Liang aces math competitions

The Mathematics Association of America (MAA) announced that junior Celine Liang ranked among Top 11 in the prestigious USA Junior Math Olympiad (USAJMO) on May 11.

Liang also capped off her stellar year in competitive math with a Gold Medal rank at the international European Girls’ Mathematical Competition (EGMO), held in Minsk, Belarus, from April 14-20. Of 109 participants, Liang was among the 12 mathletes to be honored with the distinction of Gold.

“I felt amazing [when I saw the results],” Liang said. “I didn't know what to expect going into the competition, since it was my first time at EGMO, but I definitely did not expect to have gotten gold.”

Liang’s interest in competitive mathematics began in third grade. In middle school, she enjoyed years of success competing with the California Mathcounts National Team. In high school, Liang has excelled in international Olympiad Math.

In speed-oriented middle school competitions, such as those hosted by MAA, Liang previously trained herself to cram-solve a multitude of challenging problems within set time limits. In contrast, high school Olympiad Math is slower paced but more challenging: Four hours are often allotted for three extremely difficult questions.

“I realized how much I loved the satisfaction of completing a problem after hours and hours of poking, prodding and searching for inspiration,” Liang said. “It was the rush of accomplishment after finishing a problem, rather than the rush of adrenaline, that made me so interested in Olympiad Math.”

Liang expressed “an amazing sense of fulfillment” after finishing an EGMO problem after hours of working toward a solution.

Last September, she also won first prize at the prestigious Math Prize for Girls contest, a four-hour proof-oriented test held at MIT.

In addition to her rewarding performances in worldwide competitions, Liang had the chance to familiarize herself with the culture of Belarus during her trip.

“I’ve never been to Eastern Europe before, and spending a week there definitely opened my eyes to how different other countries were from the U.S.,” Liang said. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be fortunate enough to visit a country as unique as Belarus, and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to experience the culture and food there.”