On Wednesday 24th October, two of our Mathematics teachers, Rory Stewart and Jonathan Haworth, took 24 Year 9-11s to compete in the World Mathematics Championships (WMC) Regional Qualifier. Here are the accounts of three students who took part in this rigorous and challenging competition:
Chanya Bayla (Bayla) Somboonvechakarn, 10H
“To begin the day, WMC hosted an individual round called Duel. It was a quick and enjoyable 1v1 ‘tournament’ that focused less on traditional math problems and more on creative, out-of-the-box thinking, almost like IQ-style puzzles. The next round was Shuttle, a team-based event. In this challenge, our group sat in a triangular formation where two teammates could collaborate while one worked independently. The questions were passed along from A to B to C, meaning each person’s answer depended on the previous one, adding a strategic layer to the teamwork.”
Alisa Thanomsat, 10T
“The third round was the Pursuit round, where teams collaborated to solve a set of eight questions ranging in difficulty. Once a question was completed, a chosen teammate would sprint to the judges’ table to submit the answer, adding a fast-paced element to the competition. The round tested both accuracy and endurance, as teams had to balance speed with extremely careful problem-solving. By the end of the sixty minutes, some teams managed to finish all eight problems, while others focused on completing just a couple well-thought-out answers.
Last but not least was the Lightning round, which required quick thinking and teamwork under immense pressure. Teams received one question at a time and had three chances to get it right before moving on. Each new problem came only after a correct answer, creating an intense atmosphere. The goal was to solve as many problems as possible within the time limit while minimising incorrect attempts.”
Zi Xuan (Eric) Guo, 11T
“The online round of the WMC took place during the October half-term, testing mathematical reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Unlike the traditional standard of maths competitions, the WMC aims to present maths in a fun and creative way — giving its online rounds names like ‘Codebreaker’ and ‘Confidence’.
One round I particularly enjoyed was the ‘Codebreaker’; it was a timed test requiring students to enter the inputs and outputs of a sequence. The twist was that the sequence rules weren’t simply arithmetic or geometric, but selected from a range of mathematical operations, for instance, the sum of the repeating digits in the input. This random and difficult format demanded our quick thinking and problem-solving skills to the max, giving us a challenging but rewarding experience.
After a week of online rounds and an entire day of competing against not just talented mathematicians from other schools in Bangkok, but also amongst ourselves — as I am sure we all gave our best to push our levels beyond our limits, we earned our well-deserved results including nine bronze, two silver and four gold medals. Congratulations Bayla in 10H, in particular, for not only achieving two gold medals, but also earning a prestigious golden ticket, qualifying her to the next round in Melbourne, Australia. Congratulations to other top performers, including Arnob in 11M and Phin in 11V who also secured gold medals. ”
Kudos and a big well done to all participants for their hard work and impressive achievements! This year’s WMC is an unforgettable memory and experience for our students.
