[jozvolskyef]

The generation growing up today is the first that can broadly learn mathematics from mathematicians rather than from teachers, and we should encourage them to do so.

When I was 12-16, I was interested in physics enough that I would study it in my free time just for fun, solving problems from the Physics Olympiad. I could solve lots of the problems with just intuition, until I stumbled upon the sliding chain problem. I spent about a week pondering over it with no results. I approached my math teacher. He admitted defeat and referred me to the physics teacher. If I remember correctly, the physics teacher avoided admitting he didn't know how to solve it and didn't give me any pointers. That was the last Physics Olympiad problem I tried to solve, after dreaming of attending the competition for years (I should mention that at that time my primary interest already were computers; physics was just a hobby). I wonder whether this could still be a problem today when anything can be found on YouTube. There's a lot of noise, too. How long does it take the average curious kid to find the signal that is 3b1b, MIT OCW, etc?

[texaslonghorn3]

It is certainly much easier. But if that kind of self study culture doesn't already exist in one's own school, either encouraged by teachers or classmates, it may take a much bigger leap to discover that material.

[leephillips]

To be fair, sliding chain problems are difficult.

[jozvolskyef]

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm still hoping to solve it one day. No spoilers, please :)