Cambodia win medal in APMO?

When I see the result on Australian website, it suprised me that Cambodian student, Se Dara, Sisowat High School, won a bronze medal in this tough Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympiad 2008 with 11pts/35. This year competition is considered as a toughest ever in APMO history with a very lower average score comparing to previous years. Notice that this is the first time for Cambodia team to particpate this competition; I strongly believe that cambodia team with 6 contestants ( all selected from grade 12) will perform well in soon coming IMO 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Winning streak now come to the END!

Every year Cambodia has a huge competition for all superior students in 3 different subjects (Khmer literature, Mathematics and Physics), both Junior and Senior, throughout the nation to compete nationally called National Level Top Student competition. Usually, there are 480 contestants, who has been selected from each areas (provinces and cities) coming from all the various places in Cambodia. This year likewise, the competition was held on the land of history and nature, Siem Reap Province from May 5 to May 12.

After a 3-day competition and another 3-day marking progression, the National Level Top Student selection has come to the end with 60 successive contestants, 10 contestants for each subject in each level. 24 of 69 Phnom Penh Municipal students have been selected with 4 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals and 3 Bronze Medals. Additionally, 8 of 19 Bak Touk Students have won the competition with 1 Gold Medal, 1 Silver Medal and 2 Bronze Medals. Actually, in overall Bak Touk High School Team is the best team this year; however, I personally want to say sorry to all my friends, supporters, school principles, all my relatives and especially mom and dad for my embarrassing performance which made most of you hopeless. Indeed, Silver medal would be joyful enough for most contestants, yet to me, it was with tear, hopelessness and sadness. It may be a really high ambition of me, but the main reason is that I still don’t why I have lost especially on the first day, hmmm... maybe it all my faults... my ability has already shown out of my best, still I couldn’t keep my position, poor me :(. I feel really embarrass, and a huge pressure seem to be put on my emotion though some of you have tried to encourage and remain supporting me.

Finally, I want to say sorry to everyone again and also want to say congratulation to Samrith, you finally beated me....

Here is another poem!

For this Khmer new year season, I have a small gift for all the friends and Cambodians and wish all of you all the best of life... Wish all the students who going to compete the National round of top student, especially my Bak Touk friends. I also wanna dedicate this poem to all the Physics and Mathematics students who gonna represent Cambodia in regional and International competitions including soon coming APho-Mongolia, IMO-Spain and IPho-Vietnam. Here is the poem:

Coming soon jubilant ocassion KHMER NEW YEAR

People in the world always say New Year celebrate their happy festival. They usually schedule and prepare it differently, depend on their belief and tradition. For Cambodian have hold it since past till the present.

The reason that cause to finish the old year for the are that: There have been some people believe that there is a story as following one time there were a person "KABEL MORHAPROHM" who asked three questions to "THORM BAL KOMA, the millionaire's on, who had known the three percepts of "TRAI VITH" and ail kinds of the animal's languages. They all had promised to cut the head of the person who failed the exam "THORM BAL" have no way to find the solution, he felled very hopeless, fortunately, there were two eagles which had spoken about these questions to make "THORM BAL" could find the way to settle the problems. The time of gambling arrived "THORM BAL " had spoken that:

1. In the morning, the happiness is on the face that is why all people have to wash their face.
2. In the afternoon, the happiness is on the breath to make the people take water to wash the breath.
3. In the evening, the happiness is on the foot to make the people wash their food in the evening.

Cambodian people are playing the Chaul Choung game in New Year Day.

The result had broken out "KABEL MORHAPROHM" had to cut his head to give to the oldest had take it go around PRAS SOMERU mountain about 60 minutes after they all bring it to put in the center of KUHA KUNTH MALAY of KAILA mountain. In the end of the year the 7 females angles had changed their turn to take the head and go around the mountain every year till the present. This is the reason to cause "SANG KRAN" or changing the old year into the New Year.

Some people have believed that for a period of one year the people always face the problems like diseases or serious obstacles to make them unhappy. When the one of the year they all had celebrated a great festival called "HAPPY NEW YEAR" and the people always prepare them-self, clean the house, and take food to offer the monks. They wear new clothes and play popular games.

The festival usually is in 3 days period. The first day is "MOHA SANGKRAN" the second day is "VORNBORTH" and the third day is "THNGAI LIENG SAK". For that time they start to change the old year when the angle comes to get the duties from the former angle were schedule clearly.

Good tips for Mathematics Olympiad participants!

The term "olympiad" is used generically to refer to a math contest in which students are asked not to compute numerical answers, but to give proofs of specified statements. (Example: "Prove that 2003 is not the sum of two squares of integers.") The most famous example is the International Mathematical Olympiad; most countries that participate at the IMO have national olympiads as part of their team selection process. Some areas have additional olympiads at the regional or local level.

The jump from short answers to olympiads is a tough one. Here are some tips for students making this transition.


Practice, practice, practice. The only way to learn math is by doing.

Proofs are essays. The better written a proof is, the more likely it is to be understood. Even such mundane things as grammar, spelling and handwriting are worth a bit of attention.

Define your terms. If you're going to use a word in a way that might not be commonly understood, define it precisely. Then stick to your definition!

Read the masters. No one ever learned how to do good mathematics in a vacuum. When you do practice problems, read the solutions even of the problems you solved.

There's more than one road. Different solutions can be equally valid; even when solutions agree in substance, differences in perspective can be significant and valuable.

It's not over when it's over. Don't hesitate to continue thinking about the problems on a contest after the time ends, or to discuss the problems with others.

Learn from your peers. They're smarter than you might have expected.

Learn from the past. Try to relate new problems to old ones; you may learn something from the similarities, or from the differences.

Patience. No one said this was easy!

See it NOW!!! The end of " 4 seasons

As the summer had gone, fall followed its tail and arrived for preparing and taking care of the nature before the winter came. When the temperature began to drop, the windy weather with cold air was taking place over the large field covered with dying old grass, and some leaves were blown away from their trees to the ground by the wind. Watching through the window on the top of the university, we could see almost all of the scenery colored orange. These were signs for all kinds of animals to looking for their shelters and food in order to store them for winter. So did all the students, they were also preparing for their final examination which would take place at the end of fall too. While everybody was busy with their studying, Jeson didn’t care about anything. He was only worried about Isa’s result and helping her with her studying all the time. Beside, he took all of his left time composing a song which was only for Isa and finally, at mid-fall, Jeson perfectly finished it with his love. This melodious song was named “Secret in winter”. With this song and a ring he’d just bought in a high price, he was planning to make a wonderful night for Isa but he didn’t know while he was expecting to give her the ring and ask her to marry him on the night of Christmas day, his parents at Tokyo knew about his love with Isa but they’re completely not satisfied with this because Isa was just a poor girl living in a country side, how could they publicly accept her. They were immediately looking for a way to separate them and get their son back; otherwise, they would lose their honorable face. God seemed to help them, as the school was finished and our piano genius got an excellent result for his exam, a group of the university consultants had finally finished their concentrated discussion and chose Jeson as a representative of their university to join a competition which would be celebrated in Tokyo. This made his parents very blissful and began to create a plan in order to dissuade Jeson in Tokyo and stop him from going back to the university, After Jeson knew the school had chosen him for the competition in which he had wished to compete for a long time, he was very happy and instantly went to Isa s house to tell her the surprising. When he’s on the way to the house, he thought that Isa would be happy like him too. Arriving at her small house, Jeson started to tell Isa everything but what he’d just said didn’t surprise her and also caused her heart attack yet it was becoming stable in a minute, This told them both that an unexpected catastrophe would happen. After that shocked heart attack he’d never seen before happened to his beloved person, during 2 weeks before his leaving, everyday, he’d always dreamt about Isa’s illness and every time he was waken up by that terrible dream, he began to sweat and worried about his girlfriend. These made him didn’t want to leave her but the piano competition was the only goal he had always intended to achieve so he couldn’t miss this rare opportunity. A day before Jeson left. Isa called and told him to meet her at the old place, the Gonkgo tree. Arriving there with wonder, Jeson instantly asked his girl sitting under the tree: “What happen”. Then Isa told him that recently, she felt very strange and nervous especially she’d always dreamt that she wouldn’t be able to see Jeson’s face again anymore so she told him the truth that she didn’t want him to leave. Although Isa tried to persuade him to stay, he refused and replied back: “I can’t lose this chance, sorry, I know you’re worried about me but I have to go”. Finally, Isa agreed and let him go because Jeson had promised her that he would return and give her a wonderful present on Christmas day. The leaving day had arrived, at the train station, Jeson told Isa: “it’s just a competition, it wouldn’t be long, don’t worry I’ll come back for you”. “I’ll waiting for you”, Isa insured. While Jeson was holding Isa for the last time before he leave, he didn’t know this was the last time ever that he held and saw Isa in his life. As Jeson had his first step on the train to Tokyo, Isa’s tears appeared on her sad face while she was saying “I’ll waiting for you.” which showed that she loved him very much.
Arriving at Tokyo, Jeson always missed his beloved girl every night. The day he had been expecting for all his life had come. While he was competing in the competition, combining his feeling with imagining of their love remembrances, the extraordinary “4 seasons” was smoothly played and satisfied by all. Then Jeson became the champion without doubt. With his famous reputation, he was very happy and preparing to go back in a day but he was completely trapped in his house by his parents. They didn’t let their son to go back and managed him to marriage a girl from a wealthy family. However, Jeson refused and always tried to escape but he never succeeded. As the matter of fact, his parents knew exactly why he refused. Back to the district, Isa was expecting for Jeson’s return and hope that he would played “4 seasons” for her on the graduation day like what he’d promised. A month, still no a word from Jeson, she began to worry especially, the graduation day had passed without her beloved person. Her hope started to drop like leaves in this season too and her worry became hopelessness. But no matter what happen, she still loved Jeson and waiting for him.
When there were no more leaves left on trees and the temperature had dropped under 100c, white snow began to fall from the sky. The white and cold season has arrived to end the year. All kinds of animals were busy looking for food and then got into their shelters they had made in fall. Grass were died and left the empty field. Without a month, snow covered everywhere. Only white view could be seen in this silent season. Although this was the coldest season of the year, Isa always went out every evening and return at night but her mother didn’t knew where she had been to. Nobody knew how much she loved Jeson, she had regularly been to the place where they first met, the Gonkgo tree. Arriving there, she always sat down under the tree, leant on it and quietly cried. One day she asked the tree “He has promised me that he’ll come back and play “4 seasons” for me on graduation day but why he lied to me? Or has he forgotten? However, I’ll still be waiting for him”. In fact, it didn’t like what Isa had said. Jeson could make it because of his parents but he was trying his best to escape. This caused his parents very angry but they found a way to make their love completely broken. Jeson’s parents sent a letter to Isa. After she already read it, she was stunned and her tear dropped on the paper she was holding. From that day on, she had always hidden herself in her room till one day, December, 20, five days left before Christmas day. That night, her mother found a letter written by Isa. “Mom, I’m sorry that I can’t stay with you anymore. I’m no longer your grateful daughter. When I’m gone, please take care yourself and don’t worry about me. If one day there is a guy whose name is Jeson come and looking for me, tell him that I’m waiting and want to tell him a secret at the place we first met. Good bye mom!!!” After finished her reading, Isa’s mom didn’t know where her daughter had gone and begin to look for her daughter in the cold and dark night. The next morning, what she had found was just Isa’s dead body. She was killed by her heart attack with such a very cold weather under the Gonkgo tree. At the evening of Christmas day, Jeson could successfully escape and ran away from his parents without thinking about their feeling. This time, he didn’t care of anything and only wanted to meet Isa. While he was driving on the way back to the district, there was a snow storm which made him couldn’t see anything but he tried to manage his car through the storm. Unfortunately, sliding by ice on the road, his car was crashed with a tree which was just 100 meters far from downtown. His left foot was just lightly injured but his waist was bleeding. After he’s out of the car, he miserably ran through the storm to Isa’s house. When he arrived there, only her mother was seen and then she told him everything happening to Isa and gave him the letter written by her. After he finished it, he was terribly cried and then quickly ran to the university. Arriving there, he instantly looked for a piano and pushed it across the field covered by snow. That moment, he had lost much blood and began to felt tired. When he got to the tree, he saw Isa’s letter inscribed on the tree before she died. Finishing the letter, he immediately replied back by inscribed a poem on the tree then he took out a small box which had the ring in from his pocket. Opening and putting it on the piano, Jeson began to play “4 seasons” once to apologize for missing the graduation day. When it’s over, he started a new one, “secret in winter”. This one was for asking her to marry him with the ring on the piano but this song was not stopped. It was played again and again for many times until the player’s body lacked of blood and lay on the snow. Finally, this couple could stay together in a peace world forever…….


Isa’s Letter inscribed on the Gonkgo tree:

To: Jeson
No matter what happen to our love
No matter how long it takes
No matter how far from you
I don’t care whether we can meet again or not
I don’t care whether you have forgotten me
I just want to tell you a secret
I love you and waiting for you here
From: Isa

Jeson’s poem inscribed on the Gonkgo tree

Spring’s so lovely brings me here
Study same class brings me near
Friendship begins without fear
First love first kiss miss you dear.

Early summer love’s so sweet
No one can beat secret life
But people start to realize
Hearts mouse loves rice starts breaking.

Autumn crop leaves start falling
I am thinking marry you
Due to contest I must move
But I will do, I promise.

Winter’s so cool should be sweet
I come to meet, where are you?
I come back now is to prove
A secret love I need you.

Snow keeps falling from the sky
It’s December, 25
Our song will be played tonight
Please tell me why you’re not waiting for me?