I became passionate about Computer Science when I created an algorithm for an advanced
multiplayer version of Pac-Man that no human player could beat and achieved second place inthe 2018 Ericsson Open Programming Championship. The success resided in considering only
the worst-case scenarios, which reduced the branching factor, and thus enabled the duplicationof the minimax search depth. I genuinely enjoyed the process of testing the efficiency of different
heuristics and gained a lot of experience through implementing and debugging the AI. Although I
attained numerous top places at mathematics, physics, and robotics competitions, this was thedefining moment when I dedicated myself to Computer Science.
Since then, Machine Learning has become my main focus of interest. After learning the basics
online, I completed the AI Technology Training at KURT Academy. Meanwhile, I started personal
projects as a pastime, such as training a neural network on the MNIST dataset using scholastic
gradient descent implemented in JAVA without using ML libraries. I am hosting it on GitHub under
the username Cence2020, along with my favourite personal projects (such as physicalsimulations and interactive algorithm visualisations). At university, I would like to gain a profoundunderstanding of Machine Learning as I am fascinated by its incredible capabilities and practicalapplications.
Thanks to being the student of the advanced mathematics class at Fazekas Mihaly High School
and my commitment to self-learning, I won several mathematics competitions, like the Arany
Daniel National Olympiad and KoMaL contest in 2017, the 2019 Medve and the 2020 Bolyai Team
Competitions, and my favourite one: MaTech2 in 2019, where the goal was to use different ITtools to solve math problems. I am also proud of simultaneously qualifying for the Physics,Computer Science, and advanced Mathematics finals in the 2020 National Olympiad, achieving
1st, 14th, and 31st places respectively, and winning a bronze medal at the Computer Science
section of the 2019 International Olympiad of Metropolises in Moscow.
I enjoyed being a leading member of the Fazekas RoboTeam, qualifying for the semi-final of the2017 FIRST Lego League and the grand final of the 2018 World Robot Olympiad. The mostunforgettable experience with the team was winning the 2017 First Global Challenge inWashington DC, where we were the youngest competitors out of 157 national teams. During the4 months of full-time preparation, I was in charge of designing vital parts (such as the internaltransport system and the climbing arm) and structuring the control algorithms of the robot. Due towinning the Gold Medal, we even got invited to The White House and received a congratulatory
letter from the President of Hungary. Last year I assisted the national team's preparation as anexperienced mentor.
I am also interested in physics, especially related applications of computer science. It was anexceptional experience to take part in building a multi-wire proportional chamber to examine thelifespan and angle of incidence of muons at the Wigner Physics Research Centre and to design
an experiment for a particle accelerator. In the National Scientific Student Conference, we
received a special award for our research presentation on the synchronization of attachedoscillators; my task was to make computer simulations and statistical predictions.
Apart from my studies, I volunteered at the Hungarian Center of Scientific Wonders (CSOPA).
After years of attending, I am now a mentor in the exceptional Posa and MaMuT math camps,
which work on a performance-based, invitation-only participation. As a competitive speedcuber, I
initiated a charity double-sided Rubik's Mosaic record attempt and gave a Templeton Talk about
the Rubik's Cube at the Central European University. I am happy to devote my time to suchprojects as I am committed to taking part in talent management activities and spread the beautyof science.