Vietnam's return to the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad has been crowned with a gold medal from an outstanding young mathematician.
Tran Dai Thanh Danh, a Grade 12 student at the High School for the Gifted under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, has made history by bringing home Vietnam's first gold medal at the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad (APMO) in 25 years.
Vietnam first participated in the APMO in 1996 and competed every year until 2001. This year marked the country's official return to the competition after a 25-year absence.
Nearly two years to solve a single problem
Tran Dai Thanh Danh, a Grade 12 student at the High School for the Gifted under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, won Vietnam's first Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad gold medal in 25 years. Photo: Thanh Hung.
On Vietnam's return, Tran Dai Thanh Danh, a student in Class 12 Math 1 at the High School for the Gifted, was the only Vietnamese contestant to earn a gold medal. He also became only the second Vietnamese student ever to win APMO gold, following Le Quang Nam, who achieved the feat in 1997.
Danh's result helped Vietnam finish seventh among 43 participating countries and territories, with one gold medal, two silver medals, four bronze medals, and three honorable mentions.
Speaking with VietNamNet, Danh said he felt proud and delighted with the achievement.
He believes there is no secret to his success beyond solving mathematics problems every day.
"I constantly challenge myself with new problems of increasing difficulty. But before that, it is essential to build a solid foundation," he said.
Danh has loved mathematics since he was around second grade, and it has remained his favorite subject ever since.
"I enjoy using logical reasoning and analytical thinking to solve problems. What excites me most is using what I already know to discover what I don't yet know," he said.
Throughout his mathematical journey, Danh has encountered many challenging problems.
"There was one combinatorics problem that I simply couldn't solve. I became so frustrated that I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up all night working on it and finally found the solution at four in the morning. That moment felt incredible. To me, every field of mathematics has its own beauty. Combinatorics is the most difficult because there are almost no standard patterns, but the harder it is, the more determined I become to solve it. Geometry, on the other hand, is my strongest area and the one I feel most confident about," he added.
The problem that consumed the most time came from a practice examination for his school's mathematics team selection when he was in Grade 10.
Even after the competition had ended, he continued thinking about it and ultimately needed nearly two years before solving it independently.
"It was another combinatorics problem. At the time, my knowledge in Grades 10 and 11 simply wasn't deep enough. It wasn't until the beginning of Grade 12 that I finally found the mathematical tools needed to solve it," he explained.
Never giving up on difficult problems
Tran Dai Thanh Danh with Tran Nam Dung, Vice Principal of the High School for the Gifted under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, during training at the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics ahead of the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad.
Danh says studying mathematics has strengthened both his analytical and logical thinking, skills that he believes are valuable far beyond the classroom.
To study effectively, he carefully plans how much time to devote to each subject. During lessons, he focuses fully on understanding new material. At home, after completing assigned exercises, he actively searches for additional types of problems to challenge himself.
The greatest lesson he has learned through mathematics competitions, he says, is perseverance and refusing to give up when facing difficult problems.
Danh also credits his teachers, saying each has a unique teaching style from which he has learned something valuable.
His achievements have reflected years of continuous effort. In Grade 10, he won third prize in Vietnam's National Excellent Student Competition in Mathematics. He then earned first prize in the same competition in both Grade 11 and Grade 12 before achieving success at the regional level.
Danh is currently representing Vietnam at the 2026 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), taking place from July 15 to 21 in Shanghai, China.
His outstanding performance at the regional competition not only demonstrates his mathematical ability but is also expected to boost his confidence as he and the Vietnamese team compete on the world's biggest stage for young mathematicians.
Outside the classroom, Danh enjoys playing chess, saying it provides relaxation while helping him sharpen his reflexes and strategic thinking.
Thanks to his achievements, Danh has secured direct admission to university and plans to study theoretical mathematics at the University of Science under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.
Looking further ahead, he hopes to pursue graduate studies overseas and continue his journey in theoretical mathematics with the ultimate goal of becoming a professional mathematician.
Vietnamnet.vn
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