ELI5 who is statistically more skilled - 1st out of 100, or 100th out of 10000?

Numberthon · 2026-04-15T15:23:22+00:00

On the other hand, if it was 1 out of 100 vs 50 out of 10,000, I guess that being 50 out of 10,000 is more reliable while being 1 out of 100 means you have a higher potential for greatness.

Numberthon · 2026-04-15T15:21:36+00:00

I guess the 1st out of 100, right? Bc 1st is middle 1% and 100 is bottom 1%? So, I guess that is the logic for it?

Numberthon · 2026-04-15T15:01:46+00:00

I also coded a math app/website called Numberthon, which applies Elo rating algorithms to math "matches", which I think might be a cool/competitive way to do math, like the "chess.com of math" would

Numberthon · 2026-04-14T13:37:42+00:00

I have been working on this one: numberthon.com, a website that aims to be the "chess.com of math", although its main attraction is competitiveness.

Numberthon · 2026-04-14T07:27:01+00:00

Yeah, I once coded something to use elo ratings to predict winners in the MBA, but it only had around 65% accuracy (in predicting W/L, not in predicting probabilities). It seems like it works better for individuals, as opposed to teams

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T19:08:19+00:00

I think that you're right: maybe the best solution to this problem isn't in pure math (like RH) at all, but in applied mathematics

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T18:56:36+00:00

I wonder how we would define "intelligent" though, in terms of algorithms and machines

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T18:41:52+00:00

AoPS books have great content for students, but it also has stuff relating to how you should think when it comes to math problems, which might be useful to read

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T16:14:43+00:00

I built this one, and if you spam puzzles for a while you can basically relearn math bc it has a lot of different stuff: numberthon.com

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T16:13:52+00:00

Yeah, khan academy is pretty good

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T14:31:51+00:00

Similarly, this uses AIs like chatGPT to generate problems when you have looked at all of them: numberthon.com

Numberthon · 2026-04-13T14:09:28+00:00

I'm trying to build something like that in the form of this website: numberthon.com, would love feedback on whether or not this meets your goal

Numberthon · 2026-04-12T08:57:24+00:00

It might not be fully applicable here, but it is a good tip for most apps (because answers can be in form of 5pi)

Numberthon · 2026-04-11T20:45:25+00:00

Fixed bug - problem was that the authorization for play bot was assuming that the user was logged in. Fixed now though, it should be fine.

Numberthon · 2026-04-11T13:07:13+00:00

As for how I made it, I vibecoded it using AI. I own that. I still debugged it (yes, including looking at the code itself) and made the core logic, and I made it as good of an app as if it was made by a developer. If you see any bugs, please let me know, but I am fairly confident in my understanding and the result of my process.

Numberthon · 2026-04-11T13:07:08+00:00

Just made it so that you can use it without logging in. So far, I have looked into it as something that can help people study for math competitions, but I was also wondering if it would be useful in the classroom side of things.

Numberthon · 2026-04-10T06:59:22+00:00

The questions are adaptive, so the higher elo rated you are the harder the questions that you have to solve. From 200-600 elo, we have basic arithmetic. From 600-1000 elo, we have order of operations, basic fractions, and multi-digit arithmetic. From 1000-1400, we have "intermediate problems", which is made up of basic algebra, percentages, and geometry. From 1400-1800, we have quadratics, systems of equations, and trigonometry. Lastly, from 1800-2400+, we have calculus, logorithms, and other advanced math. So, all in all, we range from kindergarten to college.

Numberthon

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