Zeng Yuhang, Hu Tao, Lin Zihuang: Lovers of Mathematical Modeling


Author: Wu Liyun, Mu Lisha  Date: May 16, 2016


In May of early summer, tress grow with luxuriant foliage, the sun shines brightly. On a weekend afternoon, we met one of the school team won the first prize of the 2016 Mathematical Contest In Modeling in a classroom of main Teaching Building. They are three students as follows: Zeng Yuhang, a Grade 2013 student majors in Accounting of School of Electronics & Management; Hu Tao, a Grade 2013 student majors in Electronic Information Engineering of Information Engineering School.


There are more than 37,000 students from 12,411 teams of 13 countries (regions) took part in the current MCM / ICM. Faced with such severe challenge, we broke our school’s record in this competition and won the first prize for two, the second prize for twenty-six.




From the Left to the Right: Zeng Yuhang, Hutaom Lin Zihuang


Zeng Yuhang: A modeling, life benefit

Zeng Yuhang joined the mathematical modeling contest was benefited from the  Econometrics Research Institute of her school. “When I just took part in the Econometrics Research Institute, I heard that the seniors just won the international first prize in MCM / ICM, which gave us great encouragement. The power of example is infinite, at that moment I secretly determined to take them as my model and started to understand modeling and love modeling.” Zeng Yuhang said. “There are a group of vibrant, brave, aggressive young people in the Econometrics Research Institute, they are all studious and excellent, win all kinds of awards at home and abroad every year. Getting along with them day and night, I study harder than before.”

Mathematical modeling contest is so difficult that players need to face a lot of strange problems, involving various disciplines, so we should not only learn the contents of mathematics, but also master large knowledge of other disciplines. In order to prepare for the mathematical modeling contest well, players have to stay at school for training in every winter and summer vacation. “During the winter vacation of 2015, I stayed alone in the dormitory. Usually I went to the canteen late, there was no food left, I could only eat instant noodles. But even at the most lonely and difficult time, I didn’t change my determination. At that time, I went back home just six days before the Lunar New Year.”


“An experience of modeling gives you lifelong benefit. Joining mathematical modeling contest is like climbing, every race is like a climb. Although every try is difficult, but every transcendence will make a new harvest, which including knowledge, friendship and strength, those are precious to me.”

Motto: Being used to being excellent.

Hu Tao: Focus on doing something you like

“Some people play computer games all night, some people watch martial arts fiction all night, and I do mathematical modeling all night. Focus on the thing you like is meaningful and happy for me.” Hu Tao has been focusing on mathematics modeling, not seeking results but valuing process.

MCM / ICM required us to complete model building, solvation, verification and paper writing the full work within four days. The competition process examined the players’ innovative thinking, teamwork awareness, independent thinking and writing skills.” I think why our team is able to win the prize, one of the main reasons is that we paid attention to planning time scientifically, defining the division of labor. Lin Zihuang was responsible for coding programming, Zeng Yuhang and me were responsible for finding innovative points and writing paper. In this contest, we collected data and began to analysis on the first day. In the first afternoon, we started to create a model and write paper, but some teams started these work until the third day, when we had completed the writing process and began to check, modify and improve our paper.

Mathematical modeling is like a forward road, Hu Tao focuses on the front and moves forward industriously with her own ways. “The award is not the goal of modeling but a surprise on the way forward. Certificates and awards prove honor, but I am more concerned about the harvest in the process of walking, which is the most meaningful thing.”

Motto: Something that stays in your mind will someday spring up in your life; the moment you think about giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.

Lin Zihuang: Self-taught and programming talent

Lin Zihuang teamed up with Zeng Yuhang and Hu Tao until the MCM / ICM. In this team, he was responsible for writing the program. Although he had learned simple programming knowledge at school, he was still anxious in actual process of modeling.

Taking the layout as an example, we have never knew the software used in the contest before. When other teams chose other softwares, Lin Zihuang adhered to use the initial typesetting software to achieve the best contest result. Hard work pays off, through self-study, groping, summing up and practice, the team finished the task one day before the end after trying a variety of methods.


“Through this contest, my computer programming level is greatly improved, learning ability is also improved. MCM / ICM helped us open up horizons and continue to make progress.” Lin Zihuang said with slight joy. For Lin Zihuang. mathematical modeling is an interdisciplinary and cross-professional challenge, What’s more, it is a good opportunity to temper mind and apply knowledge. We can believe that this contest experience will make Lin Zihuang to be more confident, calmer and happier in the future road of learning and life.


Motto: Only after rigorous refinement will life show its dazzling brilliance.