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John
- Rate $32
- Response 1h
$32/h
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- Math
- Algorithms
Princeton CS graduate and incoming Mathematics PhD teaches math, Python, algorithms, olympiad problem solving, and chess. Available online or in person around Nairobi
- Math
- Algorithms
Lesson location
About John
I recently graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Computer Science, and I am preparing to start a PhD in Mathematics at Arizona State University in mid-August. Also, I went to Alliance High School and got 83/84 in KCSE.
My background is strongly mathematical. I represented Kenya at both the International Mathematical Olympiad and the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad, and I have also helped out in problem solving with students preparing for IMO and PAMO. These experiences taught me that strong problem solving is not just about knowing many facts. It is about learning how to find the heart of a problem.
This June, I have been teaching at the African Olympiad Academy in Kigali, Rwanda, where I taught abstract algebra and helped students with problem solving in preparation for IMO and PAMO this summer.
During my college years, I initially felt discouraged by material that looked difficult and by how prepared some of my peers seemed. But over time, I realized that some classes and topics that sounded advanced were not always deep at the level of the main idea, while some familiar-looking problems could be genuinely hard. This made me more confident in approaching problems by looking for their crux, rather than being intimidated by the subject name.
I also saw this idea outside my own path. People trained in one area often move successfully into another: math students into finance, physics students into software engineering, engineers into physics, and so on. I myself was admitted to PhD programs in different mathematical and technical areas, including some I was not originally very familiar with. To me, this confirmed something I had already begun to believe: problem solving is more general than the objects being studied. The objects change, but the habit of finding the key idea remains.
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About the lesson
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
- +11
levels :
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- English
All languages in which the lesson is available :
English
My teaching is based on a simple idea: a problem should be ranked by its crux, not by the amount of jargon,notation, or background surrounding it.
An easy problem is still easy even if it comes from a subject with a frightening name like extremal combinatorics. There are easy problems in advanced areas such as Galois theory, and there are very difficult problems from familiar areas such as geometry or arithmetic. What matters is not the label of the topic or the jargon in the problem, but the real idea needed to solve the problem - its crux.
In my lessons, I help students separate the rules of the game from the game itself. The rules, definitions, and notation are important, but they are often not the deepest part. Once a student sees which parts are just setup and which part is the actual crux, the problem becomes less intimidating and more enjoyable.
This approach also helps students learn the basics better. Instead of memorizing rules blindly, they understand why the rules matter and how they are used. My goal is to train students to think clearly, identify the key idea, and become bold enough to attack unfamiliar problems.
In my lessons I usually begin by checking what the student already understands, then we work through problems together, slowly separating the ‘noise’ from the main idea. I also give practice problems when useful.
I am a Princeton Computer Science graduate and an incoming Mathematics PhD student at Arizona State University, starting this August. I represented Kenya at the International Mathematical Olympiad and the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad, and I have also helped train Kenya’s IMO and PAMO teams. I have experience teaching a summer class in mathematical communication at Princeton.
I teach mathematics, algorithms, olympiad problem solving, and chess, online or in person around Nairobi. My lessons are best for ambitious high-school students, students looking to apply to college abroad , early college students, and anyone who wants to become a stronger problem solver.
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Rates
Rate
- $32
Pack rates
- 5 h: $162
- 10 h: $323
online
- $32/h
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