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MIT PhD Candidate & IMO Gold Medalist

Evan Chen is a PhD candidate in mathematics at MIT, with a strong background in teaching and mentoring, particularly in math competitions like the Math Olympiad. He has received several prestigious awards, including a Morgan Prize honorable mention and an NSF graduate fellowship, and has published numerous research papers in mathematics. Chen also has extensive programming experience and has contributed to various educational initiatives and software development projects.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
21 views3 pages

MIT PhD Candidate & IMO Gold Medalist

Evan Chen is a PhD candidate in mathematics at MIT, with a strong background in teaching and mentoring, particularly in math competitions like the Math Olympiad. He has received several prestigious awards, including a Morgan Prize honorable mention and an NSF graduate fellowship, and has published numerous research papers in mathematics. Chen also has extensive programming experience and has contributed to various educational initiatives and software development projects.

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ulumalu
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Evan Chen

# evan@[Link] • ‚ [Link] • § vEnhance


ð evanchenmath

“It’s hard to do a really good job on anything you don’t think


about in the shower.” — Paul Graham

Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fall 2018 – present
PhD candidate in mathematics.

(Full list of major coursework at [Link]


Undergraduate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: B.S. Math (transfer) 2015 – 2018
Harvard College: Undergraduate (and took math 55) 2014 – 2015
UC Berkeley: Concurrent enrollment during high school 2012 – 2013
San José State University: Concurrent enrollment during high school 2012 – 2013
Programming experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Python (and Django), LATEX, Linux (Arch Linux on i3).

Selected teaching and mentoring


Assistant academic director: Math Olympiad Summer Program (MOP) 2018 – present
Also head grader (2016-2017). Training program for the USA team at the International Math Olympiad (IMO). Gave
lectures, coordinate grading, manage assistant teams, direct logistics, exam design. Reference: Po-Shen Loh.

Co-Editor-in-Chief: USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) Starting July 2019


Also grader (2015-), problem author (2016-), committee member (2018-2019). Co-EiC with Jenny Iglesias starting July
2019. Reference: Bela Bajnok.

Director: Olympiad Training for Individual Study (OTIS) 2015 – present


Director of private individualized classes for students who are preparing for USAMO/IMO type exams. Details
available at [Link]

Team selection coordinator: USA Olympiad Team Selection Tests 2017 – present
Together with Ankan Bhattacharya, coordinating both the design and grading of team selection tests for International
Math Olympiad, European Girls’ Math Olympiad, and Romanian Masters in Mathematics. Reference: Po-Shen Loh.

Selected fellowships and awards


Morgan prize honorable mention: awarded January 2019
NSF graduate fellowship: awarded April 2018
MIT Akamai presidential graduate fellow: awarded March 2018
International Math Olympiad (IMO): Gold medal, awarded 2014, rank 12th
USA Math Olympiad (USAMO): National winner, awarded 2014, rank 2nd
William Lowell Putnam Competition: N1, 2015, rank 13th

Last updated December 31, 2023 1/3


Publications and preprints
○ A family of partially ordered sets with small balance constant.
E. Chen, Electr. J. Comb., 2018, 25, P4.43.. arXiv:1709.05753.

○ Avoiding algebraic integers of bounded house in orbits of rational functions over cyclotomic closures.
E. Chen, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., 2018, 146, 4189–4198. arXiv:1608.04146.
○ Elliptic curve variants of least quadratic nonresidue and Linnik’s theorem.
E. Chen, P. S. Park and A. A. Swaminathan, Int. J. Number Theory, 2018, 14, 255–288. arXiv:1507.07122.

○ Linear polychromatic colorings of hypercube faces.


E. Chen, Electr. J. Comb., 2018, 25, P1.2. arXiv:1609.01247.

○ Linnik’s theorem for Sato-Tate laws on CM elliptic curves.


E. Chen, P. S. Park and A. A. Swaminathan, Research in Number Theory, 2015, 1, DOI: 10.1007/s40993-015-0028-0.
arXiv:1506.09170.
○ Multiplicative and exponential orthomorphisms.
E. Chen, Journal of Combinatorics, 2020, 11, 377–389. arXiv:1710.02734.

○ On logarithmically Benford sequences.


E. Chen, P. S. Park and A. A. Swaminathan, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., 2016, 144, 4599–4608. arXiv:1507.02629.
○ Schur-concavity for avoidance of increasing subsequences in block-ascending permutations.
E. Chen, Electr. J. Comb., 2017, 24, P4.4. arXiv:1708.01350.

○ The 26 Wilf-equivalence classes of length five quasi-consecutive patterns.


E. Chen and S. Narayanan, Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science, 2018, vol. 20 no. 2. arXiv:1609.04626.

○ Euclidean Geometry in Mathematical Olympiads.


E. Chen, Euclidean geometry in mathematical olympiads, Mathematical Association of America, Washington, DC, 2016,
pp. xv+311. ISBN 978-0-88385-839-4.300 pp, 248 figures. Synopsis at [Link]

○ 45th United States of America Mathematical Olympiad.


E. Chen and D. Ensley, Math. Mag., 2016, 89, 303–311.

Selected work experience


Research internships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Duluth REU: Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer 2016, 2017
Worked on projects in number theory and combinatorics. Directed by Joe Gallian.

Emory REU: Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer 2015


Worked on projects in analytic number theory on the distribution of primes. Directed by Ken Ono.

RSI participant: CEE Research Science Institute Summer 2013


Worked on high-school project on Bott-Samelson bimodules. Directed by Center for Excellence in Education.

Volunteer and outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


USA Observer A: International Math Olympiad (IMO) 2017 – present
Part of the USA delegation to the International Math Olympiad. Advised on problem voting, helped organize trip for
students, and helped defend the papers of the USA team.

Officer: Harvard-MIT Math Tournament (HMMT) 2014-2020


Served as problem czar (2014-2016), software director (2016-2017), historian (2017-2018), chief of staff (2018-2019),
chief advisor (2019-2020). See [Link] for a software example.

Last updated December 31, 2023 2/3


Problem writing team: American Regional Math League (ARML) 2016 – present
Problem author team for the American Regional Math League (ARML), an annual high-school math meet.

More teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mentor and exam designer: MIT PRIMES 2016 – present
Was mentor (2016-2017), entrance exam designer (2016 - present). Mentored for high-school/college collaborative
research project (PRIMES / AoPS CrowdMath); design project, oversee and guide discussion. Reference: Tanya
Khovanova.

Assistant and curriculum designer: Art of Problem Solving 2014 – present


Designed curriculum and materials, and worked as teaching assistant, primarily for Worldwide Online Olympiad
Training class (WOOT). Reference: Richard Rusczyk.

Counselor: Summer Program for Applied Rationality&Cognition 2015 – present


Was junior counselor (2015, 2017, 2018), admissions staff (2017, 2018). Reference: Yan Zhang.

Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Software developer: Expii Inc. 2013 – 2015
Developer for [Link], an online education platform. Main task was the development and maintenance of the
website’s markup language, both specifications and implementation. Reference: Po-Shen Loh

Last updated December 31, 2023 3/3

Common questions

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Evan Chen's educational background, featuring a B.S. in Math from MIT and participation in advanced programs such as Math 55 at Harvard, provided him with deep theoretical knowledge and problem-solving skills . His extensive experience in roles such as Assistant Academic Director at MOP and Co-Editor-in-Chief of USAMO has honed his leadership and educational abilities. These roles required high-level strategizing, critical thinking, and in-depth subject matter expertise, all of which are essential for a PhD candidate in mathematics. Additionally, his practical experience in programming and software development complements his research skills, enabling him to engage with complex mathematical models and simulations .

Evan Chen's role as the team selection coordinator for the USA Olympiad Team Selection Tests is crucial for ensuring that the most capable students represent the USA in international competitions like the IMO . By coordinating the design and grading of selection tests, he directly influences the competitive preparedness and quality of the team. His efforts ensure the tests are rigorous and fair, thus preparing students for the types of challenges they will encounter internationally. This position embodies the strategic foresight and precision required to maintain the USA's competitiveness and reputation in the global mathematical community .

Evan Chen's contributions to combinatorics and number theory are impactful, focusing on diverse areas such as partially ordered sets, algebraic integers in orbits of rational functions, and polychromatic colorings in hypercubes . His research on the avoidance of algebraic integers in orbits has implications for understanding dynamical systems over number fields, while his work on polychromatic colorings contributes to discrete geometry and the theory of hypergraphs. These areas are fundamental in pushing the boundaries of mathematical theory and have potential applications in fields like computer science, cryptography, and theoretical physics .

Evan Chen's experience as a software developer at Expii Inc. likely enhances his mathematical problem-solving strategies by incorporating computational thinking and technology-based solutions . This background can provide him with a unique perspective on problem-solving, allowing him to develop innovative teaching methodologies that leverage technology. Additionally, his knowledge of programming could facilitate the creation of interactive and engaging mathematical problems and simulations, aiding in both individual and group learning settings. The integration of software development with mathematics training can broaden the scope and applicability of problem-solving techniques, making them more adaptable to diverse learning environments .

Evan Chen's awards, such as the Gold Medal at the International Math Olympiad and his performance in the William Lowell Putnam Competition, substantiate his expertise and authority in mathematics . These recognitions not only validate his skills as a problem-solver but also enhance his credibility as an educator. By having been at the top of competitive mathematics himself, he gains the respect and trust of students and peers, which is crucial for effective teaching and collaboration in research. His accolades play a significant role in his professional reputation, bolstering his influence and opportunities in mathematical circles .

Evan Chen's research on Schur-concavity explores its applications in avoiding increasing subsequences in block-ascending permutations, a problem in combinatorics related to ordering and arrangements . This work contributes to our understanding of symmetrical properties in mathematical sequences and optimizes solutions to problems involving permutation sorting and sequence alignment. The implications for related studies include potential breakthroughs in the study of sorting algorithms and statistical mechanics, where understanding the structure and reordering of sequences is vital .

Evan Chen's dual roles as a problem author and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) are significant as they allow him to have a comprehensive impact on the competition's quality and integrity. As a problem author, he contributes by creating challenging and innovative problems, ensuring that the exams are rigorous and reflective of the highest standards . As a Co-Editor-in-Chief, he oversees the entire process, balancing problem selection and editorial content, which ensures a coherent and well-rounded examination. These roles complement one another by allowing him to integrate his deep understanding of mathematical problem-solving into the broader editorial strategy, enhancing both the difficulty and educational value of the Olympiad .

Evan Chen served as the Assistant Academic Director of the Math Olympiad Summer Program (MOP) since 2018, where he was instrumental in training the USA team for the International Math Olympiad (IMO). He contributed to the program's success by giving lectures, coordinating grading, managing assistant teams, directing logistics, and designing exams . His ongoing involvement in leadership and educational roles reflects his profound impact on the program and its participants.

Evan Chen's role as a mentor and exam designer has profoundly influenced the academic growth of young mathematicians by providing guided, rigorous research experiences . Through programs like MIT PRIMES and AoPS CrowdMath, he has shaped structured environments where students learn advanced mathematical theories and research methodologies. His mentorship goes beyond teaching problem-solving; it involves guiding students to think critically and develop original solutions. This exposure equips students with the skills necessary for higher academia and competitive math environments, fostering a new generation of scholars who are well-prepared for future challenges in mathematics .

Evan Chen's publication, 'Euclidean Geometry in Mathematical Olympiads,' serves as a comprehensive resource for students and educators involved in mathematical competitions . Its significance lies in the thorough exploration of geometry problems, offering methods and insights that are critical for training in competitive environments. This work can potentially revolutionize mathematics education by providing structured guidance and fostering problem-solving skills specific to geometry. For educators, it serves as a curriculum tool that can elevate teaching strategies and improve students' understanding and appreciation of geometry .

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