Post Date: 21st Feb, 2011 - 5:06pm / Post ID:
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Chandresh Ramlagan - Autistic Math Scholar
This kid is only 18 years old, he is autistic and probably a savant in Mathematics. He also describes an obsession with Google. His knowledge is considered at the level of an scholar. What an inspiration!
QUOTE EIGHTEEN-year-old Chandresh Ramlagan is considered a mathematical scholar. He recently won a bronze award at the International Mathematics Olympiad in Madrid, Spain.
Just by looking at him, you couldn't tell that Ramlagan is autistic.
At the Olympiad, he did three mathematical problems in four and a half days and his win came after a seven-year-drought for TT.
A team of international mathematicians chose the winners for their "grace of statement" and the "ingenuity of the solution." Ramlagan was one out of 535 international students who vied for the coveted medals.
He said he had to use everything he knew to win the medal.
"I was given the award by His Royal Highness Felipe of Asturias, the Prince of Spain," said Ramlagan.
He said the award was "most special" to him. He has not only had to overcome his challenge of mathematics, but he had to overcome his autism.
His mother said she has worked constantly with her son since she realised he was autistic.
Autism has been described as a brain dysfunction that makes it difficult to concentrate and communicate with the outside world.
Despite his autism, Ramlagan thrives on winning medals, trophies, certificates and mementoes for mathematics and has also won poetry competitions as well.
Ramlagan attended Presentation College in San Fernando and his latest challenge is trying to get a scholarship to pursue tertiary education in mathematics and computer science.
Ramlagan and his mother Mahadaye are seeking approximately US$58,000 to cover his tuition for four years to study at Stanford University, in California, in the United States.
Ramlagan recently qualified to attend Stanford. His Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores were 2340 out of 2400....