Today’s guest, Kirill Sukhov, head coach of the national Mathematics team for the IMO talked about organizational pros and cons and expressed his views on the queen of sciences, among other things. 

– In what way is CMO different from other mathematical events?

– You know, this is my second time here, and … CMO has an amazing atmosphere. Both IMO and Romanian Masters are highly organized competitions. Participants arrive – they solve problems – they leave. Don’t get me wrong – CMO is competition enough. But the main thing is, the children are just happy to be a part of it and happy to be here.  

– You are the head coach of the national Mathematics team. Give us some pointers about your prep system. 

– To start with, the system has changed quite a bit. Mainly in terms of duration. We have classes from June to July, in some cases even longer than that. Added to that, every child who decides to take Mathematics up to the next level should expect a challenging modicum of control. And let’s not forget about finding fresh angles and like-minded pen pals. For my students it implies training camps six times a year, extra tasks and, yes, never-ending control. Winning a major competition might open some doors for you, but in order to get on the national team you need to measure up to your level all year round. 

– The way our team’s winning curve shot up has everything to do with that? 

– I would not call it that, not exactly. We started with two gold medals and sixth place. This called for doubling the number of tasks and some major changes in the prep system. The selection process starts with forty best mathematicians, with every training camp we choose the best from the best. The number goes down to thirty, fifteen and then to six. Every trainee understands – the harder you work, the better your results. 

– What motivates teenagers to win international competitions?

– Winning something like this is the best motivation. The winner gets fame, respect, money. He or she gets a medal, or some sort of prize. Every participant ought to know what he is in for, and what the reward will be. 

– All things considered, do you agree that Mathematics is as cool as it gets? 

– Of course it is. Above all else Mathematics teaches everybody to think. And this is one thing you won’t get far without in business or out of it. The better you can think, the more career options you’ll have. And this is where Mathematics comes in handy. 

– Many believe that basic mathematical education ought to become compulsory. What do you think? 

– In this ideal world of mine, everybody – from the cashier to the President understands the pigeonhole principle. The rabbits and the cages, the cabs and the passengers, goods and shopping bags – it could be anything. Real day-to-day understanding of the basics of the science is what counts. Not just memorizing the formulas – understanding and applying them to the real life out there is important to virtually everyone.