IMO

>>7963135
I don't really have an opinion. I've taken a look at some of the problems but I've never had an intuition about how to solve them

above all it makes me insecure because i'm in the third year of my mathematics bachelor's degree and these 14 year olds are so much better than I am

>>7963140
Don't be. Some of the problems at the IMO have been known to baffle even seasoned number theorists multiple times. The IMO requires a vastly different set of skills that you probably don't possess, which involve heuristics and problem solving skills that undergraduates don't normally come across in their college courses. What is a good Olympiad problem? Its solution does not require any other prerequisite except cleverness. Most of us aren't that clever, unfortunately.

Also, East-European countries have a rich tradition of competitive problem solving; USSR, Macedonia, Romania etc have performed very well at these mathematical tournaments as a result.

I got into the qualifier for this when I was 18, 'UK Senior Maths Olympiad' or whatever it was. I scored 12/60 on the qualifier, it was pretty tough! Didn't make it any further than that. The amount of lateral thinking you need to do well on the qualifier is insane, I cant imagine what the actual thing is like.

>>7963135
I went to the IMO in 2013, it was really fucking tough.
I only got 2 points, it fucked me in the anus. A mate of mine got bronce though, fucking bastard.

>>7963140
>>7963341
Practice more and you will know how to resolve them. I know someone with won a medal at IMO. He was doing everyday math with his teacher.

>>7963494

People seem these guys are geniuses, some of them are. But they don't see the gruelling amount of training and practice they do behind the scenes. They make it look easy, but what goes on behind the scenes would put the majority of people off. These guys are smart and have an elite work ethic.