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Comment by DecayingOrganic | Hacker News Reader

Although this article is well-written, I'm not convinced that he was "lost," or that he didn't really like math, based only on a few anecdotal stories. Furthermore, the article says that "he dropped out of high school to become a poet," but please note that, a number of students drop out of high school in South Korea to fully focus on the college entrance exam, in hopes of getting into better universities. This is not uncommon at all. And sure enough, he got accepted into the best university in South Korea, majoring in astronomy and physics. One of his classes was even taught by a Fields Medalist. If this is his definition of "being lost," I'm not sure if I'll ever be found.

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I can't say whether he disliked math, but I think it's clear that he didn't want to pursue it initially, for practical reasons if nothing else. As you can find in his bio on Wikipedia, he performed poorly on mathematical aptitude tests in elementary school, and so he thought he wouldn't be particularly good at it. If these are the kinds of math tests that I encountered as a kid (multiply, divide, solve single-variable equations, etc. as fast as humanly possible), it's unsurprising that he could still be good at abstract math, because these 2 skillsets have almost nothing in common.

>these 2 skillsets have almost nothing in common

Are you sure about that? I know at least some number theory can help with quick mental calculations. For example, I remember that if the digits of a number add to 9 the number itself is divisible by 9. I'm sure there are lots of other relationships like that.

Of course there is some correlation between the two skillsets (with respect to ability): people who can abstract well can also understand the underlying ideas that are useful for fast calculation, and for both one needs to have a reasonably good memory (to rely on in an exam and when developing a mathematical intuition, respectively). But to be the best in high school 'math' (calculation) requires a degree of extrinsically-driven, dull discipline. One can probably be best in class without taking this degree to the extreme, but among the best in class, many excel at exactly this (and not at abstract thinking), which I find a bit troubling.

The bigger tragedy is how widespread the belief that calculation _is_ math. Even for the university educated, the capstone mathematical course of often some version of calculus ... it is even in the name!

Personally, my first introduction into the more abstract mathematical concepts was a trigonometry class in high-school and later was fortunate enough to take more theoretical classes at university. It would be wonderful to introduce some of the more accessible, elegant concepts to kids at an earlier age.

Limits are taught in a way that gives the learner a taste of higher math, but when I took university calculus at 18 I wasn't really enthused about the "beauty". 15 years later I finally get it and am working my way into some coursework that will require upward of real analysis, but I wonder what changed in my brain to care all of a sudden? How can I have been inspired earlier in my life/career?

This has happened to me several times over the years, where some topic only half-understood in college suddenly becomes clear. It feels as if some part of my mind was slowly chewing on it all this time, and finally finished its work.

There's a bit more detail about Huh's student days in this 2017 article. It does seem he was a real dropout, and aspiring poet prior to thinking about becoming a sci/tech reporter. He joined Hironaka's course thinking it would make a good journalistic story.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-path-less-taken-to-the-peak...

No even by Korean high school standards, he definitely had an unconventional path. Huh landing in Seoul National University is definitely a result of his pure, raw talent. But while it's not uncommon to graduate in 6 years in South Korea, I doubt anyone would have anticipated a Fields medal when he was rejected by all the US doctoral programs save UIUC. He is obviously beyond gifted, but he didn't take a conventional path to math.

It just points to faults in the University system. If no University in the US could adequately judge his talent, how many other potential Fields level Mathematicians were also missed?

It has to be a small number, given the rarity of the honor.

Fields level, meaning good enough to possibly win one. Not necessarily actual winners.

Kinda similar to the fault in interviewing for SW jobs as well, right?

It would be a fault if there are examples of other systems where there are zero chances of something like this occurring.

So this system has no faults because other systems have faults?

It's interesting UIUC recognized it early

I can believe he wasn't sure mathematics was his calling during high school. I wasn't sure I would do a degree in mathematics until near the end, then I did (am no way near a fields medalist). But this is time up to 18-19. There's a lot of time after that.

However he took a course high in mathematical content and it sounds like he must have switched to mathematics for grad school, I.e. after his undergraduate or masters. In other words, he did the preparation. If it is anything like physics courses I have seen they feature a lot of mathematics courses anyway.

Some people have a lot of natural ability in mathematics but this is not enough to do good research. There's no way around hard work.

Also, dropping out of high school in many places significantly reduces your chances of going to university because you do the qualifications you need at the high school equivalent.

> One of his classes was even taught by a Fields Medalist.

Yeah, you don't "happen into" a course on algebraic geometry. He must have dedicated a large amount of undergraduate courses to math, or demonstrated aptitude in another way.

that's but the article also says "he had to retake several courses." It's no fun "retaking classes."

Yes, this is a weird romantic retcon of a highly accomplished mathematician as some kind of artist-drifter. He was not a tip top performer as an undergraduate but this is more like a sixth round NFL draft pick winning the Super Bowl, not some couch potato accidentally stumbling onto the field and winning the Super Bowl.

Can one officially drop out of a South Korean high school before going to university? I would think that SNU would have required a transcript and not just rely on CSAT scores given its really low acceptance rate.

South Korean dropout here. Yes you can. You take a test granting something legally equivalent to high school diploma (as I understand, GED in US is something similar?) and there is a legally mandated conversion table from test score to transcript which is accepted by all universities.

So a 14 year-old (western age) can just take a test, graduate from high school in a year, go ronin for another and matriculate by 16? That sounds incredibly interesting. I'd love to hear your story, even if its a short summary.

Yes, in the United States, you can take a GED to graduate but that's usually reserved for adult high school students. I've never heard of it being used to skip high school and go straight to college admissions.

The closest parallel that I know of is Early Bird/Junior Admission. Essentially, one must first obtain all the credits required to graduate, and then as a high school junior apply to a college/university (although that only seems to be an available option for a few colleges) but it isn't exactly the same as what you're describing.

There was a stoner kid in my US magnet school who, to the best of my understanding, did the GED to graduate at 15, then went on to the local community college. As far as I know they've always taken high schoolers for credit courses so this route would ultimately result(if aiming for a four-year bachelor's) in transferring with a pile of course credits at 18.

Nothing could have made me feel more mediocre or small than reading this article. Was it supposed to inspire me?

it is called Quanta Magazine

Why? From the article you can tell that he wasn't one of those whiz kids who wins the IMO with a perfect score at age 14. He seems like one of those guys who really thinks deeply about something because they love the subject and not just to arrive at an answer.

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