The beginning

My tryst with mathematics began in Class II when I learnt the "test for divisibility by 9". Between Class III and IV, I learnt algebra (translate: the use of letters for unknowns). Right uptil class ninth, I stayed a class or two ahead of school.

I also exposed myself to some hobby math and popular math books. These included Keith Devlin's book on "Mathematics: The New Golden Age", which had big stuff on prime numbers and the Riemann hypothesis and P versus NP. I didn't follow all the details at the time, but did get intrigued by a result called Fermat's little theorem. Devlin's book stated that this was a piece of elementary but ingenuous mathematics, and I always believed that any "elementary problem" could be solved with enough time and dedication. So I took the problem with me to the dentist's appointment but came back empty handed.

The problem was -- I had nothing to chew upon. With no approach, no idea of how to start, no knowledge of what can be used, I was completely clueless. All I knew was that x - 1 divided xⁿ - 1, and that is not sufficient in itself.

I was always keen on mathematics. During my seventh and eighth standards, I set myself the less taxing goal of being a math school teacher. I even used to rehearse in my mind a scene where I was teaching a class. I visualized how I would arrange and organize the curriculum. I thought of setting up my own school. Interestingly, when I was in seventh standard, I dreamed of being a seventh standard teacher, and when I reached eighth standard I dreamed of being an eighth standard teacher. You can imagine what happened when I reached ninth standard.

By the time I reached tenth standard, I realized that my dream of being a teacher and elucidator of the subject could be best met if I took up the line of research. Then, I could teach in colleges and spread the word for mathematics in schools. Which meant that I should take up "mathematical research". But what did that mean? Would I become a musty old professor in a college? Or would I be a cutting edge thinker, an explorer into the world of knowledge?

Another question that plagued me was: where to study? Should I take up an undergraduate course in mathematics? What "career options" did such a course offer? How severely limiting was it compared to the much sought engineering degree. What was the best place to do mathematics.

The first piece of knowledge was from a friend of a friend of my mother. He was the National Coordinator for the Olympiads at that time, and he worked in ISI Delhi at the time. He said that the two best places for B.Sc. in mathematics were Chennai Mathematical Institute and ISI Bangalore. He recommended these over the IITs for mathematics. Among these, he said that the CMI course was more demanding and better.

The next input that validated these two names came from some high up chap in government. I was a topper in one of the National Science Olympiads (this is a private competition and has nothing to do with the international olympiads) and attended a dinner with the Secretary for Science and Technology of the time. He again recommended the same names: ISI and CMI.

I also learnt that students who got through the INMO and attended the IMOTC twice (as Junior and Senior) got direct admission into the B.Sc. Math programme at CMI (Also see page on CMI at Wikipedia). This incerased my motivation to study for the Olympiads.

Towards the end of my tenth standard, I bought the book Challenge and Thrill of Pre College Mathematics written by the people in the Mathematical Olympiad Cell of India. Due to the tenth class CBSE examinations, I postponed reading the book. After my tenth class, I also requested an uncle to get a book from abroad: Problem Solving Strategies by Arthur Engel. I had come across this book by searching on Amazon.

I also went to the homepage of the Delhi Mathematical Olympiad Association. There, I discovered the names of a few more good books on the Olympiads. One of the books was available with the Olympiad coordinator in Delhi, Dr. Amitabh Tripathi, who works in IIT Delhi. Some time in April (after my board examinations) I went to visit Dr. Tripathi to buy the book. I asked him about options for studying mathematics, and he said that within India, CMI and ISI are the best places for doing mathematics, though he felt that the curriculum at both places was advanced and should be improved.

Another book I tried ordering from an Indian retailer was: Mathematical Olympiad Challenges by Titu Andreescu and Razvan Gelca. This book took a really long time to come, but, as I'll describe later, it was a real gem once it came.

Well, this was the beginning...