Trần Hữu Nguyên, a 9th-grade student in class 9A1, won a gold medal and ranked among the Top 3 Vietnamese contestants and Top 10 competitors globally. Nguyễn Lam Ngọc, a 10-grade student in class 10A6, took silver after previously winning bronze at the national round in May.
For Nguyên, a passion for mathematics began when he was just three. During trips to the supermarket, he was drawn to toys featuring numbers and sometimes asked his mother for old calendars simply to look at the numbers printed on them.
His father enrolled him in additional mathematics classes at the age of six. As his knowledge grew, so did his enthusiasm for solving increasingly difficult problems.
“Only when I concentrate and find the solution to a difficult math problem do I truly feel at ease. It’s as if I’m training my mind and conquering a new milestone in my learning journey,” Nguyên said.
He has focused on building a strong mathematical foundation before moving on to advanced topics. When practicing with his school team, he discusses different approaches, compares answers and analyzes mistakes with his classmates.
Nguyên said setbacks also taught him the importance of emotional control and carefulness. At times, overconfidence led to results below his expectations, prompting him to recognize that knowledge alone was not enough to perform well.
His competition record began early. In Grade 5, he ranked in the top 5% at the International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest (IKMC), won gold at the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad (SASMO) and received silver at the Vietnam Titan Math Olympiad (VTMO).
He later continued to achieve strong results at IKMC, SASMO, VTMO and the American Mathematics Olympiad (AMO). He won gold medals at AMO in two consecutive seasons, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, and ranked among the Top 16 nationwide at the VTMO - TITAN Cup 2026.
At the AIMO 2026 international finals, contestants took an English-language examination covering series sums, algebra and combinatorics. Nguyên said he first completed the questions he was confident about before returning to the more challenging problems.
“Through the competition, I found myself improving in self-control, staying calm, and managing my time,” he said.
Nguyên plans to continue competing in national and international mathematics contests, with the goal of joining the Vietnamese national mathematics team. He also hopes to become a teacher so he can remain connected with the subject he loves.
For Ngọc, her interest in mathematics developed through her family. From the age of four, her parents introduced her to numbers, calculations, real-life mathematical problems and logic puzzles. Her mother frequently worked through difficult problems with her and discussed different approaches.
Her progress, however, was marked by setbacks. In the provincial excellent student examination for the 2024-2025 academic year, Ngọc scored 3.5 points despite previously being the highest scorer on her school's city-level team.
She later identified a key weakness: skipping steps and sometimes completing only part of a solution because she was reluctant to write everything down. She subsequently changed her approach and began focusing on presenting each step clearly.
The adjustment helped her reduce mistakes and organize her thinking more coherently.
“A difficult math problem is really just a collection of easier ones. Finding a solution is like untangling the knots,” Ngọc said.
Trần Hữu Nguyên won the gold medal, and Nguyễn Lam Ngọc took silver at the 2026 international finals of the Asia International Mathematical Olympiad (AIMO). Photo: ĐVCC
When confronting a difficult problem, she carefully reads the question, identifies the key information, recalls relevant knowledge and breaks the problem into smaller parts. She then works through each section until she reaches the answer.
The approach helped Ngọc win second prize at the Đắk Lắk city-level junior high school mathematics competition for the 2024-2025 academic year and second prize at the Gia Lai provincial competition for 2025-2026.
In May 2026, she won a bronze medal at the national AIMO round before securing silver at the international finals in August.
Ngọc said the AIMO experience helped her improve her English and logical thinking while exposing her to new types of mathematical problems.
She also enjoys helping classmates with mathematics, saying that explaining solutions gives her opportunities to review knowledge, discover alternative approaches and identify areas where she can improve.
Ngọc plans to pursue a degree in Mathematics Education and specialize in teaching mathematics in English. She hopes to make mathematical problems more accessible and engaging for students.
Nguyễn Văn Long, a mathematics teacher at APC Gia Lai, said both students demonstrate strong self-study skills, diligence and initiative. They regularly seek learning materials independently, discuss solutions and consult teachers when they encounter difficulties.
“For students with mathematical ability, the key is to help them build a solid foundation and then gradually develop their thinking skills,” Long said.
He said primary school students are introduced to IQ-style mathematical problems to develop reasoning and numerical reflexes, while secondary students can join specialized teams, including mathematics teams, to consolidate their knowledge and explore advanced topics.
Principal Đàm Văn Ngọc said APC Gia Lai focuses on identifying and nurturing talented students from the primary years. Alongside academic knowledge, the school emphasizes study methods, critical thinking, self-learning skills and goal setting.
Mathematics competitions and academic activities, he said, give students opportunities to challenge themselves, gain experience and identify areas for improvement. The results also help the school adjust its enrichment programs to meet individual students’ needs.
