The Numbers Game: Are Men Inherently Better Than Women at Math?

Do men inherently have a head start on women when it comes mathematics? A new study entitled Cross-Cultural Analysis of Students with Exceptional Talent in Mathematical Problem Solving suggests otherwise, finding that decades of data from several high-level mathematics competitions show that lots of women have profound intrinsic ability in mathematics. Moreover, says the report, this ability is dependent on socio-cultural, educational, or other environmental factors.

For the most part, the study, which is authored by Titu Andreescu, Joseph A. Gallian, Jonathan M. Kane, and Janet E. Mertz, examines participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), a grueling, nine-hour, six-problem essay examination. The study found that there have been numerous girls who have excelled in the IMO; however, the frequency with which girls of medal-winning ability are identified varies from country to country.

According to the study, countries that do well in the IMO have rigorous national mathematics curricula along with cultures and educational systems that value, encourage, and support students who excel in mathematics. Over the past 30-plus years, teams that have done well--Bulgaria, East Germany/Germany, and USSR/Russian--have sent 9, 10, and 13 different girls, respectively. At the same time, U.S. teams included just three girls. Additionally, the study revealed that U.S. participants are immigrants or children of immigrants from countries where education in mathematics is valued.

This pattern is reflected in other math competitions, including the USA Mathematical Olympiad and the Putnam Mathematical Competition for undergraduate students. The authors go on to say that, under certain conditions, females make up 11-24 percent of the children identified as having profound mathematical ability.

The study also examines faculty representation of women in five top U.S. research university mathematics departments. Just 20 percent of the women in these departments were born in the U.S. Of the 80 percent born elsewhere, many are immigrants from countries in which girls are frequently members of IMO teams.

-- Jonathan Erickson
jerickson@ddj.com

Posted by Jon Erickson at 10:11 AM  Permalink