This
Friday at the weekly meeting of MathsSoc, the members participated in a Maths
quiz. Different teams competed against each other, tackling questions from an
inconspicuous Japanese textbook, as well as IMO preparation papers.
Over
twenty minutes, teams divided the questions and attempted to conquer. Some
rushed straight into the algebra-heavy sections, confident that their speed
would pay off, while others carefully picked apart the geometry problems,
preferring precision over pace. The atmosphere quickly became one of focused
intensity: pages filled with half-finished calculations, muttered debates over
which substitution to try next, and the occasional groan when an apparently
simple problem turned out to have a hidden twist.
Although
the competition was light-hearted, there was a real sense of excitement in the
room. The questions were unlike those found in the average textbook: they
required creativity as much as method, forcing participants to think beyond
routine exam practice. For many, this was the most enjoyable part: working
together to spot unexpected shortcuts or clever insights.
When
the time was up, the scores were tallied, and the winning team celebrated
modestly, but the real achievement was collective. Everyone had been
challenged, and everyone left with at least one new trick or idea in their
mathematical toolkit. It was a reminder of why MathsSoc thrives: not just for
competition, but for the shared joy of problem-solving.
