Math's true worth greater than we think

Last month, the US nudged China to win this year's International Mathematical Olympiad, its first in 21 years, prompting Chinese netizens to express shock. Although some netizens have reacted very strongly to the loss, the standard of mathematics in China has indeed been on a gradual decline, with some people even demonizing it as a subject.

Many have complained that mathematics is too difficult to learn yet not helpful in real life. Some say the Olympiad math taught in schools consists mainly of stunt problems designed to make life difficult for students, and thus it deviates from the essence of math and stifles children's interest in the subject.

Such "public opinion", spread far and wide thanks to some "opinion leaders", has affected the decision-making of education authorities, prompting them to downplay the importance of Olympiad math. As a result, the number of students excelling in math and other science subjects - on whose strength they are recommended to top middle schools and universities - has largely shrunk. As math questions in all kinds of exams are becoming less difficult, many key science universities have not been able to enroll enough qualified students. Moreover, fewer students who are outstanding in math choose to major in the subject and, convinced by their parents, prefer majors such as finance, economics and management.