Recently, in the finalists of the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition, a 17-years-old girl from a secondary vocational school (like a junior college in Taiwan) in Huaian City, Jiangsu Province, stood out among the students of famous schools like Peking, Tsinghua, Cambridge, MIT, etc. and acquired a remarkable global ranking of 12.

The girl, named Jiang Ping(姜萍), soon became an internet celebrity, and her school, as well as her home in Lianshui(a relatively poor rural place adjacent to my old hometown), has been a "check-in" mecca. Now, the sensation has extended into several more serious aspects: How did a student majoring in fashion design at a vocational high school possess such a talent in math? Are there people, especially girls, having ingenious elements like math in their blood? Does the education system in China have some problems that deter the geniuses from emerging? Now, some media even question the truth of her performance: did she and her instructor, also a competitor but ranked far behind, collaborate a cheat?

Now let us wait and see the outcome of the coming final in the competition. I hope Jiang Ping could acquit herself well again and achieve an even higher place, like a medal winner in the competition.

PS. I have had weaknesses in math throughout my schooling, so I admire those who own the strength.