Q&A With International Olympiad in Informatics Bronze Medallist

Knox: What qualifications do attendees at the IOI Awards achieve? What process, competitions, and outcomes did you experience?

Nathan: The competition takes place over two days, each with three problems to solve in five hours. Solving them involves a combination of many algorithms and data structures, as well as reasoning and deduction. There are usually two steps: first, to think of an efficient solution; second, to implement it. The scores for each problem are added up, and participants are ranked by total score. I achieved Bronze with a rank of 115th out of 353 participants.

Knox: What has been your favourite part of participating in all the competitions and events?

Nathan: Aside from the ten hours of competition, the IOI also provided many fantastic opportunities to have fun and meet new people with similar interests. I really enjoyed talking with other countries’ teams and learning about their informatics journeys and how their experiences differed from ours. I ended up making lots of friends in teams from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the US.

Knox: What was your favourite part of visiting Egypt?

Nathan: What struck me most about Egypt was how different it was from Australia. It was my first experience of a developing nation, and I learned so much about their culture and way of life. Of course, it was also awesome to see the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx up close at the closing ceremony; a memory I definitely won’t forget.

Knox: How have your teachers helped you on this journey?

Nathan: The help given by my teachers and tutors has been instrumental in my journey. I thank Ms. [Mel] Valent for organising every one of my numerous competitions. Without the support of the Knox staff, none of this would have been possible. My tutors outside of school have also taught me new techniques, helped me when I was struggling, and encouraged me to perform to my highest standards.

Knox: What advice do you have for other students who are interested in this area?

Nathan: Practice is everything. Over my entire informatics journey, I have solved over 700 problems. If you just solve one problem a day, it’ll take less than two years to get to where I am now. If you truly love informatics, don’t give up, and one day you’ll succeed.

Thank you and congratulations, Nathan!