白露為霜注:這是今年國際物理奧林匹克競賽金牌得主Brian Zhang (張晨波) 寫的一篇ESSAY。對IPhO選拔過程有很詳細的描述。把它翻成中文,對其他有志於物理奧林匹克競賽的華裔孩子和他們的家長或許是個借鑒。
如何加入奧林匹克物理隊 - 動力,耐力和對物理的激情
儘管已經參加過許多數學競賽,當我得知國際物理奧林匹克競賽(IPhO)時還是很興奮。每年夏天,來自80多個國家的中學生參加國際物理奧林匹克競賽 -- 一個涵蓋理論和實驗物理所有領域的考試。但是,如果我想參加IPhO競賽,我首先必須贏得美國物理國家隊集訓營20個位子中的一個,其中五名成員將被選中代表美國參加國際物理奧林匹克。
物理集訓營參與者的選擇每年一月開始。全美數以千記名學生參加物理奧林匹克第一輪考試,本輪測試只考力學。三月份,300名左右首輪考試最高分得主被邀請參加半決賽的考試,這輪涵蓋了廣泛的領域,它的成績用於確定美國物理國家隊的20名成員。
我首先從美國物理教師協會(AAPT)的網站下載了物理競賽的考古題並開始做這些題目。AAPT是奧林匹克物理訓練營贊助機構。即使做了充分的準備,當我從半決賽考試出來時還是發現我在幾個地方有錯誤。幾個星期後,我打開一個電子郵件,非常驚奇地發現:我被邀請參加物理集訓營。這是一個令人難以置信的時刻!
五月底,我在學校請了幾天假去馬里蘭大學參加物理訓練營。抵達后不久,同學和教練聚集在一起討論今後10天時間表。幾乎每天都排滿了物理課程,實驗室訓練,以及大量的測試。
訓練營的最後一天將公布今年代表美國參加國際物理奧林匹克競賽的五名成員的名單,在那時之前,我們的每一次考試的成績都會影響這一決定。一個教練生動地描述這一過程:「在做完我們的一些考試后,你可能會覺得象是被巴士撞倒一樣。但是你的責任是爬起來重組,並且做好準備再考一輪,或者, 也許第二天,再考兩輪」。
第二天早上,我被扔進一堂狹義相對論的課程。當我還在嘗試弄清相對論中的一些悖論時,下一堂講座的時間已到。教練們把幾個學期的物理課壓縮在這一周之內,很多時間我發現實在難以跟上。
下午是實驗課,我們學習IPhO實驗考試必需的儀器設備和操作技巧。到目前為止,我的物理訓練都是理論性的,現在我不得不把這些概念付諸實踐,設計和操作真正的物理實驗。
在一項我最喜歡的活動中,我們每個人都發給一個內藏「神秘」電路的密封盒子。我們必需在不打開盒子的情況下預測電路的格局。在辦公桌上的一端,我把「黑盒子」連接到不同的測量儀器並讀出數據;在辦公桌的另一端,我在紙上飛快地計算,並用計算的結果來決定我的下一個步驟。我覺得自己像一個偵探:從不同角度「攻擊」這道難題,猜測電路配置,然後測試這個假設是否正確。我未能在規定時間內完成全部任務,但我很喜歡這種「摸著石頭過河」( trial-and-error) 的發現過程。實驗室的動手的工作也很有吸引力,同課堂教學很不一樣。
當然,我們每天都有很多考試。可以想象這些考試有著巨大的壓力,因為我們每個人都希望獲得去國際物理奧林匹克的機會。然而,我們卻很少相互競爭,主要得宜於教練的不公布成績的策略而帶來的正面氣氛。
很多次我在交上測試考卷時都有從來沒有考的這麼差的感覺。困難的部分並不是知不知道有關的公式,這些公式大概有幾頁的紙之長,困難經常來自於理解複雜的物理情況,並轉化為可解的方程式。其實,最難的考試的問題之一 -- 教練們異想天開地取名為「野蠻人柯南」 - 來自力學,高中物理課所涉及的第一個領域。
我的IPhO道路並不是一帆風順的,2010年我沒有被選上去克羅地亞的國際物理奧林匹克。但我決心再試一次,2011年5月,我重回馬里蘭大學,在這裡將決定為2011年去泰國IPhO的人員。
這一次我有了經驗,所以不是很緊張。因為有了上一年的筆記,我做了相當多的預習,使得我能夠放鬆一點,有時間體會社交方面的經驗。
我在物理訓練營的同伴對科學的興趣的程度是獨一無二的。同他們交流思想,向他們學習是一件激動人心的事情。今年物理營的一個朋友有令人難以置信的數學,計算機以及物理學方面的知識,我們一起討論量子計算機 (quantum computers),P = NP 問題和戴森球 (Dyson spheres) 的影響,真是一段美好的時間。
除了我們日常的課程之外,AAPT還為我們安排了其他幾個活動。著名物理學家進行客座講座,包括Mario Livio,他的科普讀物我在孩提時代就一直拜讀,以及諾貝爾獎獲得者John Mather。訓練營的中途,我們還前往華盛頓的國會山,在那裡我們會見了國會議員,還在國家科學院(National Academy of Science)愛因斯坦雕像旁留影。
隨著訓練營接近尾聲,大家都焦急地等待公布國際物理奧林匹克隊的名單。這一刻終於來臨,教練告訴我們:「因為這次很難決定,他們將從一頂帽子里隨機地抽隊員的名字」(我們很快就發現了帽子里只有5張紙條)。他們讀出第一個名字... 那是我!隨著其他的幾個名字一一被叫,我們每個人都收到來自我們隊友的擊掌和擁抱。
即使在第二天早上我准備回家的時候,我依然期待著與IPhO其他成員的最後一次探險。在7月我們將重新聚集在馬里蘭進行了前往曼谷之前最後的實驗室培訓。
在國際物理奧林匹克比賽,我尤其期待著同來自其他國家的參賽者會面。我們的主教練,Paul,已經告訴我們帶些STD - 當然STD代表小飾品和裝飾物 (Small Trinkets and Doodads) - 與我們所交的新朋友分享。在此之前,我們都要在家裡自己複習,做IPhO的考古題,並希望為美國隊帶回一面金牌。
大結局:在今年的國際物理奧林匹克比賽,Brian Zhang 和 Ante Qu 獲的兩枚金牌,其餘三名隊員包括唯一的女生Lucy Chen 都贏的銀牌。美國隊總分排第5名。Brian Zhang 2011年從加州Palo Alto 的 Gunn High School畢業。現在是哈佛大學的新鮮人,他打算主修物理。Ante Qu 後來去了普林斯頓,Lucy Chen 也去了哈佛。
張晨波的父親是斯坦福大學物理學教授張首晟,因提出「量子自旋霍爾效應」理論被《科學》雜誌評為2007年十大科學進展,並獲2010年歐洲物理獎。難怪。
美國隊五名隊員和教練 (Brian Zhang是中間的那個)
Making the team – Drive, Endurance, and a Passion for Physics
by Brian Zhang
Having already participated in many math contests, I was excited to find out about a competition in physics: the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). Held every summer, the IPhO brings together students from over 80 countries to compete on an exam covering all areas of theoretical and experimental physics. But if I wanted to compete at the IPhO, I』d first have to earn of 20 spots at the U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. There, five members would be selected to represent the U.S. at the IPhO.
The selection of Training camp participants begins in January, when thousands of students nationwide take the first round of the U.S. Physics Olympiad, which tests only mechanics. In March, the top 300 or so scores on that exam are invited to take the semifinal exam, which covers a wide range of topics and determines the 20 members of the Physics Team.
I downloaded and began working through previous Physics Olympiad problems from the website of American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), which sponsors the training camp. Even with ample preparation, I emerged from the semifinal round realizing I had made mistakes on several parts. So it was an unbelievable moment when I opened an e-mail a few weeks later and read that I was invited to the camp!
At the end of May, I took a couple of days off school and headed to the University of Maryland for the training Camp. Soon after arriving, I gathered with my fellow students and coaches to discuss the schedule for the 10 days ahead. Almost every day would be packed with classes, lab training, and a lot of tests.
The five members who would represent the U.S. at IPhO would be announced on the last day of the camp, and until then, every exam we took counted toward that decision. One of our coaches vividly described the experience to us 「After some of our exams, you might feel that you』ve just been hit by a bus. It is your job to regroup and be ready to take another one – or maybe even two – the next day」
The next morning, I was thrown into a class on special relativity. I was still trying to wrap my head around some of the paradoxes when it came time for the next lecture. The coaches were covering semesters of physics in this weeklong program, and many time I found it hard to keep up.
In our afternoon lab sessions, we learned about the equipment and techniques necessary for the practical exam at the IPhO. Most of my physics training up until then had been theoretical; now I had to put these ideas into practice, designing and conducting actual physics experiments.
In my favorite activity, we were each given a sealed box with an electric circuit inside. Without breaking open the box, we had to predict the pattern of the circuit. On one side of my desk, I connected the 「black box」 to different measuring devices and took data; on the other end, I worked through calculation on the paper, using the results to devise my next steps. I felt like a detective as I attacked the problem, guessing a configuration and then testing whether it was correct. I ran out of time before completing the whole task, but I enjoyed the trial-and-error process of discovery, and working with my hands in the lab was engaging and nice break from the classroom.
Then, of course, were the exams we took every day. There was a lot of pressure surrounding the tests, as each of us was hoping to earn a trip to the IPhO. Yet we rarely competed with each other, an atmosphere the coaches helped to promote by not releasing any scores.
I turned in many tests feeling that I had never done so poorly on an exam before. The hard part wasn』t knowing the relevant formula, which could probably fit on a few sheets of paper. The difficulty often came in understanding the complex physical situation that was presented and translating it into equations that could be solved. In fact, one of the hardest exam problems – which the coaches whimsically titled 「Conan the Barbarian」 – came from mechanics, generally the first topic covered in high school physics.
I didn』t make the traveling team that year for the 2010 IPhO in Croatia. But I was determined to try again, and in May 2011, I was back at the University of Maryland, were the traveling team for the 2011 IPhO in Thailand would be decided.
This time around, I knew what to expect and thus felt less nervous about the process. With my notes from the previous year, I had done a good amount of studying in advance, so I was able to relax a bit and soak in the social experience.
My peer at Physics Camp were unique in their level of scientific interest, and it was inspiring to share ideas and learn from them. One friend from this year』s program was incredibly knowledgeable about math and computer science as well as physics, and we had a great time discussing quantum computers, implications of the P=NP problem and Dyson spheres.
Besides our daily academic routine, the AAPT planned several other activities for us. Famous physicists visited as guest lectures, including Mario Livio, whose popular science books I adored as a child, and the Nobel Prize winner John Mather. Midway through the camp, we took a trip to Capitol Hill, where we met with congressional representatives and took pictures with Albert Einstein statue at the National Academy of Science.
As the program drew to a close, we all anxiously awaited the announcement of the IPhO team. When the moment arrived, the coaches told us it was too hard to decide and they would draw our names out of a hat (which we soon learned contained only 5 slips of paper). They read out the first name … and it was mine! As the other names were called, we each received a shower of high-five and hugs from our teammates.
Even as we left for home the next morning, I was looking forward to one last adventure with the other members of the traveling team. In July the five of us will reconvene in Maryland for a period of final lab training before heading off to Bangkok.
At the IPhO, I am especially looking forward to meeting participants from other countries. Our head coach, Paul, had already advised us to bring so STDs – which of course stands for Small Trinkets and Doodads – to share with the friends we make. Until then, we』re each studying on our own, working through past IPhO problem, and hoping to bring home gold medals for team USA.