Another Math Qn

Another question posted on the cbox:

A travelled from Town P to Q. B travelled from Town Q to P. They started at the same time. They met each other 80km from Q. When A reached Town Q, he immediately travelled back to Town P. When B reached Town P, he also immediately travelled back to Town Q. They met each other 60km from P. What was the distance from Town P to Town Q?

Solution (not drawn to scale) by Lim Li:

Qn from SMOPS 2010

Someone posted the following question from SMOPS 2010 in the cbox:

s=1/((1/2001)+(1/2002)+(1/2003)+(1/2004)+(1/2005)+(1/2006)+(1/2007)+(1/2008)+(1/2009)+(1/2010)). Find the largest whole number smaller than s.

Soln:
Clearly, 10/2001 > (1/2001)+(1/2002)+(1/2003)+(1/2004)+(1/2005)+(1/2006)+(1/2007)+(1/2008)+(1/2009)+(1/2010) > 10/2010
Hence 2001/10 < s < 2010/10
Therefore the largest whole number smaller than s is 200.

Excuse from Lessons & Mid Year Exams Coming

The 2010 SIMO National Team Selection test is here again. It will be held on 1 May (Sat, Labour Day where our brains have to labour much) and 2 May (Sun), the day we emo. I can skip as many lessons/test/quiz/exams/lectures as I want and get away with it :-). I think I will still be attending some lessons (e.g. science lectures/lab, computer programming lab which I like).

My school mid year exams will be from 30 April to 7 May. I will also be taking AP Calculus BC exam on 5 May. Yay, my principal gave me permission to be exempted from the English exam on 30 April :D

Ala Carte Buffet Dinner at Dragon Gate Restaurant

Yesterday was my paternal grandmother's birthday. We had ala carte buffet dinner at the Dragon Gate Restaurant. I was slightly late as I helped out at the NUS High Open House (Physics booth at the Concourse) till 4 pm, went home to change and then met my family at the Harbourfront Centre. The dinner was not that cheap, about $30 per person, and the food not really to my liking. I only liked fried man-tou, lobster ball, cheese beancurd, beancurd wrapped chicken and mixed fruit with sago dessert.

My paternal grandmother has 7 grandchildren.

My sisters and cousins watching me playing games on iphone (my uncle's, not mine - I don't even own a handphone).

My Self-Portrait

NJC Secondary Maths Challenge 2010

I took part in the NJC maths challenge yesterday. I met some people from the national training team - 4 from RI, 1 from RGS and 2 from HCI. I got first in individual and third in team, and also got 2 more prizes in the audience round. In total, I got 2 medals, 2 graphic calculators and 2 random prizes.

妈妈的感触

This post is written by my mother.

从妈妈的生病到她的逝世，我深深地体会到“人生不如意之事，常之八九”这句话的含义。一个人的一生中，不知要伤心欲绝和痛苦难耐多少次。我指的伤心事是，当亲人逝世（你能想象有几次吗？父母、叔伯婶姨、朋友、兄姐。。。）离你而去，指的痛苦事是，当你病入膏肓时身体的煎熬，而不是和朋友争吵、失去工作、考试不及格等的“芝麻绿豆”小事。

我想，如此的人生，难怪有些人需要精神寄托，也可能就是这个原因，才有那么多不同的宗教被发起。本来有宗教信仰是好的,只可惜，很多人用宗教的名义来干不道德的事，更可笑的是，有些人利用宗教杀了人后，还振振有词说“杀人是为了要警戒人们，杀人是不对的！”

In Memory of My Maternal Grandma

This post is written by my mother, to my maternal grandmother who passed away peacefully on Good Friday (2 Apr 10).

Mum, I miss you very much. This morning, we brought father to NCC for CT Scan. I couldn’t control my tears when I was there, as just not too long ago I was with you in the same room, waiting for your turn to have the radiation sessions. I had to walk away from father and my sisters as I didn’t want them to see my tears. I fear visiting places flooded with lots of memories, like the shophouse, your bed and the sofa bed in the hall of 2nd brother’s house, it just hurts …

Mum, you are greatest mum, grandma and wife in the whole wide world! Though you have 9 children, you took great care of every single one of us, not showing any favouritism. When we were young, most of us did not do any housework while you had to cook, wash, clean, tend to grandma, help in father’s shop – you were like a superwoman! Like what brother-in-law said, you seemed to have a mini computer in your brain and knew everyone’s likes and dislikes. You knew all our favourite dishes and would cook for us - father, 9 of us plus our spouses, your 21 grandchildren, our 3 cousins from Malacca and even the employees of the shop. As I live near the shop, you would often phone me to go to the shop whenever you cooked my favourite dishes and you would specially reserve many pieces of yam for me in a separate bowl. Unfailingly, you would ring me every Saturday (when we have our weekly family affair, where 20-30 of us would gather at the shophouse) at about 6 pm, to ask when we were going over, and I would always say “yeah, we’re coming over soon ...” Sadly, I do not know your favourite dishes … I only know you love to play Bubbles on the Palm PDA which I bought from ebay for you (but you were so addicted to the game that I secretly removed the game from the PDA, but later put it back again), solve Sudoku, and you also love to play jackpot in Genting (1-cent kind); you said that before you were sick, even plain water tasted good, and when you were very sick and did not have much appetite, even a cup of instant hot Kopi-O could make your day!

Mum, even when you were very sick and feeling uncomfortable, you still thought of us, and constantly worried about us. You said that Lim Jeck was intelligent but he must not neglect making friends and should learn to speak more; and you also reminded me to get Lim Min (whom I told you I have the least worries, in her studies) and Lim Jeck to guide Lim Li in her school work …

Mum, most couples would squabble but I don’t remember you and father had ever quarreled. You had never laid hands on us, and you had never raised your voice before, to anyone. You seemed sad when you heard us having disputes/disagreements over your treatment options …

Mum, though you were gone, I think you are very blessed as all of us love you so much!! And, you are no longer suffering, and do not have to force yourself to take so many kinds of tablets (English medicine), herbs (Chinese medicine) and supplements …

Mum, if there is a next life, I am certain that I want you and father to be my parents again …

I miss you mum … so much … so much …


father's birthday celebration in 2007

father's birthday celebration in 2008

mum's birthday celebration in 2008

mum's favourite game which she played incessantly before she was diagnosed with breast cancer in January this year.

Good Resource for Math Olympiad Enthusiasts

Mathlinks (http://www.mathlinks.ro/index.php) is one of the best resources for high school students who are Maths Olympiad enthusiasts. You can find past year questions, answers, and forum discussions on all sorts of Maths competitions, such as IMO, APMO, AMC, USAMO as well as local Maths olympiads held within different countries.

My favourite is the following thread:
Forum » Olympiad Section » Geometry » Geometry Unsolved Problems