The Hardest H3 Math Question (Combinatorics)

I think this may be one of the hardest H3 Math Questions in history. It is taken from RI H3 Prelim 2018. It seems that even in top schools like RI, there are less than 50 people taking H3 Maths in any given year. Part (d) is extremely hard to get the formula for general r. In fact during the exam it is probably wise to skip such questions or give partial answers (e.g. the formula for r=3) as it is not worth the time for 3 marks.

Test your Circuit Breaker today; Circuit breaker can save you from electrocution

Do forward this to your family and friends. Especially for older homes, the circuit breaker could have broken down silently without anyone noticing.

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/circuit-breaker-could-be-a-lifesaver

Pressing a button at home regularly could save your life.

This is the “test” button, typically denoted by a “T” on the circuit breaker, a safety device found in all households and buildings.

If you press that button and all electricity cuts off, that means it is functioning. A working circuit breaker will cut off electricity in the event of a current leakage, like when someone touches a live wire, minimising the chances of fatal electrocution.

New York Professor: Blockchain is a lie, and the least useful technology

The most famous application of Blockchain is “Bitcoin”. Whoever bought just $1000 worth of Bitcoin around year 2010 would be a millionaire now. However, other than “Bitcoin” and cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology do have other uses. So is blockchain useful or not? Only time will tell.

Book of Wisdom

1 Wis 7:7-11 (Book of Wisdom or “Wisdom of Solomon”)

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her; because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.

mire – deep mud

No Exams Singapore

The latest policy update is that there will be reduced or no exams for certain levels such as lower primary and lower secondary.

Do check out our Poll writeup for more details: Poll: Opinion on Fewer exams for Primary and Lower Secondary Students?

It seems that it is quite a dilemma; parents find exams stressful, yet exams are viewed as necessary by most parents to measure how their child is learning. According to Today Online, tuition centres have great success offering their own “in-house exams” to fill in the gap. At the end of the day, the “big exams” like PSLE, O-Levels, A-Levels are still present, and that is the major feature in the education landscape.

It is quite like “lump sum payment” (single exam at end of the year) versus “payment by installments” (multiple exams throughout the year). In the end, the full sum still has to be paid (students still have to study the material to pass the final exam).

10 cents Mr Bean Soya Milk (with Masterpass @ Qoo10)

A small reward for yourself/ your children this October? Coupled with the ongoing Masterpass promotion ($1 off) at Qoo10, and this Mr Bean promotion, the soya milk ends up costing only 10 cents!

This is probably the cheapest drink in Singapore currently! (other than NEWater 🙂 )

URL: https://qoo.tn/BSSwbR/Q100000595

[$1.10](▼48%)[Mr Bean][ 10.10 Special ] Grass Jelly Soya Milk or Classic Soya Milk – $1.10 only!

WWW.QOO10.SG

H3 Mathematics Resource Page

H3 Mathematics is the pinnacle of the Junior College Mathematics syllabus in Singapore. It contains a glimpse of actual Math that Mathematicians do, and it requires true mathematical understanding and technique to do well. (H1/H2 math requires a lot of practice, but not true understanding. It is quite common for students to “apply the method” and get the correct answer without having any idea of what they are actually doing.)

Topics in H3 Mathematics include Functions, Sequence and Series, Combinatorics, and even Number Theory. Certain schools also include topics like Linear Algebra and Differential Equations. Certainly, the H3 Math questions have a Math Olympiad style to them.

Here are some practice questions for H3 Math (more will be added in the future), with some hints. Questions are adapted from actual H3 prelim papers.

Functions

Q1) The function $f$ is such that $f(x+2)=af(x+1)-f(x)$ , for all real $x$ and some constant $a$ .

(i) In the case that $f$ is a linear function, find all possibilities for $f$ and $a$ .

(ii) In the case that $f(0)=0$ and $|f(1)|=1$ , use mathematical induction to prove that $f(n-1)f(n+1)+1=[f(n)]^2$ for all positive integers $n$ .

(iii) In the case that $a=2$ , sketch one possibility for $f$ which is not linear.

Hint:

(i) Write $f(x)=mx+c$ and substitute it into the question. You should reach two cases, $a=2$ or $m=0$ . For the case $a=2$ , there is no other restriction. For the case $m=0$ , either $a=2$ or $c=0$ .

(iii) Try a step function.

Sequence and Series

Combinatorics

Q1) Mr H uses a software to generate distinct codes of the form $\overline{x_1x_2x_3x_4x_5}$ , where $x_i\in\{0,1,2,3,4,5\}$ . What is the least number of codes Mr H should generate such that there are at least two distinct codes that satisfy: $\boxed{x_1+x_3=x_2+x_4}$ . [3 marks]

Hint: No, the answer is not 12. Draw a possibility diagram for $x_1+x_3$ , essentially a table with 6×6=36 entries detailing what combinations are there for $x_1+x_3$ . Then list cases (a popular technique for combinatorics), based on each value of $x_1+x_3$ . For example, the case $x_1+x_3=0$ only has 1 option namely $x_1=x_3=0$ . Then $x_2+x_4$ can have 35 other options such that $x_2+x_4$ is different from $x_1+x_3$ . The last digit $x_5$ has no restrictions so there are 6 options. Hence the total number of ways for this case is 1x35x6=210. Finally, after adding up all the cases, use pigeonhole principle (add one) to conclude the answer, which is 6901.

Q2) See The Hardest H3 Math Question (Combinatorics)

Number Theory

Q1) Let m, n, M and N be positive integers. Given that gcd(M,N)=1 and $mN^2=nM^2$ , use Mathematical Induction to show that $M^2\mid m$ and $N^2\mid n$ . [5 marks]

Hint: First prove for the trivial case M=1 or N=1. Then write $M=p_1p_2\dots p_k$ and $N=q_1q_2\dots q_l$ , where $p_i$ , $q_j$ are primes. Use Euclid’s Lemma twice to prove that $p_1^2\mid m$ . By induction, show that $M^2\mid m$ . I think the key point is that Generalized Euclid’s Lemma is probably not allowed otherwise it is very easy.

Backpack/School Bag Review: Targus Pandora

This bag (Targus brand) is very affordable at $19.90 (limited time only). It is suitable for students and even working adults, who would like a backpack that can store securely a laptop. It even has a raincoat (!!!) to protect your bag against the heavy rain that is so common in Singapore.

Students in Junior College, Polytechnic, and University will likely find it very good and useful since they have to bring their computer laptop to school. It can store a lot of books/laptop equipment such as wires, chargers, etc.

Do grab it fast if you like it, it is available on Qoo10 for a limited time only. From my experience, there is no where else online/or in retail where you can get such a good deal in terms of laptop bags.

URL: https://qoo.tn/BawdbR/Q100000595

[$19.90](▼67%)[Samsonite]Authentic Samsonite n Targus Backpack / Laptop Backpack / Laptop Bag / Unisex / School backpack

WWW.QOO10.SG

How do students in Singapore from the Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical streams perceive each other?

Recently, this CNA (Channel News Asia) video is very popular on YouTube. Do check it out. Basically, due to the segregated nature of the education system, GEP, IP (Integrated Programme), Express, Normal Academic and Technical students rarely mix with each other, if at all. Hence, there may be some prejudices and biased views from each side towards the other.

A more in depth official commentary can be found here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/regardless-class-race-religion-survey-singapore-income-divide-10774682

In light of this, the story of From PSLE 124 to PhD A*Star Researcher is very remarkable, on how a student overcame prejudices from society to reach his full potential. Do read it if you haven’t.

No More Recontract Voucher from Singtel? Best Phone to Recontract and Sell

It is an “open secret” last time that if you call the Singtel customer service hotline at 1688, they may give you a recontract voucher for you to get a new phone. In previous times it used to be as high as $100, then over the years it slowly reduced to $50. It seems that the voucher is gone now, for low usage customers (e.g. Combo 2 plan). That is, no more recontract voucher. That was my experience in September 2018. That being said, experiences may differ from user to user, you may still want to phone in to try your luck. The only reason I am still using Singtel is that the rest of my family is on the “Singtel Circle” plan.

Important Update: There is a new form of voucher, called the Singtel Referral Voucher, worth $100! Basically you switch to a new Combo Plan and get $100 off the phone.

Best Phone to Recontract and Sell Off

Traditionally, the best phone to recontract and sell has always been the latest iPhone. This is based on the strong demand for iPhone. For instance, as of now, the most popular seems to be iPhone XS, Gold color, 256 GB. Do take note of the color/storage size as unpopular combinations may fetch a lower price. At the time of writing, recontracting and selling an iPhone may earn as much as $300 or more (buy at $1338 and sell off at $1640).

How to get Singtel Voucher (2019 onwards Method)

Are you still looking for the elusive Singtel Discount Voucher to offset your phone purchase? Do not bother to call 1688 anymore, that is the old-school method that does not work nowadays (you can still try if you want, you will find it hard to even speak to a human Singtel operator).

The new method is to use the Singtel Referral Voucher which is worth $100. Click here to go directly to the official Singtel website where your $100 voucher will be applied automatically.

Poll: Opinion on Fewer exams for Primary and Lower Secondary Students?

I have added a poll to see what readers think of this new proposal?

Actually mid-year exams and assessments may have a role as a “buffer” to reduce the weightage of the final exam. Removing mid-year exams actually has the effect of transferring more weightage to the final exam, making it more stressful? It boils down to whether people prefer a grading based on 100% weightage for final year exam, or something like 30% mid-year, 20% assessments and 50% final exams. Based on personal experience, many students (including myself) do prefer having a mid-year exam so that their results of the year is not entirely based on the final exams.

Also, for people who are natural procrastinators, who tend to do things at the last minute (possibly around 90% of the human population?), cancelling exams at the Primary 1 and Primary 2 level may end up causing a false sense of security, leading to a frantic panic attack at Primary 3? As a tutor, I receive numerous tutoring requests as late as September/October (for the final year exam), hence I know that numerous students/parents tend to panic at the last minute due to procrastination.

Possibly a worst case scenario that can end up is that the child does not learn well the fundamentals during P1 and P2, and this is undetected by his/her parents due to the absence of exams. Suddenly at P3, the reality is unveiled and it comes as a sudden shock. The P3 student has to catch up with the two years of fundamentals (P1 & P2) quickly before it is too late, as many subjects are cumulative in the sense that P3 topics relies on previous knowledge of P1 and P2 material.

Nonetheless, it is a new policy and it is good to see some changes coming that is intended to reduce the stress of young students. The time “saved” from doing exams can potentially be channeled into learning something new that is not found in the traditional syllabus. Scrapping the class/level position is good, there is no need to be obsessed with being “first” in class at such a young age. Possibly a percentile grade is still necessary for parents to gauge how their child is doing. Keeping PSLE is also good, despite PSLE being stressful it is actually a meritocratic system that theoretically allows a talented student from a poor family to rise to the top.

Source: Channel News Asia

The changes will be implemented in stages, beginning with the removal of all weighted assessments and exams for Primary 1 and 2 students from next year. Weighted assessments, said MOE, can take various modes such as class tests, presentations or group projects.

Currently, Primary 1 students do not have exams, but weighted assessments are conducted throughout the year. Primary 2 students now have weighted assessments throughout the year, as well as a year-end exam.

Secondary 1 students will also no longer have a mid-year examination from next year. From 2020 and 2021, this will also be removed for Primary 3, Primary 5 and Secondary 3 students.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/exams-assessments-scrap-mid-year-primary-secondary-schools-10767370

Chope.co Review

Chope.co is a restaurant reserving website that provides diners with benefits and rewards for reserving their seats at restaurants! “Chope” is a Singlish slang for “reserving a seat”. Reserving a seat is often important since the majority of Singaporeans eat out on weekends/weekday dinner/and special occasions. This means that the restaurant is crowded during those popular times, and failing to reserve a seat may mean long waiting times or even worse, not finding a seat.

Join me on Chope and earn a SGD$10 restaurant voucher!

Fulfill your first Chope reservation and earn a SGD$10 restaurant voucher after dining. Simply book through Chope using this link https://cho.pe/hna9y and you’re all set.

Cool Fact: Cockroaches are becoming Endangered/Extinct in Russia (and other post-Soviet states)

Quite amazing that the cockroach, which is one of the most hardy animals, is actually becoming endangered/extinct in Russia? Possibly the cold weather has something to do with it, in addition to modern technology. Any Russian readers would like to confirm that this is true?

A side note that in tropical Singapore, cockroaches are far from endangered despite frequent fuming and spraying of insecticides, usually at the rubbish chutes. In fact, in most HDB apartments, spraying insecticides at the rubbish chutes actually may increase the number of cockroaches in the house due to those escaping/flying from the rubbish chute where they ordinarily live.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopulation_of_cockroaches_in_post-Soviet_states

Quote: A mass depopulation of cockroaches has been observed since the beginning of the 21st century in Russia and other countries of the former USSR. Observers have noted a quick disappearance of various types of cockroaches from cities and towns in Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus.

Another source: http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/09-09-2009/109175-cockroach-0/

Quote: House cockroaches began to disappear in Moscow during the beginning of the 2000s. Many Russians were even making jokes about it saying that it was one of advantages of Putin’s regime.

From PSLE 124 to PhD A*Star Researcher

Source: A-star Official Website

For those familiar with the Singapore education system, you would know that PSLE 124 is not a good score by any standard. Yet Dr Vincent Lim, through his hard work and perseverance, managed to push on and graduate from university with first class honours, eventually earn a PhD and land a job at the prestigious A*STAR’s Institute of Medical Biology.

I believe the chances of this happening is truly rare in Singapore, possibly even rarer than striking 1st prize in TOTO. Singapore’s education system is known to be not too forgiving, once you make a “slip”, it is hard to get back onto the fast track. It must have taken tremendous courage, perseverance and hard work to overcome the odds to achieve this.

Truly amazing! Do share this to encourage those with children not doing too well in primary school. Certainly, late developers do exist and if given the right environment and nurturing support, they can blossom to reach their fullest potential.

Inspirational quote:

My advice for people who didn’t do well in school is this: it’s never the end. Society may sometimes seem to say: ‘This is your one job, you need to do well in school!’ But that’s not true. There’s never just one job; that’s not the reason you were born for.

Grades are not the most important thing. It is merely a stepping stone; if you’ve got no stone to step on, then run, jump, and climb. What is important is to never give up on yourself and to always keep your options open.”

-Dr Vincent Lim

Get Official Ivy League (U Penn) degree online

Source: The Inquirer

Note that this is the first time an Ivy League university is offering a full degree online. Previously, some universities do offer some module credit or unofficial courses online, but this time University of Pennsylvania is offering its new bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree online.

Do check out their official course page here: Penn LPS Online.

So far I don’t see any restriction on nationality, that means possibly Singaporeans can apply too.

Some pointers that you may want to take note:

If post-secondary credentials are from an institution outside the US, transcripts must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by World Education Services, Inc. (WES).
BAAS students are only required to come to campus for two extended weekends as they complete the program.

Varignon’s Theorem (Surprising Geometry Theorem)

I first learnt it from Quora:

“Take any quadrilateral. It doesn’t have to be any special kind of a quadrilateral. Then connect the midpoints of its sides.

Surprisingly, you will always get a parallelogram!”

Quite a nice result. Some googling revealed that the name of this theorem is called Varignon’s Theorem.

An illustration is found here:

RI vs HCI vs NUSH

Many excellent P6 students will be spoilt for choice at this stage, as they have been accepted by multiple schools under the DSA. Here are some views on RI versus HCI versus NUS High, which are the top 3 choices for boys strong in math/science:

RI emphasize “all-rounder” and “leadership” in their culture. My personal experience is that it can get a bit competitive since many people there are literally good in all forms of studies (all subjects in humanities/sciences/languages maybe except Chinese), sports, and music, etc. The culture is similar in RGS. I find that there are some cultural and personality differences between the typical RI/RGS student and the typical HCI/NYGH student.

The good points are that RI does have a lot of activities and opportunities like overseas school trips, top coaches for most CCAs, etc, that many schools don’t have. Also, many RI students are successful in securing government scholarships for top universities since their portfolio will be built up in a balanced way during their studies; there are many Community Involvement Programmes and other activities to boost the student’s portfolio.

Certainly NUSH and HCI are very good schools too. Possibly advantages of NUSH is greater focus on science/math and advantage of HCI is greater emphasis on Chinese culture and tradition, which is useful as China is becoming a world power.

Maybe you can check out this thread on RI vs HCI: https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=25209&start=370.

Sir Michael Atiyah to reveal his awesome proof of the Riemann Hypothesis

Source: https://twitter.com/HLForum/status/1042670700652318720

According to the official twitter account of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, Sir Michael Atiyah will prove the Riemann Hypothesis during the talk on Monday Sept. 25.

According to him, it is a “simple” proof, based on previous work by von Neumann, Hirzebruch and Dirac. It is likely to have some relation to theoretical physics, since Dirac is a theoretical physicist. It has been rumored for quite some time that the Riemann Hypothesis is related to theoretical physics.

The Riemann Hypothesis is the most famous and most difficult problem in mathematics. Sir Michael Atiyah is a 89 year old gentleman currently. It will be really groundbreaking if the Riemann Hypothesis is found to be successfully proved.

Do check out our previous posts on the Riemann Hypothesis:

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Originally Wanted to be a Theoretical Physicist

The world’s richest man is currently Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

Few people know that he was an undergraduate at Princeton with the goal of becoming a theoretical physicist! What made him change his mind? Watch the video below.

Summary: Jeff Bezos was stuck on a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) question for 3 hours. Even while collaborating with his room mate, he could not find the answer. Upon consulting his Sri Lankan genius classmate, “Yosantha”, Yosantha solved the problem almost instantaneously in his mind!

Also check out our previous posts on Partial Differential Equations:

NTUC Income Insurance Review

NTUC is a widely recognized name in Singapore, with most people having bought something from their flagship grocery store NTUC Fairprice.

NTUC is also very reliable and has various insurance policies that are beneficial to those who buy it. Most Singaporeans like to go overseas during the school vacations, a good travel insurance is essential to safeguard your health and wellbeing. NTUC Income is one of the few travel insurances that provides coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

Check out NTUC Insurance today! (Please click on the link to enter the official NTUC Insurance website.)

Key Product Highlights:

Travel Insurance:
• Income’s Enhanced PreX plans provide the widest coverage for pre-existing medical conditions
• Coverage for families with unlimited number of children insured under the Family cover
• Coverage for travel delay, trip cancellation, medical expenses and loss of money and personal baggage while overseas
• Check out our great deals here.

Car & Motorcycle Insurance:
• Income is Singapore’s No. 1 Motor Insurer in terms of market share.
• Up to 69% off car insurance premiums with your existing NCD
• Unparalleled value added services at no extra cost:
– 24/7 Accident Response team
– One-stop post-accident solution for your vehicle claims & repairs
– Mobile app that lets you complete & submit an accident report anywhere within minutes

Enhanced Home Insurance:
• 15% premium discount with purchase of a 3-year plan
• Comprehensive coverage for home contents, renovations and personal belongings

Foreign Maid Insurance:
• Personal accident, hospital & surgical expenses coverage for helpers
• Wages compensation if your helper is hospitalized
• Buy maid insurance online within minutes

PA Assurance:
• 40% discount on premiums for children if at least 1 parent is insured under same policy
• Coverage for 21 infectious diseases (e.g Zika, Dengue Fever, HFMD) with optional infectious disease cover
• Coverage for permanent disability and medical expenses for injury due to an accident

URL: Official NTUC Insurance Website

20% of Singapore’s workforce will be “displaced” by 2028 due to AI

According to the article by Today newspaper, around 20.6% of Singapore’s workforce will be “displaced” by 2028 due to technology and AI. This is quite scary news by the reliable newspaper Today. Although “displaced” is a tricky word and need not mean jobless or retrenched, nevertheless students should be mindful of this when they choose their major in polytechnics and university. Many esteemed jobs like accountancy, may or may not still be viable in 2028, as robots AI may likely have progressed to such a stage that they can easily take over human jobs. Non-degree jobs such as insurance agent and property agent may also be at risk. The bottom line is that if AI has progressed to the stage of being cheap and good, the big bosses will adopt it readily to lower their cost and maximize their profit.

Concerned parents and students should certainly read the below book, especially those who are about to choose their major in polytechnic or university. It is a “New York Times-bestselling guide to how automation is changing the economy, undermining work, and reshaping our lives”. As the saying goes, 男（女）怕入错行, the greatest fear of men (and women) is to enter the wrong profession. Checking out the future prediction of experts like Martin Ford is certainly a good idea. Imagine studying 4 years for a job that suddenly becomes extinct in 2028.

It is not an accident that Computer Science (and related subjects) is now one of the top and most popular majors in Singapore and many countries.

Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future

Source: Today

Workers in Singapore will be hit hard by technological disruptions with the Republic’s labour market set to face the largest degree of job displacement regionally in the next decade, based on a study on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on workers in six South-east Asian economies.

The new study by technology company Cisco and economic forecasting agency Oxford Economics also found that Singapore will have to confront the biggest mismatch between skills and jobs created among the countries in the region.

The findings were released on Wednesday (Sept 12) on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations), a high-level gathering on innovation and entrepreneurship in Hanoi.

Data showed that about one-fifth of Singapore’s full-time equivalent workforce (20.6 per cent) will have their jobs displaced by 2028. This is higher than the figures for Vietnam (13.8 per cent), Thailand (11.9 per cent), the Philippines (10.1 per cent), Indonesia (8.1 per cent) and Malaysia (7.4 per cent).

Life Beyond Grades (http://lifebeyondgrades.sg/)

Do check out this new website (http://lifebeyondgrades.sg/), which as its name implies is about emphasizing that school life is not all about grades, even in Singapore. It is kind of an official website, being funded by National Youth Council (see their FAQ.)

It is good that nowadays parents, teachers and the education sector has started to realize that grades is not everything in life. The FAQ section is very interesting and actually kind of reveals the future direction that Singapore education is heading towards. A few key points:

“Why can’t we do away with the PSLE” –> Implication: PSLE is never going to be scrapped, at least not in the near future.
“Why can’t we do away with CL2” —> Mother Tongue is here to stay for the time being.

Their article section is quite new, but also contains good articles. Do check out the “What is LQ” talk featuring Jack Ma.

Related: Check out Jamie Yeo’s PSLE score here. Hint: It is enough to enter most if not all secondary schools.

Win Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 Coupé by donating to charity

This charity is featured in Straits Times and the New Paper. Basically, you buy a $20 ticket (comes with T-shirt) which will go to a charity of your choice. The main point is that there is a chance to win a Mercedes-Benz. Most youngsters in Singapore can’t afford a car, not to mention a Mercedes, so this is a great prize. (If you don’t drive, you can sell the car.) Also, foreigners (excluding US citizens) can take part (see their FAQ for more details)

Currently, there are only 577 tickets purchased, so your chance of winning is 1/577 which is quite high compared to other lotteries like 4D or Toto. The draw date is 02 Nov 2018, which is quite close. They will apparently go ahead with the draw even if their target number of tickets (50000) is not met.

To take part, go to their official website at: https://www.given.company/.

Please use this referral code RGNTSAWS when signing up. Thanks!

Alibaba launches scholarship programme in S’pore with generous funding

Source: Today Online

Alibaba has partnered with NTU to launch a scholarship program on computer science topics like artificial intelligence, data analytics and cloud computing.

The scholarship funding is very generous: monthly salary of 5,000 SGD for 4 years, with other benefits like CPF, insurance, etc. This is at least 40-50% more than most PhD scholarships in Singapore. Each PhD candidate will also have the opportunity to be mentored by at least one supervisor from his/her enrolled university and one co-supervisor from Alibaba.

It sounds like a very good opportunity for those interested in IT. Hopefully Alibaba will set up more of such facilities and programs in the future.

The official application page and other details can be found on the NTU webpage: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/alibaba-NTU/PhD-application/Pages/index.aspx.

How to type Chinese characters in LaTeX (on Mac, using TeXShop)

This is one of the easiest ways to type Chinese characters in LaTeX on Mac, using the default TeXShop editor. (If you know of an easier way, please let me know in the comments below!)

I have tried for hours, experimenting with different packages, before “discovering” the following steps. Hope it helps!

Step 1) Add “\usepackage{ctex}” to the beginning of the document. This will load the main package ctex.

Step 2) It is very important to save the LaTeX file in UTF-8 format, otherwise all Chinese characters will appear as question marks. The preferred way to do this is via:

TeXShop > Preferences > Encoding = Unicode (UTF-8). (see image below)

This will “permanently” set the format as UTF-8 by default. If you don’t do this, an annoying thing that can happen is that your TeX file reverts to “non-UTF8” upon saving. That means, the Chinese characters may appear correctly at first, but once you re-save the file, all Chinese characters become question marks again.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to set UTF-8 as default, you may add the following line to the very first line of the TeX document:

% !TEX encoding = UTF-8 Unicode

This will make TeXShop remember to save it in UTF-8 format every time.

Step 3) Just type Chinese characters directly into the LaTeX file. No “wrapper” is needed around the Chinese characters.

Step 4) When you compile the document, be sure to compile it by XeLaTeX. You can select this option next to the “Typeset” button. If you compile it using normal LaTeX, you will get the following error:

“Critical ctex error:”fontset-unavailable

CTeX fontset `fandol’ is unavailable in current mode.”

For Windows users, I suppose the above steps still work. I have not tried it personally though. Other packages may work only for Windows/Mac specifically since each system have different preloaded Chinese fontsets.

Hyperref Problems with Chinese TeX

A known problem is that hyperref does not work well with xetex or xeLaTeX. This may be a problem if you are using xeLaTeX in conjunction with Hyperref. The proposed solution is to use the option

\usepackage[xetex]{hyperref}

Note that if you have multiple options for hyperref, xetex should be the first of all the options.

TeXShop opens Chinese documents showing Gibberish

This is quite common, especially if your Mac or Windows system is not set with Chinese as primary language. A proposed solution (there may be a better solution) is to:

Set the primary language of your Mac / Windows as Chinese. The entire system, including all your taskbars, icons should be in Chinese.
Open the TeX file containing Chinese characters with Notepad/TextEdit, not TeXShop. Ideally, the Chinese characters should display ok there.
Copy and paste the entire file from NotePad to TeXShop.
Add the line % !TEX encoding = UTF-8 Unicode at the start of your TeX document to ensure that the Chinese characters will continue to stay there after closing of the document.

Chinese Lessons in Singapore (Video)

Source: How has Singapore’s Chinese Language syllabus evolved?

Quite interesting to see how Chinese lessons are like nowadays. To be honest it doesn’t seem much different from 10 years ago? One aspect that has changed is email writing. Nowadays it is rare to write letters, hence the modern syllabus focuses on writing emails instead. Also more multimedia like videos are being used.

One notable statistic is this: “At Tanjong Katong Secondary, Mrs Lee said about 70 per cent of students come from an English-speaking background.” This is a very high percentage compared to the times of the past. To master Chinese is increasingly hard for such students, great effort needs to be put in for improving their command of the Chinese language.

Notable Quotes:

She agreed that it can be difficult at times to speak Mandarin fluently. But she makes it a point to practice by having conversations in Mandarin with friends and family members, and exposing herself to Chinese shows.

“I enjoy it when the teacher shows videos in class,” she said. “I understand how the characters feel, and how they speak. I can learn a lot from the way they phrase their sentences.”

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-chinese-syllabus-changed-back-to-school-10664986

GEP PSLE Discussion

It is well known that GEP students spend Primary 4 and 5 doing miscellaneous stuff that appear to be not directly related to PSLE, yet majority of GEP students score 250 and above for PSLE. Hence, the main question is:

Does GEP help PSLE?

Kiasuparents has a very robust discussion going on, and here are some of the insightful snippets. For the full discussion, check out the Kiasuparents forum.

Summary: GEP only starts preparation for PSLE at P6 April (!!) For PSLE, students need to be exam smart and be careful to answer “according to the marking scheme”. GEP teaches many higher level concepts which are not in the syllabus, for example “good bacteria”. Content wise, GEP English/Math/Science at P4-P5 is already at or surpassing the mainstream PSLE level. For Chinese/Mother Tongue, there is not much difference between GEP and usual syllabus.

Viewpoint 1: GEP helps PSLE but not directly

bhcbl wrote:After DS 3 years journey in the program, my thoughts are as follow:

– Does GEP help PSLE … NoNot directly. I do think my son did better in PSLE than he would have done in his previous school coz his classmates were stronger, and because the teaching suited him. Revision was short and sharp, and he didn’t have to do too many revision papers
– Does GEP help DSA … No (definitely not directly under the new policy, maybe the exposure in broader Math and Science help HDP in a way) No, because GEPpers don’t have a special pass to DSA any more. But the GEP education does provide more opportunities to develop knowledge in various areas that could help in the interviews and portfolios
– If we get to choose again, will we still opt to be in the program … yesAgree with everything below
– Stretches … eg. Book review on books for older reader, more difficult Math concept …
– Broaden … eg. Ancient civilizations, magic square, ancient number system, history
– Self-learning … various research and projects (at least 4-5 a year)
– Time management … homework, projects, research, self-studies
– Filing … they have no textbook
Also, I think it was just alot more fun for DS (after some confusion in P4 while getting used to the system). He enjoyed classes, enjoyed his classmates (mostly), and I loved the smaller classes and the opportunities for various additional classes / camps etc.
So as you can see, in the three years, most of their times are spend on thing that have nothing to do with PSLE or PSLE prep until around P6 Apr.

Think about the following: in English, they learn to infer and read between the lines, but in PSLE compre, if you do that likely you will get marks deducted; Have parents experience the problem of teaching your child Math … using algebra to solve, and then convert to the model method to explain … this is some of the things that Gep students need to go through for Math PSLE (imagine for a 12 years old child). Or PSLE syllabus issue … if you ask any Gep student whether bacteria is good or bad … they will tell you both and give you a good list of examples … but too bad that is not in PSLE syllabus: Bacteria is bad (marks likely deducted if you start talking about bacteria is good).
Our take: the GEP system is a great system, but the problem is in the past they don’t need to rely on PSLE because there is DSA, but now they have to with the change in MOE policy. It is quite cruel to do that to a child… teach them more boarder and advance stuff but in exam ask them to forget about all these.

To us, we think that education is a journey, while PSLE is just a small part of the journey. Therefore, we will still go for GEP if we could choose again. Lastly, you will see most GEP students don’t need to adjust to secondary school: 8 subjects … they are already used to very pack schedule; additional topic like history, literature, geography … these are covered in one way or another in their 3 years program (but not tested in PSLE).

So hope that this could help you in your decision in your child education journey. If you are hoping that GEP mean PSLE or DSA or good secondary … under the new policy, you may be disappointed. If you are hoping to have a challenging and stretch program for your child … likely you won’t be disappointed.

Viewpoint 2: GEP definitely helps PSLE (and DSA too)

(by entei17) Does GEP help PSLE

Yes, definitely. In fact two years in advance. If you look through the learning scope and common tests papers for English, Higher Chinese, Maths and Science, the P4 Geppers are already doing P5-6 stuff in the mainstream.

English already has situational writing which is not introduced till P5 mainstream. Vocabulary and Grammar are pitched at P5-6 or maybe secondary levels. Comprehension format is very similar to PSLE, except that the passage is lengthier and more difficult to understand (need inference) than PSLE. As revision and practice for common test, I let my child do past year PSLE papers instead, because the P4-5 revisions books are not compatible. All the Extensive Reading List assignments, Single Shard literature, Synthesis and Transformation etc also help to build up their English foundation, so they can read more and advanced their appreciation of the language. Some of the assignments are an overkill, requiring a Herculean effort, or mission impossible. They have a comprehensive English curriculum, but I’m not sure whether all the Geppers could keep up.

Higher Chinese uses the same textbooks as the mainstream i.e. 生字 are similar, but the test/exam paper formats are similar to P5-P6/PSLE. Geppers would have no problems adjusting to the PSLE requirements. As GEP selection test only tested English, Math and General Ability, Geppers’ average Chinese ability are generally on par with the mainstream. Those that are good in English are generally not good at Chinese, although there are a handful who are good at both, or in all the subjects. I don’t have any evidence to back this up, but one reasons why some Geppers who didn’t score well in the PSLE are probably pulled down by their Chinese.

Maths are pitched at P5-P6 mainstream topics, but enriched and more interesting. I’ve seen many mentioned about Ancient civilizations, magic square, ancient number system, history. These are all covered over a week or only a few assignments. Most of the worksheets are still the usual topics but pitched at a higher level that stimulates their thinking. The only problem is Geppers think faster and have a tendency to skip/leave out some of the workings, which may prove a problem to the marking scheme in the PSLE.

Science topics follow the PSLE syllabus and the usual topics, enriched and deeper thought. We use P5/PSLE questions for revisions. The key here is (no pun intended) is still keywords and key concepts when answering open-ended questions, which is not dissimilar to the mainstream and PSLE requirements.

If whether GEP prepares PSLE every single day from P4-6 by drilling them to do past year papers after past year papers, then clearly they don’t. They spend a lot of time doing other stuff which indirectly raise their ability – maybe it helps in PSEL, maybe it doesn’t.

– Does GEP help DSA

DSA based on Sports/CCA are irrelevant here unless GEP’s heavy workload deprive them time to train or participate more actively, which could be a consideration. If not GEP and mainstream compete evenly based on their sports achievement.

Based on history, the majority of Geppers score 250 and above. Some don’t because of their mother tongue (as mentioned above), which even if they are in the mainstream, won’t be any different. Some are simply misclassified into the GEP – no matter what the GEB says about their tests. Parents know their child best whether they have the ability.

So even without DSA, for those scoring 260 and above they would still get into the top IP schools. The only one you have no choice but to try for DSA is NUS High, because there are very few places left in the posting exercise after the PSLE. However, this may also backfire on the Geppers because the schools know the Geppers would score high, and therefore still come to their school, and therefore may not need to give you a CO. With government’s push for social mobility and anti-elitism, they may just want to mix it up a bit more in the elite schools and therefore less Geppers as the first cut – just pure guess, since PSLE would still bring back the higher scoring Geppers anyway through meritocracy.

But compare to the mainstream, does GEP equip you better to do DSA? I think very so, as GEP affords you opportunities to participate in the MO, SO as well as many other competitions, and as early as P4, which may not be the case in the mainstream. So you have a better chance to build up your academic portfolio.

Finally, do check out our most popular GEP post: Recommended Books for GEP Selection Test and How to Get Into GEP.

Do Not Press This if you are Overseas (Singtel Customers)

If you are an Apple iPhone user, and from Singtel, remember not to press “OK” when you see this message: “iMessage: Your carrier may charge for SMS messages used to activate iMessage.”.

This message appears when you swop SIM card, turn off the phone, or in various other situations.

Singtel treats this as “International SMS”, and can charge a fee for it. I got hit with a $5 fee as I was frequently swopping SIM cards (to check for any SMS received on my local card). The charges appear as “AutoRoam (PAYR) SMS”.

Solution

The solution is to press “Cancel” whenever the message pops up. If you are already get the charges by Singtel, you can try calling in/online chat with them to waive the fee. I managed to get a “one-time waiver” which will supposedly occur within two billing cycles.

Where to buy dumplings (饺子) in Singapore

新加坡哪里有卖饺子

Dumplings (饺子) is a staple food in Northern China. However it is rare to find it in Singapore. Often in NTUC Fairprice, or other supermarkets, Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) or Korean dumplings can be found, but not Chinese dumplings. Making your own dumplings is possible, but very time consuming.

Recently I found out about “Yongle Kitchen”, which sells authentic Shandong style dumplings. Check out their video below, it looks very professional.

The recommended way to buy their dumplings is through Qoo10: Click here to enter their Qoo10 Official Shop!

Do check out their 10 different flavors!

You may also click on the banner below to enter their Official Shop:

[$12.00](▼34%)[YongLe Dumplings]42 Pcs Dumplings in 10 Different Flavours!

WWW.QOO10.SG

Morse Inequalities

Let $X$ be a CW complex (with a fixed CW decomposition) with $c_d$ cells of dimension $d$ . Let $\mathbb{F}$ be a field and let $b_d=\dim(H_d(X;\mathbb{F}))$ .
(i) (The Weak Morse Inequalities) For each $d$ ,

$\displaystyle c_d\geq b_d.$
(ii)

$\chi(X)=b_0-b_1+b_2-\dots=c_0-c_1+c_2-\dots$ ,
where $\chi(X)$ denotes the Euler characteristic of $X$ .

Proof:

The proof is by linear algebra (see Hatcher pg. 147).

By rank-nullity theorem (秩-零化度定理), $\dim C_d=\dim Z_d+\dim B_{d-1}$ .

By definition of homology, $\dim Z_d=\dim B_d+\dim H_d$ .

$\therefore c_d=\dim B_d+\dim B_{d-1}+b_d$ .

In particular, $c_d\geq b_d$ .

Taking alternating sum gives $\displaystyle \sum_d(-1)^d c_d=\sum_d(-1)^d b_d.$

Reference: A user’s guide to discrete Morse theory by R. Forman.

VPN that works in China (2018): Lantern Pro Review

The Great Firewall of China is exceptionally intelligent, it is rumored to use machine learning, deep learning and various other strategies to block users from accessing websites such as Google, Facebook, etc.

You probably have realized that most VPNs are not working well in China anymore, as of 2018.

Lantern Pro Review (China)

The one “VPN” that remains good to use is Lantern Pro. It isn’t actually a VPN, but rather a “network sharing” tool. As such, it remains relatively unaffected by the ban on VPNs by China. I have personally tested Lantern in August 2018 and find it working in good condition.

There is a free version, and also a paid version that is more stable and faster. You can first try the free version (data limit of around 800 MB) to see if you like it or not. The installation is extremely simple, basically you just click one button to connect.

URL: https://getlantern.org/

Lantern Referral Code: Use my code YJVD2WT and get 3 months free when you sign up!

Note that you need to install it before you enter China. Once you enter China there is no way you can download the installer as the entire website is blocked.

Use this referral code YJVD2WT and both you and I will get free months (1 or 3 months depending on which plan you buy).

PureVPN (Mac, iOS) not working in China (2018)

Unfortunately, to my disappointment, PureVPN is not working in China as of 2018. I previously wrote a post on PureVPN, it used to be good, but now it has been defeated by the Great Firewall of China.

The Inextricable Relationship Between Exams and Weather

Singapore is a country that prides itself on its scholastic achievements – with tuitions centers in almost every neighbourhood advertising its rockstar tutors and top-scoring students. The first day of school starts like clockwork, nobody misses a beat, everyone is punctual, assignments are due, and classes start rushing to finish the curriculum again.

This relentless pace for Singapore’s education system is because the exams are just around the corner. It may seem scary for readers that have graduated years ago but yet to have children. The pressure of school is cranked up to 11 on a scale of 10 almost immediately. Especially so for those in crucial streaming years (primary 4 / secondary 2) or graduating years (primary 6 / secondary 4 and 5 / junior college 2).

The importance of exams to the Singaporean society is paramount. As a meritocratic society, education is seen as the equalising force among the varying socio-economic classes. With a thriving bureaucratic government, the best and the brightest in national examinations tend to get the best scholarships and positions in public service afterwards. The fact is that every exam is one step closer or further away from securing the place in society.

Singapore is just above the equator – a hot and humid city with students all seeking a cool place to study. To combat the elements, the only way is cranking up the air conditioner. Almost every home in Singapore has one so to get some much respite from the hot and humid air. Students furiously studying for exams (colloquially termed “mugging” and those who do so called “muggers”) are more than likely doing so under the cool breeze of artificial temperature control.

It will be a common sight to see public places with free strong air conditioners like libraries, fast food outlets, cafes, even airport being full of students cramming away. Expect also to see plenty of midnight oil being burnt in the bedrooms and living rooms of students during the next few months. Because of the humidity of the climate being at an average of 84.2%, no matter what the temperature is, the weather is still often uncomfortable and sweat-inducing.

These are hardly the best conditions for students to focus and study. Extreme temperatures causes students to be annoyed and hence distracted. According to experts, the best temperature to be productive is at 23.5 degrees Celcius. With the average Singapore temperature in the day in the low thirties and at night in the high twenties, natural conditions are definitely not beneficial.

Does it mean that all students need to do is to set the air conditioner to high fan and low temperature? Unfortunately no. The same study also added that while that might work for the majority, 30% of people will be too cold or too hot. That means 1 in 3 will have to keep tweaking the air conditioner time and time again (yet another distraction to the studying process).

So what is a parent or student to do? Leave it up to fate on what the weather conditions are like outdoors? All the while constantly dealing with a fluctuating levels of comfort from the air-conditioner (a device purchased for the express purpose of delivering comfort)? Thank goodness that technology can step in to help.

With Ambi-Climate , a smart AI-enabled air conditioner controller, what we will have is a device that can recognise the students’ unique needs, and tailor temperatures for optimal comfort without having to ask. While traditional air conditioners only account for temperature and ignore other key factors – humidity, sunlight, changes in outdoor weather, and your daily metabolic cycle – Ambi Climate takes everything into account to help create an optimal, personalised home environment while saving up to 30% on energy

By connecting to your air conditioner and learning from your feedback, Ambi’s unique A.I. engine and smart sensors will work their magic to match the students’ needs and adjust to what they deem comfortable. Also, Ambi has an away mode, that efficiently keep your home within desired temperature or humidity thresholds. After setting a threshold of your choice (heating, cooling or drying), Ambi Climate will fulfill your preference in the most energy-efficient way; it will only turn the AC on when needed to maintain the threshold. Your home stays safe and you save money! This will come as good news for muggers as they can enjoy the breeze to keep them concentrated on the upcoming exams at hand.

Took special needs son to Australia; he graduated from uni at 17

Very motivational story. Suitable for parents to read; sometimes a change of environment is what it takes for your child to reach his/her full potential. Though the Singapore education system is quite good on the whole, there are some gifted children who are unsuited to such an education.

Note that the financial costs are very high to study in Australia: It costs at least $262,000 for an Australian degree, according to Straits Times. The mother in the story below has 4 children studying in Australia, so one can imagine the heavy financial burden.

Also see our previous post on: School System Video (Do not make a fish climb trees).

Source: Facebook of Pamela Liu

(There is also a forum discussion at Kiasuparents.)

This is just a piece of paper, but a paper that is full of sweat, tears and stories.

Just not too long ago, in 2011, Sean was labeled with multiple learning disabilities. Even though he was selected to be in the gifted education program (GEP) in Singapore, we were told we have to withdraw him from the program because they didn’t want him after spending a year there. Instead, they wanted me to put him into a school for special needs children.

Sean did not want to go to the special needs school, because he felt that he did not belong there. The psychologist we hired told us that the place was not suitable for him. MOE and the school were not happy we did not heed their advice, some are not happy that I refused to put him on ritalin. So the only solution they gave me was to exclude Sean in all school activities if I were to send him to school.

They would put him in the principal’s office. The school, out of the goodwill of the principal, will assign a Math teacher to him.

What about other subjects? And what if you just allow him to take PE and recess with his peers? I asked. It was a straight no.

I couldn’t send my son to school to sit in the principal’s office all day long, he would never understand why he was not allowed to mingle with his friends. So I took him home.

I had no solution, but I was determined to find one. I will educate him myself, I thought.

The psychologist told me that homeschooling Sean will endanger me, I had no clue what that meant when she first told me that, but I did not have an alternative. So I brought him together with the rest of the 4 kids to Australia, determined to find a solution for each kid.

The older two kids were attending university but Sean and the other two younger ones had no school to go to, since they were not residents, no public school could take them, the private schools were full.

Out of the container that I rented, I taught Jo and Sean daily for two hours. He was 10, and we moved quickly from Year 4 work to Year 12 work. All within six months. He was attentive and a quick learner. He even won some medals for his SAT exams for being a top scorer. Jo moved from Year 8 to Year 12 in that time period too.

Jo became the youngest the university matriculated at 13, outdone only by Sean. By 11, he enrolled in UQ, and became the youngest they matriculated in history. The condition for him to attend university at this age was that I must accompany him for every class.

I gladly did. Every class, every day, every moment. 30 to 40 hours a week, plus having to bring up 3 other teenagers and a younger son, and all by myself.

Half way through the degree, he started to fail everything. He told me he really did not like that he had no age peers. So we stopped university and got him enrolled in high school.

In high school, he felt out of place, he found kids noisy and boisterous. After 18 months in high school, we decided to dual enroll him, both in the university and high school.

When it got too noisy in school, he would hide in the toilet, sometimes for the whole day. It became so bad, the tutor wanted me to bring to see a psychologist. The psychologist, to my surprise, told me that Sean is way ahead of his peers socially. All these years, I was told he is autistic, in that he is socially poor, and all these years, I was told to send him to therapies so he could catch up and learn social skills. Five years of doing all these later, I was told he is the opposite. His problem is that he cannot endure the childish behaviour of his age peers.

Sean turned 16, he could attend classes in the university alone finally. After sitting in for 2 years full-time and 2 years part-time, I finally bought some time for myself (except that Youngest One started university on the same terms, and so I have to sit his classes).

Sean started to skip many many classes. In the end, we found out that he was sleeping in the library. It is also then we found out that he has a sleeping disorder, narcolepsy. The university made some provisions for him, so that his exams are never in difficult hours of the day.

That was just last year. And with that, he finally graduated with his degree, and is into his second semester on his masters program.

What a journey. This piece of paper is probably the most hard earned one for me this lifetime. It is also the most precious.

Sean is now 18, he is officially an adult (in Australia), and looking back, I will never do it any other way. I think, journeying this with him has made me a much better person than otherwise. I am thankful for all that we had to go through, and I am thankful he was put into my life. I learned so much.

Well done, Sunshine Boy.

*Even though Sean started university the earliest, he did not
graduate the youngest at 17 because of his multiple anxiety problems. Jo graduated at 16 and the Youngest One will graduate at 16 as well. It really does not matter. We took the time to adjust and ensure each child is comfortable in the education path. Education is about finding our kids’ potential and bringing that to the fullest. Isn’t it? Time and age should not determine what we do with them.

**If you want to know about the costs of doing this, I have made some videos and in the midst of editing them. They will be available in two weeks. Go to this link and watch for it: www.facebook.com/liupam

2018 Fields Medallists

URL: https://www.quantamagazine.org/tag/2018-fields-medal-and-nevanlinna-prize-winners/

I find that the above link by Quanta Magazine has the most detailed and educational write up about the 4 new Fields Medallists:

Akshay Venkatesh, a former prodigy who struggled with the genius stereotype
The 30-year-old math sensation Peter Scholze is now one of the youngest Fields medalists
The mathematician Caucher Birkar was born on a subsistence farm and raised in the middle of the brutal war between Iran and Iraq.
he mathematician Alessio Figalli is rarely in one place for very long. But his work has established the stability of everything from crystals to weather fronts by using concepts derived from Napoleonic fortifications.
Also included is the theoretical computer scientist Constantinos Daskalakis, who has won the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize for explicating core questions in game theory and machine learning.

Parasite in cat poop could be reducing our fear of failure, study finds

This news sounds bizarre, but is true. I have been “researching” on this topic sometime ago, it is a true scientific research topic, not bogus or fake. Basically the parasite “Toxoplasma gondii” affects human brains in some subtle ways that can affect one’s personality.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/parasite-cat-poop-could-be-reducing-our-fear-failure-study-n894221

A mind-controlling parasite found in cat feces may give people the courage they need to become entrepreneurs, researchers reported Tuesday.

They found that people who have been infected with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite are more likely to major in business and to have started their own businesses than non-infected people.

The parasite, which makes rodents unafraid of cats, may be reducing the fear of failure in people, Stefanie Johnson of the University of Colorado and colleagues said.

They haven’t actually shown that. But toxoplasma does get into the brain, and it’s been linked to a variety of mental effects in mice and people alike. And fear of failure could be a good thing, Johnson said.

Toxoplasmosis has been linked to a greater risk of “car accidents, mental illness, neuroticism, drug abuse and suicide,” Johnson and her colleagues wrote in their paper, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

It might be affecting message-carrying chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters, or hormones such as testosterone, they wrote.

In particular, scientists have studied whether the parasite might increase risk-taking behavior.

Johnson is an associate professor of management at the University of Colorado and often told her students about the odd effects of the parasite, which travels to the brains of rodents and causes them to lose their innate fear of the smell of cat urine.

The 17 best universities in the world to study math

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-17-best-universities-in-the-world-to-study-math-2018-7/?IR=T/#17-kyoto-university-japan-2189-1

According to the above source, the best 17 universities to study Math are:

Princeton, United States
University of Paris-Sud, France
Stanford University, United States
Oxford University, United Kingdom
New York University, United States.
6-17 are listed in the website.

The above ranking is a little strange, Cambridge (7th) and Harvard (12th) are both outside the top 5. Most typical rankings will have these 2 universities in the top 10.The ranking “looked at factors including how many Field Medalists had studied at each institution”.

Math shapes our primal ‘number system,’ not vice-versa

Interesting article on the “power of education in modeling the brain”.

Source: https://www.futurity.org/approximate-number-system-math-1819602-2/

Scientists have long believed that our ability to solve symbolic math problems such as 3+2=5 depends on an imprecise, primal brain function called the Approximate Number System. A new study suggests otherwise.

“Our study shows that gaining expertise with symbolic math, which is a human cultural invention, actually refines this evolutionarily ancient system of quantity representation, not the other way around,” says lead author Macarena Suárez Pellicioni, an educational neuroscience postdoctoral researcher at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development.

Free Limited Edition National Geographic (Singapore Edition)

Students / parents do take note of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get the free limited edition National Geographic magazine. Need to be quick since anything free in Singapore is snapped up almost instantaneously.

Share to your friends via Facebook!

Source: Yahoo

To celebrate Singapore’s 53rd birthday, we’ve got a special Singapore edition of a little magazine you may have heard of called National Geographic. Dropping islandwide at community centers and libraries, the limited edition publication will see 250,000 copies distributed for free from Aug 1 onwards.

Of course, this being a collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information, the mag will feature an interview with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about his thoughts on the future of Singapore, alongside a series of local stories about individuals contributing to “shaping our future home through their pursuits.”

Source: PM Lee’s Facebook

Gov.sg has partnered National Geographic to do a special Singapore edition of the magazine titled “Singapore – City of Tomorrow”!

Read about the people shaping the future Singapore – they are active in design, sports, sustainable urban farming, volunteerism and other unexpected areas. The articles are accompanied by great photos, of course.

You can pick up your complimentary copy at Suntec City, West Atrium from today till 29 Jul, and at Community Centres and libraries from 1 Aug.

In conjunction with the magazine launch, the #WhatMakesSG photo exhibition is currently on at Suntec City till 29 Jul. It features Nat Geo photojournalist Michael Yamashita’s photos taken during his visit here in May, as well as the winning entries of the #WhatMakesSG photo contest. Do drop by if you’re nearby. – LHL

Chinese Tuition HCL O Level

Chinese Tuition Singapore
新加坡华文补习老师
Tutor: Ms Gao (高老师）

Ms Gao is a patient tutor, and also effectively bilingual in both Chinese and English.

A native speaker of Mandarin, she speaks clearly with perfect accent and pronunciation. She is also well-versed in Chinese history, idioms and proverbs.

Ms Gao is able to teach Chinese at the Secondary school level (Chinese and Higher Chinese). She will teach in an exam-oriented style, but will also try her best to make the lesson interesting for the student.

Ms Gao has taught students from: Nanyang Girl’s High (NYGH), RGS, RI, and other schools.

Contact:

HP: 8339 6353

Email: chinesetuition88@gmail.com

Website : https://chinesetuition88.com/
(Preferably looking for students staying in the West side of Singapore)

NUS High School DSA Selection Test Results Out

The first round results of NUS High School DSA Selection Test are apparently out since yesterday July 24. (Source: Kiasuparents)

Those who are successful will receive the following email:

Thank you for attending NUS High School DSA Selection Test and Camp. Candidates who passed the selection will be invited to our DSA School Preview to gain a sneak peek into the unique learning experience at NUS High School.

The outcome of the DSA Selection Exercise will be announced by the 3 August 2018 via the registered e-mail.

We would like to notify you early that the DSA School Preview would be on 8 August 2018. The shift is made after the consideration of the PSLE oral examination which will happen on the 16 August 2018 as well as to provide you and your family an uninterrupted 4-day long weekend break from 9 – 12 August 2018. We hope that the shift of date will allow you to have more family time with your parents during weekend as well as sufficient time for you to prepare for the coming PSLE oral examinations.

We seek your understanding and patience in this matter.

Congratulations to those who have passed this round! Do check out our tips for DSA interview.

Tip for SST Selection Camp

SST (School of Science and Technology) is a relatively new secondary school (established in 2010) that offers an alternative approach to the usual MOE secondary schools. It is not very well known at the moment and I wouldn’t be surprised if majority of Singaporeans did not hear of it or know its existence. It does seem like a good school though.

According to Kiasuparents, majority of parents (53%) are concerned that SST does not have a good track record yet. However, there are students who are very keen to enter SST, and it is not that easy given its limited enrollment. They have to attend some selection camp similar to NUS High School. (SST admits 100% of the students through DSA exercise, so there is no way to get in via PSLE score alone.)

Also check out: NUS High Selection Test (DSA). Most probably students applying for SST are also considering NUS High School as their alternative choice.

SST Selection Camp Review

Came across an “insider tip” for the School of Science and Technology selection camp at Kiasuparents. Quite impressive actually that a secondary student can write so well.

Hello!

I’m a student is currently studying in SST, while the teachers do look for prospective students, they look out for those with the ability to think on the spot, work well with others and conquer unexpected challenges. The school wants those with the passion for science and technology, but also those who have the desire to do well. In my personal experience, just be yourself, do not try to “fake” your way through, because our teachers can see through the smoke… Erm, let’s say, they deal with it a lot, especially during humanities. Be yourself; the teachers do look for one thing, the most important thing, which is respect and honesty.

The DSA Phase II for our school will have the students split up into groups of 4/5, in which group interviews are carried out, but do note, in these interviews, respect your other interviewees, or they usually won’t accept you. After the group interviews, they would have you go through a challenge. In 2015 they had my team design and built a parachute, which had various requirements and restrictions, which will hinder prospective students, in a right way. This is a part of the process to see what prospective students can achieve via creative and critical thinking.

For those going for the Phase 2 next week, CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!
I hope to see you for the “A Day @ SST” and/or in school next year!

Regards,
An SST Student

Basically, I think SST is looking for a creative student that is genuinely interested in science and technology (i.e. not being forced by their parents). Personality traits matter too, at the minimum the student should be able to coexist peacefully with his/her fellow students. Good teamwork is definitely a plus point.

According to the official Selection Criteria, these are the factors that will give you better admission chances to SST:

Selection Criteria

Academic and Cognitive Abilities

Applicants are assessed on both academic achievements and cognitive abilities based on academic track records and other accomplishments, as well as the outcome of the General Ability Test (GAT) and Comprehension Reasoning Test (CRT).

Aptitude for Applied Learning

SST aims to engage our students through Applied Learning approaches. Shortlisted candidates will thus have to participate in a selection activity and be assessed for their suitability to work and learn in the fast-paced and rigorous environment of the school.

Interests and Motivation

Candidates’ proclivity and passion for areas related to mathematics, science and technology may be gauged through their CCA involvement, student portfolios, teachers’ recommendations and personal statements. Students who have done well in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competitions may be considered favourably for admission.

Hint: Math Olympiad may be useful here. Check out our post on Math Olympiad.

(For admission into Secondary 3, particular emphasis will be placed on personal leadership, academic strength and consistent performance.)

What Knitting Can Teach You About Math | Innovation | Smithsonian

One snowy January day, I asked a classroom of college students to tell me the first word that came to mind when they thought about mathematics. The top two words were “calculation” and “equation.”

When I asked a room of professional mathematicians the same question, neither of those words were mentioned; instead, they offered phrases like “critical thinking” and “problem-solving.”

This is unfortunately common. What professional mathematicians think of as mathematics is entirely different from what the general population thinks of as mathematics. When so many describe mathematics as synonymous with calculation, it’s no wonder we hear “I hate math” so often.

So I set out to solve this problem in a somewhat unconventional way. I decided to offer a class called “The Mathematics of Knitting” at my institution, Carthage College. In it, I chose to eliminate pencil, paper, calculator (gasp) and textbook from the classroom completely. Instead, we talked, used our hands, drew pictures and played with everything from beach balls to measuring tapes. For homework, we reflected by blogging. And of course, we knit.

via What Knitting Can Teach You About Math | Innovation | Smithsonian

Singaporean van Gogh – Mr Sim Kah Lim

This is an amazing story of an amazing artist. His passion for painting is so great, according to his therapist he wants to paint 24/7 without eating or sleeping. I find his paintings of Singapore River very good.

SINGAPORE: For nearly 35 years, Mr Sim Kah Lim’s world has been the walls of his ward at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Outside, changes have swept the landscape, old buildings falling and new ones rising – skylines and shorelines of a 21st-century nation transformed.

But in his mind’s eye – and in his bold-stroked acrylic and watercolour paintings – Mr Sim’s homeland is one where bumboats still crowd the Singapore River, ferrying goods and passengers; and where Chinatown’s open-air markets thrive and its five-foot ways are bustling with locals, not tourists.

They are pictures, frozen in time and memory, from early childhood when his father used to take him to these places.

“My father brought me outdoors (for) painting. I saw the Singapore River and all the artists,” the 50-year-old said, words spilling out without pause in a torrent of English and Mandarin, sometimes incoherent and muddied, like the river of his paintings during monsoon season.

It’s through his art that he finds order, focus and clarity in expressing himself.

Sim Kah Lim 2019 Update

Found 2 more excellent updated videos on Mr Sim Kah Lim, the artist:

This video also features Mr Sim Kah Lim and his sister Cindy (including two other guests). Very enlightening interview.

Experience in Elite School (Hwa Chong aka Chinese High)

Check out this interesting article about the experience and “privileges” of elite schools in Singapore. Also covered are the competitiveness and academic pressure in such schools. Finally, the author shares his experience of studying overseas in New York.

Also see: Hwa Chong IP Sec 2 Maths Question: Equation of Parabola

Source: https://sg.style.yahoo.com/went-elite-school-privileged-024122633.html

My heart sank when I received my PSLE results. Falling a few points short of qualifying for Raffles Institution, 12-year-old me broke down in the school hall, my elitist dreams crushed.

Qualifying for Chinese High was the next best thing, although I hated the idea of attending a “communist” school. At least, that was my impression. You can’t blame me for believing what people told me when I was 12.

A number of us (including myself) were RI rejects. However, for some, Chinese High was their first choice for its focus on Chinese language and character education.

From the moment I entered the school, the principal and school leaders were unabashed about informing us of our elite status. The principal would do so during school assemblies, only to be echoed later by teachers in a classroom setting.

Whenever we misbehaved, as boys often do, a good chunk of each lecture revolved around how we took our place in the school for granted. Being there was a privilege, and it lay on our shoulders to continue the prestigious legacy of the school.

We were also reminded that we should be thankful for the resources and the very upscale school facilities that we had.

And so from the very beginning, we were told that we were different and maybe better. No surprise that many of us grew up believing it.

Challenging P6 Math Question (Cycling)

One afternoon, 5 friends rented 3 bicycles from 5.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. and took turns to ride on them. At any time, 3 of them cycled while the other 2 friends rested.

If each of them had the same amount of cycling time, how many minutes did each person ride on a bicycle?

Hint: There is an “easy” way and also a “complicated” way to do this question. The “easy” way involves calculating total cycling time, while the “complicated” way involves working out a timetable to determine exactly who is cycling at which time.

(Source: Hardwarezone)

(Ans: 54)

Hong Kong and Singapore have highest average IQ

Just saw this news online. Note that top 3 are all Asian countries. Probably one factor is that IQ test is after all still a paper-based test that rewards good test-taking skills. IQ test does not really cover all forms of creative and intellectual ability. Also, most likely the effect of early-age tuition has boosted the IQ scores. Since IQ is defined as the ratio of mental age over actual age, if a child learns material (be it math or vocabulary) beyond his age, by definition his/her IQ would be increased, though this does not mean that he is “smarter”.

In Singapore it is now common that a child by age 6 has already mastered the Primary 1 (age 7) syllabus. This achievement alone will give a mental age of 7, versus a actual age of 6, giving an estimated IQ of 7/6×100%=117.

For those gifted students that pass the GEP test (age 9), it is common that they already possess knowledge of Primary 5 (age 11) syllabus, or even Primary 6 (age 12). This translates to an IQ of around 11/9×100=122 to 12/9×100=133.

Sunday’s Google Doodle Celebrates Mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

If you log in to Google today, you will see a doodle of binary numbers that celebrates Leibniz’s development of the binary system. Leibniz is very honest and generous to credit Chinese books for his inspiration behind developing the binary numbers.

Singapore Families with Many Children

In Singapore, having 5 kids is so rare that even the newspaper reports it!

Another related video is about raising 7 kids in modern Singapore:

This YouTube video is only a short excerpt, for those who want to watch the full series, it is available on Toggle, under the title of “Full House”.

Source 1: Starting a family of 7 in Singapore at the age of 21 (Family of 7 in this case means 5 kids and 2 adults apparently, not 7 kids.)

Source 2: Raising 7 children on under S$3,000 a month in Singapore

(These are two separate stories, the first is about a family with 5 kids, the second is with 7 children.)

It seems that the biggest worry for most families (be it big or small) is still their children’s education.

Quote:

Her husband’s absence or his relationship with their children, however, is not her biggest concern. “My greatest worry is Bryan. His PSLE,” she declared.

Her Primary 6 son seems to be more interested in playing – or fighting – with his siblings than in his coming examinations.

Said his mother: “He doesn’t really bother about his studies, but I can’t push him … because the more you push him, the more he doesn’t want (to listen).”

Growing up dyslexic and recently diagnosed with hearing difficulties, Bryan has been struggling in school. And in a family of seven, it has been hard to devote attention and resources to just one child.

“We did try giving them tuition. It did help, but it’s quite costly, so we cut down,” Mrs Lim said. “Nick and I are still … working out with teachers – taking (their) advice – how to handle him.

“But he’s a very stubborn boy, and he keeps everything to himself, so it’s kind of hard to get him to open up.”

His parents only want him to pass his subjects, but in his recent report card, he passed only his English out of three subjects.

“I did try, but … I always end up with only a few more marks (needed) to pass,” said the 12-year-old, who had to then promise his parents that he would do better or else they would take away his phone.

Singapore universities should look beyond international rankings: Panel

Singapore universities should look beyond international rankings: Panel
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-universities-should-look-beyond-international-rankings-10484568.

Singaporean students are quite lucky that 2 of Asia’s top universities NUS, NTU are located here. I think that there should be room for even more universities to be built here, to cater to those students whose grades are decent but not good enough to enter NUS, NTU, SMU.

Ranking wise, I think maintaining current ranking should be good enough. In practice, there should not be any big difference in say a Top 5 or Top 20 university in the world. (Currently NUS is around 12th in the world, compared to say Yale which is 25th in the world, for Natural Sciences.) There should not be a need for a deliberate push to be top in the world, at expense of other factors.