According to a list released by Alibaba Group, in 2024, more than 800 contestants worldwide (with an average age of 22) will compete in the finals of the Global Mathematics Competition, which will take place on June 22nd. These contestants come from top universities around the world, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Cambridge (UK), Tsinghua University and Peking University (China)...

Among them, the most notable is Khương Bình, a 17-year-old female student from a village school. Currently, Khương Bình is a first-year student in the Fashion Design department at Liên Thủy Vocational College (Jiangsu, China).

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Seventeen-year-old student Khương Bình has reached the finals of the global mathematics competition. Photo: Baidu

In the preliminary round, the female student scored 93 points and ranked 12th. This result allowed Khuong Binh to advance directly to the finals. Within the framework of this year's competition, the female student is considered one of the dark horses. In addition, Khuong Binh is also the first vocational school student in the history of the competition to achieve this result.

Previously, in the high school entrance exam, Khuong Binh scored 621 points, enough to attend a local high school. However, due to her passion for fashion design, the female student decided to choose to study at a vocational school in a village.

Khương Bình said that the intermediate level program mainly focuses on Chinese (Literature), Mathematics, and specialized subjects. In her free time, she concentrates on studying Mathematics. After a short time, the textbooks were insufficient to meet Khương Bình's needs. At this point, her high grades in Mathematics also attracted the attention of Ms. Vương Nhuận Thu.

With Ms. Thu's encouragement, Khuong Binh began to self-study advanced mathematics. During this process, the student encountered many difficulties when researching partial differential equations. To participate in the global mathematics competition, Khuong Binh studied on her own for two years. The student confessed that if she couldn't solve a problem, she would think about it even when lying in bed.

Female student Khuong Binh. Photo: Baidu

When asked about her interests, the female student revealed her passion for exploring mathematics. "Because mathematics brings me joy." Although she has a talent for mathematics, Khuong Binh doesn't admit it, saying it's just her natural aptitude. "For me, mathematics is not just a subject, it's also a passion, a hobby, and a challenge."

Sharing how she balances her two passions, Khuong Binh said that she studies math in her free time. Fashion design and mathematics are not contradictory; they complement each other effectively. "Mathematics is present in every aspect of life, and fashion is no exception. When designing clothes, I need to use drawing and symmetrical cutting skills. All of this is related to mathematics."

Speaking about how she came to participate in the competition, the student said she accidentally saw it on social media and wanted to try her luck. "I usually study mathematics seriously. I hope that by participating in the competition, my abilities will be recognized by others."

Khuong Binh's future plan is to pass the university entrance exam. "No matter what the future holds, I will still maintain my passion for mathematics. If fashion design is my goal A, exploring mathematics will be my goal B." The female student affirmed that she will not abandon either field, as both are her passions.

The Global Math Competition is organized by Alibaba Group and DAMO Academy. This is the sixth consecutive year the competition has been held. The final round will take place on June 22nd. Contestants will have to work continuously for eight hours. The overall winner will receive a prize worth over 4 million RMB (14 billion VND).

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