| "It does show a certain ability for mathematical puzzle solving, not much else. "
Have you taken the AMC or the AIME? Have you met anyone who has qualified for USAMO? I think that it does suggest creativity that translates across discipline. Some may argue that you can practice for it, but I think it is like math class. They generally teach you all the techniques for the exam, but the guys that get 100% every time generally are the people who could come up with the solutions on their own before they were taught it. Or, if they forget what was taught in the middle of an exam, they can easily re-derive the formula. And that derivation requires creativity. At the very least, USAMO qualification is the best indicator for prowess in mathematics (because all other measures such as grades and SAT's are too easy.) And certainly the type of abstract thinking required for high achievement in mathematics is important for all scientific/engineering disciplines.
It's not an IQ test, admittedly. Some people will have developed their math ability less and won't be able to do as well on the exams, unless they are like Gauss and can derive everything from scratch. So it doesn't say anything definitive about those that don't qualify for the exam. However, I think it does mean that the people who can qualify are at an extremely high level. And also, I doubt there are that many people who could have qualified given the right environment (I doubt there are 1500 people who could have.)
Anyway, I think you are a little too dismissive of what it means. It doesn't mean everything, but it's more reliable as an indicator of talent than any other single indicator. |