NTU 2014/2015 Semester 1 Exam Results

Well done, Lim Min!

CS3233 Module (IOI 2015 Workshop) trainees

The CS3233 selection has concluded on 22 Dec 2014. The following students (year of study indicated is in 2015) are selected to join NUS CS3233 students on every Wednesday night 6-9.15pm @ COM1-Basement-PL2 (Programming Lab 2) to learn the next level of competitive programming.

NUS High
Howe Choong Yin, Year 6
Jacob Teo, Year 3
Clarence Chew, Year 4
Nicholas Toh, Year 5
Daniel Low, Year 5
Feng Xinyuan, Year 4
Sean Pek, Year 6
Lim Li, Year 4

Raffles Institution
Pang Wen Yuen, Year 4
Zhang Guangxuan, Year 4
Wu Guanqun, Year 6
Mohideen Imran Khan, Year 6
Bradley Teo, Year 4
Desmond Cheong, Year 6
Justin Hou, Year 6

Hwa Chong Institution
Ho Jie Feng, Year 6
Damian Ho, Year 3
Zeng Fan Pu, Year 6
Wang Zhi Jian, Year 6

Raffles Girls' School
Lee Estelle, Year 3

Jobs for Mathematics Graduates

Source: Mathematics Department, University of California, Davis

Why Choose a Mathematics-Related Profession ?

Mathematics teaches patience, discipline, and step-by-step problem-solving skills. For those with a substantial background in mathematics, an unlimited number of career opportunuities are available. According to Jobs Rated Almanac , a 1990 publication of World Almanac Books of New York, NY, careers that require a very strong background in mathematics were listed as the five "best" jobs. They were :

• software engineer
• actuary
• computer systems analyst
• computer programmer
• mathematician

Almost all of the top fifty jobs in this "best" jobs list involved mathematical reasoning and knowledge. This list was the result of the comparison of two hundred fifty jobs classified according to :

• income
• future outlook
• physical demands
• job security
• stress
• work environment

A List of Professions

The following list briefly describes work associated with some mathematics-related professions :

• actuary-- assemble and analyze statistics to calculate probabilities of death, sickness, injury, disability, unemployment, retirement, and property loss; design insurance and pension plans and ensure that they are maintained on a sound financial basis
• mathematics teacher-- introduce students to the power and beauty of mathematics in elementary, junior high, or high school mathematics courses
• operations research analyst-- assist organizations (manufacturers, airlines, military) in developing the most efficient, cost-effective solutions to organizational operations and problems; this includes strategy, forecasting, resource allocation, facilities layout, inventory control, personnel schedules, and distribution systems
• statistician-- collect, analyze, and present numerical data resulting from surveys and experiments
• physician-- diagnose patient illnesses, prescribe medication, teach classes, mentor interns, and do clinical research; students with a good mathematics background will find themselves being admitted to the best medical schools and discover that mathematics has prepared them well for the discipline, analysis, and problem- solving required in the field of medicine
• research scientist-- model atmospheric conditions to gain insight into the effect of changing emissions from cars, trucks, power plants, and factories; apply these models in the development of alternative fuels
• computer scientist-- interface the technology of computers with the underlying mathematical principles of such diverse applications as medical diagnoses, graphics animation, interior design, cryptogrraphy, and parallel computers
• inventory strategist-- analyze historical sales data, model forecast uncertainty to design contingency plans, and analyze catalog displays to make them more successful; analyze consumer responses
• staff systems air traffic control analyst-- apply probability, statistics, and logistsics to air traffic control operations; use simulated aircraft flight to monitor air traffic control computer systems
• cryptologist-- design and analyze schemes used to transmit secret information
• attorney-- research, comprehend, and apply local, state, and federal laws; a good background in mathematics will help a student get admitted to law school and assist in the understanding of complicated theoretical legal concepts
• economist-- interpret and analyze the interrelationships among factors which drive the economics of a particular organization, industry, or country
• mathematics professor-- teach mathematics classes, do theoretical research, and advise undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities
• environmental mathematician-- work as member of interdisciplinary team of scientists and professionals studying problems at specific Superfund sites; communicate effectively across many academic discilplines and be able to summarize work in writing
• robotics engineer-- combine mathematics, engineering, and computer science in the study and design of robots
• geophysical mathematician -- develop the mathematical basis for seismic imaging tools used in the exploration and production of oil and gas reservoirs
• design -- use computer graphics and mathematical modeling in the design and construction of physical prototypes; integrate geometric design with cost-effective manufacturing of resulting products
• ecologist -- study the interrelationships of organisms and their environments and the underlying mathematical dynamics
• geodesist -- study applied science involving the precise measurement of the size and shape of the earth and its gravity field (courtesy of Bruce Hedquist)
• photogrammetrist -- study the applied science of multi-spectral image acquisition from terrestrial, aerial and satellite camera platforms, followed up by the image processing, analysis, storage, display, and distribution in various hard-copy and digital format (courtesy of Bruce Hedquist)
• civil engineer -- plan, design, and manage the construction of land vehicle, aircraft, water, and energy transport systems; analyze and control systems for land vehicular traffic; analyze and control environmental systems for sewage and water treatment; develop sites for industrial, commercial and residential home use; analyze and control systems for storm water drainage and storage; manage construction of foundations, structures and buildings; analyze construction materials ; and surface soils and subterranean material analysis (courtesy of Bruce Hedquist)

IOI Workshop 2014/2015

Lim Li is currently attending the December '2014 IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics) Workshop held at Icube Building, School of Computing, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. The programme for the IOI workshop is found here.

In the past, the IOI workshops (also known as the NUS CS3233 Competitive Programming elective module) started in January. This December workshop which is conducted by ex-IOI participants, commenced about a year or two ago, to provide more training for IOI potentials and to select high school candidates for the CS3233 module, which is typically held from January to April. Both Lim Min and Lim Jeck had attended this workshop conducted by Dr Steven Halim before (refer to here and here). Participants who obtain Silver and above medal in the National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI) (refer NOI 2014 website) and who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents will be invited to join the IOI workshop after the NOI prize presentation in March.

The workshop is structured and well organized. The lesson notes are available and an analysis of the workshop's training contests is done. For example, you can see the analysis of Day 1 contest here. Lim Li did a commendable job :)

Lim Li is also currently providing Math Olympiad training to a Primary 5 boy, every Sunday from 10 am to 12 noon (only for the November/December holidays). She is teaching him SMO Junior topics (Sec 1 and 2 Math Olympiad stuff), and also guiding him to tackle the more challenging SMOPS questions. More recently, she is giving Math tuition to a Sec 2 girl from an IP school.