The article, which is about a group of Chinese students at the annual China versus U.S. Math League contest at Stanford University, suggested that the exam-driven preparation for the gaokao [national college entrance examinations] destroys students' enthusiasm and curiosity in the subject, while the Math League, which "is committed to having kids worldwide enjoy math and discussions about problem-solving, is becoming popular among Chinese math-lovers."
Hu Rui, coach of the Chinese team, said in the article that the questions of The Math League "present fun and creative problems that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are missing in the current exam-oriented, cram education system in China."
Improving math education
In Zhang's opinion, there are some things China can learn from American math education.
American-born Chinese students demonstrate a higher math ability because their Chinese parents focus on stable basic education, and they grow up in an American education environment.
Andy Loo, who comes from Hong Kong and is currently the Math Club President at Princeton University, agrees.
Loo attributed the difference in performance to the differences between the American and Asian education systems.
"Most American high schools run on the credit system, where students choose courses every term based on their interests and needs. On the contrary, Asian education systems impose a fixed and uniform curriculum for all students who study a certain subject."
At Phillips Exeter Academy, for example, students can choose a course that is designed to teach problem-solving skills through the practice of Olympiad-style problems, said Loo.
Asian countries should amend their education system so that it "enables every student to develop and express their individuality, which is the real source of innovation and progress," he said.
Competing against the best
In January, China's Ministry of Education put a stop to giving students who do well in math Olympiads additional points in the gaokao in an effort to alleviate the pressures on Chinese students in general.
The reality, however, is that these math contests are targeted at a very limited and elite group of people.
"For true math- lovers and geniuses, attending these contests is a way to challenge yourself and to improve," said Zhang, who was once a winner of a national Chinese math Olympiad.
Loo started participating in math competitions in primary school. He enjoyed competing against highly-motivated and dedicated talented students in international math competitions.
"One time I shared a room with my Hong Kong teammate who became an International Mathematical Olympiad gold medalist. When I woke up the next morning, the first thing he said to me was not 'Good morning,' but 'let n be a positive integer!' He is immersed in mathematics every minute of his life!"
The most valuable lessons learned from math Olympiads, said Loo, are the problem-solving and logical-thinking abilities, better preparing him for higher academic pursuit and real-life situations.
"Nowadays, various disciplines such as economics, physics and computer science, have become increasingly math-intensive, and my math ability has really given me an edge in these subjects," he said.
At the latest IMO, the Chinese team was beaten by the U.S. But Li and Zhang are unfazed by this.
Instead, they believe China's math ability will rise in the future.
After Li read the Math League questions, he said most of the math-solving ability required was taught in China and used in math Olympiads for primary school students. "There are various ways to inspire children's interest in math and many Chinese teachers have been working on it."
Coach Zhang is already working on developing an online video lesson for children interested in math to inspire them to explore further.
In Zhang's opinion, math education should be taught in accordance with students' mental growth. "Apart from the math Olympiad, it is important to get more children to fall in love with math."
"China has no winner of the Fields Medal [considered to be the Nobel Prize in math] so far. But there are many Chinese math masters, and I believe there will be a day when they will win it," he said.
