It might be worth discussing the larger question which is being asked. For example, your IMO paper seems to be work by researchers who advocate looser immigration policies for talented youth who want to move to developed countries. The larger question is “What is the expected scientific impact of letting a marginal IMO medalist type person from Honduras immigrate to the US?”
These quotes from great mathematicians all downplay the importance of math competitions. I think this is partially because the larger question they’re interested in is different, something like: “How many people need go into math for us to reap most of the mathematical breakthroughs that this generation is capable of?”
It might be worth discussing the larger question which is being asked. For example, your IMO paper seems to be work by researchers who advocate looser immigration policies for talented youth who want to move to developed countries. The larger question is “What is the expected scientific impact of letting a marginal IMO medalist type person from Honduras immigrate to the US?”
These quotes from great mathematicians all downplay the importance of math competitions. I think this is partially because the larger question they’re interested in is different, something like: “How many people need go into math for us to reap most of the mathematical breakthroughs that this generation is capable of?”