#what is international olympiad in informatics

[kidscoding]

Programming vs. Coding

Though often used interchangeably, programming and coding are distinct terms that describe different aspects of creating software. Understanding these differences is essential, especially for beginners or those teaching concepts like programming for kids.

What is Coding?

Coding is the act of writing instructions in a language that a computer can understand. These instructions, written in programming languages like Python, Java or C++, tell the computer what to do.

Think of coding as translating human ideas into a format the machine can process. Coders focus on the syntax and rules of a specific language, ensuring the commands are structured correctly. It is the foundational skill needed to start developing software or applications.

What is Programming?

Programming encompasses coding but goes beyond it to include the planning, design, testing and debugging of software. A programmer focuses on creating complete solutions, considering user needs, system requirements and scalability.

For example, a programmer might design an entire application, breaking it down into smaller tasks (or modules), which are then coded. Programming requires knowledge of algorithms, data structures and problem-solving techniques.

When teaching programming for kids, the focus often shifts to simple, interactive projects where they not only code but also think critically about how the program should function.

Key Differences

Scope: Coding is a subset of programming. While coding focuses on writing commands, programming involves broader tasks like system design and debugging.

Creativity: Programming requires strategic thinking and planning, while coding focuses on translating instructions into computer-readable formats.

Tools: Coders use code editors, while programmers use a variety of tools, including version control systems, integrated development environments (IDEs) and debugging software.

Why It Matters

Understanding the distinction between coding and programming is crucial for anyone entering the tech field. While coding is the entry point, programming develops the skills necessary for creating functional, efficient software.

For beginners, particularly children, starting with coding through resources like learning to program for kids introduces them to the world of technology, setting the stage for deeper learning and innovation.

Read a similar article about game development for kids here at this page.

[wit-sg]

China ‘genius girl’ Guo Wenjing, Harvard graduate

Source:

https://scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3268811/china-genius-girl-guo-wenjing-harvard-graduate-co-founder-tech-firm-backed-us135-million-funding

People & Culture/ China Personalities

China ‘genius girl’ Guo Wenjing, Harvard graduate, co-founder of tech firm backed by US$135 million funding

Woman is receiving praise in China for great intelligence, successful resume, and good looks

Yating Yang

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Published: 9:00am, 7 Jul, 2024

Why you can trust SCMP

Guo Wenjing, a remarkably talented individual often referred to as the “genius girl” from China, is a Harvard graduate and co-founder of a tech firm. Photo: SCMP composite/Pika Labs

A talented young entrepreneur born in eastern China who now lives in Silicon Valley has captivated public attention in China after her startup, Pika, which secured US$135 million in funding, valuing the company at US$470 million.

Guo Wenjing is beautiful and boasts a remarkable family background, earning her the nickname Demi Guo. She has also been compared to Chinese-American skiing champion, Eileen Gu.

The Post guides you through her remarkable journey.

Role model

Guo is a Chinese-American originally from Hangzhou, the capital city of eastern China’s Zhejiang province. She is seen as a “role model” among Chinese parents because of her “flawless” resume.

Guo won a silver medal in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in 2015 and was later admitted to Harvard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and later a master’s in computer science.

During her time at the prestigious Ivy League university, she also interned at top tech companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Later, Guo continued her education by pursuing a PhD in computer science at Stanford University, working on the intersection of Natural language processing and graphics.

Guo Wenjing, a Harvard graduate, is widely revered as a “role model” among Chinese parents due to her impeccable and impressive resume. Photo: QQ.com

Reflecting on her own choices, Guo said: “When I was young, I was good at writing and won many awards, but I wasn’t very good at maths. I thought being good at writing wasn’t cool enough, and since programming and maths were male-dominated fields, excelling in maths felt more challenging.”

“Whether it’s Harvard, MIT, or Stanford, it’s not that important. What matters is your personal growth.”

Guo’s mother is an MIT graduate, and her father, Guo Huaqiang, is a former chairman of the Hangzhou-based IT services company Sunyard Technology.

Pika’s origins and successes

The idea for Pika originated from her experience at the 2022 “AI Film Festival” hosted in New York City, where Guo and several Stanford computer science PhD classmates participated but failed to win.

Their frustration with existing video tools led them to develop a superior AI video generation tool.

In April last year, Guo decided to drop out of Stanford and, together with Chenlin Meng, a fellow Stanford PhD student, co-founded Pika, focusing on developing easy-to-use AI video generators.

“If you compare AI-generated videos from last year with those generated this March and those from the past one or two months, you’ll see that video-generation models are developing really fast,” Guo said in an interview with Chinese media outlet Overseas Unicorn, detailing the main reason she decided to leave school.

Since its launch, Pika has grown rapidly, and has raised US$135 million at a market valuation of US$470 million.

Notably, the launch of the Pika 1.0 version not only propelled Guo into the business spotlight but also caused Sunyard Technology’s share price to rise by over 20 per cent in one week, earning it the nickname “daughter concept stock”.

Guo’s mother holds a degree from MIT, and her father, Guo Huaqiang, above, boasts a distinguished career as the former chairman of Sunyard Technology, an IT services company in Hangzhou. Photo: QQ.com

Public reactions in China

Many people hearing about Guo’s story are particularly drawn to this “Silicon Valley narrative” of innovative founders launching successful startups.

One person commented: “Beautiful looks, genius, combined with a ‘remarkable family background’ and a ‘valuation of 3 billion yuan,’ these descriptions are all eye-catching and exemplify the seemingly impossible ‘perfect triangle’ of beauty, wealth, and talent.”

Another person quipped: “My reincarnation skills are lacking. Please give me this life script in my next life.”

However, there is also a prevailing sentiment of fatigue over such “elite narratives” and the “god-making” through storytelling.

“She might be a tech version of Eileen Gu, but she’s a bit out of reach for ordinary folks,” one person remarked.

“As the daughter of Sunyard’s boss, her starting point is different. If she had started from scratch without any background, then she would be a true genius. We recognise her excellence, but we should not overpraise it,” wrote someone else.

[cityinmars-blog]

To her dismay, Mirzakhani did poorly in her mathematics class that year. Her math teacher didn’t think she was particularly talented, which undermined her confidence. At that age, “it’s so important what others see in you,” Mirzakhani said. “I lost my interest in math.”

The following year, Mirzakhani had a more encouraging teacher, however, and her performance improved enormously. “Starting from the second year, she was a star,” Beheshti said.

Mirzakhani went on to the Farzanegan high school for girls. There, she and Beheshti got hold of the questions from that year’s national competition to determine which high school students would go to the International Olympiad in Informatics, an annual programming competition for high school students. 

Mirzakhani and Beheshti worked on the problems for several days and managed to solve three out of six. Even though students at the competition must complete the exam in three hours, Mirzakhani was excited to be able to do any problems at all.

Eager to discover what they were capable of in similar competitions, Mirzakhani and Beheshti went to the principal of their school and demanded that she arrange for math problem-solving classes like the ones being taught at the comparable high school for boys. “The principal of the school was a very strong character,” Mirzakhani recalled. “If we really wanted something, she would make it happen.” The principal was undeterred by the fact that Iran’s International Mathematical Olympiad team had never fielded a girl, Mirzakhani said. “Her mindset was very positive and upbeat — that ‘you can do it, even though you’ll be the first one,’ ” Mirzakhani said. “I think that has influenced my life quite a lot.”

In 1994, when Mirzakhani was 17, she and Beheshti made the Iranian math Olympiad team. Mirzakhani’s score on the Olympiad test earned her a gold medal. The following year, she returned and achieved a perfect score. Having entered the competitions to discover what she could do, Mirzakhani emerged with a deep love of mathematics. “You have to spend some energy and effort to see the beauty of math,” she said.

Even today, said Anton Zorich of the Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7 in France, Mirzakhani gives “the impression of a 17-year-old girl who is absolutely excited by all the mathematics that happens around her.”

Gold medals at the mathematical Olympiad don’t always translate into success in mathematics research, McMullen observed. “In these contests, someone has carefully crafted a problem with a clever solution, but in research, maybe the problem doesn’t have a solution at all.” Unlike many Olympiad high-scorers, he said, Mirzakhani “has the ability to generate her own vision.”

After completing an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Sharif University in Tehran in 1999, Mirzakhani went to graduate school at Harvard University, where she started attending McMullen’s seminar. At first, she didn’t understand much of what he was talking about but was captivated by the beauty of the subject, hyperbolic geometry. She started going to McMullen’s office and peppering him with questions, scribbling down notes in Farsi.

“She had a sort of daring imagination,” recalled McMullen, a 1998 Fields medalist. “She would formulate in her mind an imaginary picture of what must be going on, then come to my office and describe it. At the end, she would turn to me and say, ‘Is it right?’ I was always very flattered that she thought I would know.”