Valentin Vornicu
Valentin Vornicu | |
|---|---|
 Valentin Vornicu at the 47th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2016 | |
| Born | Valentin Vornicu
June 13, 1983 Bucharest, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Citizenship | Romanian |
| Known for | MathLinks, Art of Problem Solving, Vornicu-Schur theorem |
| Awards | Bronze Medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Art of Problem Solving, MathLinks |
Valentin Vornicu is a mathematician, professional midstakes poker player, and former software engineer, with 12 World Series of Poker circuit rings. Valentin is from Romania and now resides in San Diego, California. Vornicu is the founder of MathLinks, an educational resource company. Before founding MathLinks, he worked as a full-stack engineer for Art of Problem Solving.[1]
Mathematics and education
Valentin Vornicu was a part of the Romanian team for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) in 2001 and 2002.[2] In 2002 he earned a bronze medal at the IMO. He graduated at the University of Bucharest in 2006, and got his Master's Degree in Algebra and Number Theory at the same University in 2008.[3] Vornicu also, in 2007, discovered a generalized form of Schur's inequality, usually cited on online forums as "Vornicu-Schur inequality", which he published in a problem-solving book titled Olimpiada de Matematica.[4]
MathLinks.ro and Art of Problem Solving
In 2002, Vornicu founded an educational resource company known as MathLinks.ro. In 2004, he merged the company with Art of Problem Solving, a company in which he was previously the webmaster. In 2010, he left the company, but is still involved by teaching for the online school.
International Mathematical Olympiad
Vornicu was a 2-time IMO participant, having won a Honorable Mention in 2001, and a Bronze Medal in 2002, but his involvement with the IMO did not stop here. He was Observer A with the Romanian delegation at the IMO 2003 in Japan, Observer B at the IMO 2004 in Greece, a Coordinator at the IMO 2005 in Mexico as well as the IMO 2006 in Slovenia, Observer B at the IMO 2007 in Vietnam and again a Coordinator for the IMO 2008 in Spain. He co-wrote one of the problems used in the IMO 2004 test. Currently, he is tutoring rising students for mathematical olympiads part-time.
MathLinks Summer Program
Vornicu founded the MathLinks Summer Program[5] in 2011. This is a newly created three-week residential summer math program for students ages 12 to 18, based in San Diego, California.
See also
References
- ^ Math Web Links
- ^ "Wolfram|Alpha: Making the world's knowledge computable".
- ^ www.edu.ro :: Valentin Vornicu - asistent personal al ministrului si educatiei si cercetarii pentru relatia cu olimpicii romani
- ^ Vornicu, Valentin; Olimpiada de Matematica... de la provocare la experienta; GIL Publishing House; Zalau, Romania.
Poker
Vornicu has been a fixture on the World Series of Poker Circuit for the last five years and has turned into one of the most successful players in Circuit history. His most notable poker accomplishments include finishing 23rd in $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship, 47th World Series of Poker 2016 ($269,430) and finishing 1st in the WSOP Circuit- $1,675 No Limit Hold'em Main Event in Los Angeles, California, 2015 ($197,110)
- ^ MathLinks Summer Program