Keiran Lewellen
Keiran is home-schooled and has been selected for the International Mathematics Olympiads three years in a row and later this year will be studying maths at MIT, United States of America.
Hi! I’m Keiran. I have loved mathematics for as long as I can remember and have self-studied mathematics since I was eight years old. I’m pleased to represent New Zealand this year at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).
I have represented New Zealand in three IMOs, including the 2016 IMO held in Hong Kong, the 2017 IMO held in Rio de Janeiro, and now the 2018 IMO that is returning to its birthplace in Romania.
Through the New Zealand mathematical olympiad preparation programme, I have made life-long friendships with others who share my passion for mathematics and creative problem solving. The various maths olympiads have also given me direction in my self studies and have encouraged me to go beyond standard high school mathematics into fields such as number theory and analysis. I truly enjoy problems that do not have an obvious approach and thus often require hours or days to solve. To me, the deep connection between universal truth and human creativity has always made mathematics beautiful.
I have been playing violin for 12 years and in my spare time enjoy playing badminton, folding origami, and exploring the outdoors. In August 2018, I am excited to begin studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in USA. I plan to major in mathematics and physics where I am looking forward to attacking some difficult problems in applied or theoretical physics. I want to make this world a better place and hope to use my skill and enthusiasm to accomplish this goal.