My Journey With Math Olympiads
Discovering the Beauty of Numbers and the Thrill of Competition
Meyes were locked on the screen, unblinking, as the results of the 2020 Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad (SEAMO) were being announced live on YouTube. I took quick and shallow breaths, and I could feel every heartbeat echo through my body, louder than the previous one. I was shaking. My mind had become a battlefield of fears and anticipation, a chaotic storm of “what ifs” and doubts whirling out of control: What if I didn’t win? What if my brother outperformed me? Will I be a disappointment? Will my parents be angry if I fail? Have I even had dinner yet (I was quite hungry)?
The voice of the announcer boomed through the speakers: “R...” The letter seemed to reverberate in my mind in a countdown toward my fate. My name was next; every muscle in my body tensed with anticipation. I could feel my parents’ eyes shifting towards me, the pressure of their expectations weighing down on me. The announcer’s voice continued, “Ritvik Nayak…”
My parents, who had been scrolling lazily through Instagram reels on their phones, suddenly stopped and intently stared at the screen of the TV as the awarding ceremony unfolded. The tension in the room was electric, almost suffocating, as the announcer called out of the awardees’ names alphabetically.
The voice of the announcer boomed through the speakers: “R...” The letter seemed to reverberate in my mind in a countdown toward my fate. My name was next; every muscle in my body tensed with anticipation. I could feel my parents’ eyes shifting towards me, the pressure of their expectations weighing down on me. The announcer’s voice continued, “Ritvik Nayak…”
My name is Ritvik Nayak, and I am an International Math Olympian. My journey with mathematics began when I was just 5 years old, but even from those early days, it was never just a subject to me. Mathematics became an obsession — a language of its own, a universe where every equation, every problem, was a thrilling mystery waiting to be solved.
For me, math has never been about memorising formulas or blindly following steps; it’s about the chase—the exhilarating hunt for a solution hidden in plain sight. Every challenge is an adventure, every problem a puzzle that beckons me to dig deeper and think harder. My introduction to Math Olympiads happened quite serendipitously, thanks to my brother, Kartik Nayak. He’s like the Indiana Jones of math — except instead of a whip, he wields a calculator.
Thenceforth, I plunged headlong into the world of competitive mathematics. I competed in any competition I could find: SEAMO, SIMOC (Singapore International Mathematics Olympiad Challenge), WMI (World Mathematics Invitational), AMO (American Math Olympiad), VANDA International Science Competition, SASMO (Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad), and tons of other olympiads.
Each one became a new mountain to climb, a new puzzle to solve. I trained hard, hours and hours poring over past papers and making each problem sound like some crime that this cool detective had to figure out. I joined online forums, attended math camps, and read books on number theory, combinatorics, algebra, and geometry. Each problem solved was a victory, and each failure a lesson. And each sleepless night, well, a reminder that coffee really needs a warning label for minors.
SIMOC, The Most Challenging of All
Of all these competitions, SIMOC (Singapore Mathematical Olympiad Challenge) proved to be the severest test of my abilities. It was one of the big leagues. SIMOC was not only a competition but also a refining pot meant to test any person who ventured into it to the limit. I still remember the year I qualified to attend SIMOC-my heart was racing with excitement mixed with dread. The problem wasn’t only to solve the problems in mathematics but to outsmart some of the smartest young brains around the world, over 18,000 of them. It was some sort of nerdy version of The Hunger Games, except instead of a bow and arrow, I had a pencil and a head full of proofs.
Appointed with a sense of purpose, I flew to Singapore, knowing this would be nothing like any other competition. Immediately upon my arrival at the competition venue, I felt the tension in the air. The other participants were as good as the best one can be from their respective countries, and all knew this well. Every hour was almost a race of enduring mental stamina with rounds of problems that were supposed to put to test mathematical knowledge, aptitude, adaptiveness, and staying capacity. The problems at SIMOC were one level above anything I had tried before this. They sounded elegant yet were deceptively simple and had been concocted to baffle even the sharpest of minds.
The entire competition lasted just above 8 hours with 3 events: the mind sports challenge, a written exam, and the math warriors challenge. There were times when I wanted to quit. The pressure, the constant barrage of apparently insoluble problems, and the comparisons with the other participants daunted me. Yet something within refused to give in. So I reminded myself of all the obstacles that I had to surmount in order to come here. I remembered nights at the desk, doubled over, endless practice sessions, hundreds of problems solved. And then, bit by bit, I started finding a rhythm in all that noise. Indeed, this was the end of the competition, which I closed with 2 bronze medals.
More importantly, I walked away with a new perspective on problem-solving, resilience, and what it takes to go beyond your limits. And, if I am being honest, a deep appreciation for the comfort of my own bed. Trust me, the floor at the end of the event was DISGUSTING.
Where I Am Today, From Numbers to Neural Networks
Today, as an AI researcher, I look back upon my journey through those math olympiads as a time to be truly grateful for. Those were not just about winning medals or adding another accolade to my name; those were about the very birth and foundation of my intellectual journey. Math taught me to think logically, to approach problems methodically, and to appreciate the beauty of an elegant solution. It taught me how to fail, how to get up after falling, and how to push through during times when things seem too hard. Turns out, math was the ultimate life coach-minus the motivational quotes.
Quite naturally, my interest in mathematics extended to computer science, more so to machine learning and artificial intelligence. The same logical reasoning and critical thinking that I was able to hone through innumerable math problems then proved invaluable in the study of complex algorithms and neural networks. I found AI, much like math, was another universe of endless possibilities where one could employ skills in building models that learn, adapt, and evolve-almost like the model of my journey.
Nowadays, I’m considered to be on the bleeding edge of AI research-from natural language processing to deep learning and data generation. That feeling when a difficult problem in mathematics or artificial intelligence is solved remains absolutely the same today. Each problem is a puzzle, each model being a new adventure. My work allows me to connect creativity with logic, innovating and pushing beyond the limits. It feels like being a wizard, except my spells are in Python.
In retrospect, I feel my journey into Math Olympiad was not about Math at all. It was the journey of passionately discovering the love of things, learning to face challenges head-on, and embracing a lifelong journey of learning and discovery. Math took me to AI, and AI is leading me to places I couldn’t have imagined. Just getting started, so many problems to be solved, so many mountains yet to climb. And I am more excited than anything else.
