow in mathematics learning, and the deep study of advanced mathematics shows her a new world. She warmly invited more students to join the Qiuzhen family, seek youth, and pursue the truth and beauty of mathematics together. Zhang Heyi shared her tortuous experience of participating in the women's competitions twice. She mentioned that failing to win the first competition made her realize the gap and find her potential. Later, she missed the gaps continued to work hard, and won the silver medal in the second women's competition. She encouraged the students present here not to be discouraged, in the process of mathematics learning perseverance, diligent thinking, continuous practice, and brave pursuit of the future.
Gold, silver, bronze, and the winning students were taking the photo together
Fang Yan, Principal of the High School Affiliated with Tsinghua University, Xu Wenbing, Vice President of the High School Affiliated with Tsinghua University, Du Yuehua, principal of the Foreign Language School Affiliated with Shanghai International Studies University, Liang Liping, Vice President of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, Shang Jianjun, vice principal of Experimental Middle School affiliated to Beijing Normal University, Chen Zheng, director of Curriculum Teaching Center of Beijing 101 Middle School and president of Yingcai College and other middle school representatives, Liu Zhengwei, Wu Rongrong, Long Fei, Vice Presidents of BIMSA, Zhang Yihua, Wang Xiaofang, vice presidents of Qiuzhen College of Tsinghua University, Liang Tong, deputy director of Yau Mathematics Science Center of Tsinghua University and other guests witnessed this glorious moment together with the contestants and parents of the students.
Before the award ceremony, Kong Lingxin, a professor at Tsinghua University, gave an opening special report with the title "Quantum Gravity, Random Matrix and the Passing Formula of Maria MilZahani". Lynn Heller, a representative of the female mathematician and a researcher of BIMSA, communicated with the participating girls. She encouraged the female students to do it bravely and express it bravely.
The competition is sponsored by the Qiu Chengtong Mathematical Science Center of Tsinghua University, organized by the Experimental Middle School affiliated with Beijing Normal University, and supported by the Qiushi College of Tsinghua University. It was supported by the "SIM(She in Math) Mathematical Talent Training Fund" of the Tsinghua University Education Foundation. Founded by Professor S.T Yau in 2021, the competition is open to female middle school students around the world, aiming to encourage more girls to study mathematics, enhance their love and confidence in basic science, and help cultivate more female scientists. The first two competitions were organized by the Affiliated High School of Tsinghua University and Hangzhou No.2 Middle School respectively, attracting nearly 300 students to participate.
The women's competition award was named the "Emmy Noether Prize" in honor of the great female mathematician Emmy Noether who has made outstanding contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics. She established the theory of algebra in ring, domain, laid the foundation for the establishment of abstract algebra on the domain, and promoted abstract algebra to become an independent branch of mathematics, known as "the mother of abstract algebra".
Text: Niu Yun, Zhang Yan
Photo source: Beijing Normal University Experimental Middle School
