2024 National Mathematics Summer School
By Year 12 Student Rupendren Manimaran
On the 7 of January, I was nervous. It was my first time taking a flight by myself, my first-time transiting for six hours, and my first time being so far away from family. However, I also felt excited, as I was attending the National Maths Summer School (NMSS), hosted at Wright Hall in Australian National University (ANU) Canberra.
It was an unforgettable two-week camp where 60 Year 11’s from all over the country gathered in one place to learn from Australia’s leading mathematicians. We were encouraged to embrace the idea of ‘productive struggle’, and it quickly became apparent what they meant. For starters, the maths was far beyond the school curriculum, to the point where it is safely nestled in tertiary grounds. Through daily lectures and deceptively tricky problems regarding fundamental concepts on Number Theory, Projective Geometry and Algorithms, I rebuilt my understanding of mathematics from the ground up.
We learnt of famous mathematicians and their ground-breaking discoveries, such as Euclid and Euler. I realised how we take so many things for granted in maths, when there were decades of efforts to prove it true. When attempting to prove these ‘simple’ facts, I struggled relentlessly for some hours to reach a definitive conclusion. When I did find the answer, I felt endlessly fulfilled. I’m grateful that the lecturers gave enough detail to point students in the right direction without giving away many spoilers, for the sake of self-exploration and critical thinking. It was an arduous yet truly rewarding journey.
Though maths was the primary focus, it’s not often that one gets to meet so many like-minded students from all walks of life. Whenever we weren’t sleuthing away at mathematical mysteries, we shared our musical talents, card tricks (and other games), and life experiences. The social aspect of NMSS was arguably the most enjoyable part of my experience. The lecturers and tutors also shared their own journeys and priceless insight through their careers, while being extremely modest and friendly.
These past two weeks have been an invaluable experience for me, and it would not have been possible if it weren’t for everyone who helped make this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a reality, including MTANT for their generous financial assistance in flights and accommodation. I would also like to express my gratitude to DHS for all their support, and especially Mrs Tan, my amazing maths teacher who nominated me for NMSS. I am thankful for her belief in my ability, and her remarkable resolution in bringing out my best academic potential.
