DN
Dylan Nelson is a South African software developer and mathematician. He represented South Africa at the International Mathematical Olympiad three times (2010, 2011, 2012), earning Honourable Mentions in 2010 and 2011 and a Bronze medal in 2012. He studied Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Cape Town, where he was a first-year on UCT's team at the 2013 International Mathematics Competition for University Students (ranked 18th of 72). He completed an Honours degree in Mathematics at Stellenbosch University, tutoring there 2016-2020, then an MSc in Mathematics at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He works as a software developer, most recently Senior Software Developer at South African agri-fintech KHULA! (2021-2023). He is an active open-source contributor (GitHub dlnnlsn), with lean/math projects and co-authorship of a 2023 quantum-computing paper on Jordan-Wigner encodings.
- Represented South Africa at the IMO in 2010, 2011 and 2012, one of the country's standout math olympiad students; won Bronze in 2012 (15 pts) after Honourable Mentions in 2010 (7 pts) and 2011 (11 pts).2012
- Co-authored a 2023 quantum-computing paper (arXiv:2211.04501) on reducing the qubit requirement of Jordan-Wigner encodings, affiliated by alumni email [contact omitted], indicating continued research involvement beyond industry software work.Aug 15, 2023
- GitHub dlnnlsn shows a strong lean/math+software profile: most-authored language is TeX (18 repos), then Python, C++ and Lean, including an 'IMOLean' repo formalising IMO problems, 'modular_forms_lean', and math/problem-of-the-year repos -- the pattern of a mathematician who codes.2026
- Served as Senior Software Developer at KHULA! (South African agri-tech/agri-fintech, khula.co.za) 2021-2023, after Application Developer at j5 Operations Management Solutions (2020-2021) -- a move from mathematics into full-time software engineering.2023
- Tutored Mathematics at Stellenbosch University for four years (2016-2020), including Calculus, Calculus & Linear Algebra, and a third-year course -- time spent teaching while completing his honours/masters, suggesting mathematics remained his base before the shift to software.2020
- Holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science (UCT), BSc Honours in Mathematics (Stellenbosch) and MSc in Mathematics (Leiden University), and interned at SMSPortal (2017) and Digiata (2015) -- an early and deliberate math+software career track.2020
- As a UCT first-year in 2013 he was on UCT's team at the International Mathematics Competition for University Students in Bulgaria, where UCT ranked 18th of 72 universities (ahead of Yale and Cambridge) -- the same group of school-era international competitors staying at the top of university maths.Aug 28, 2013
I am a tutor for the following courses at Stellenbosch University: 2016 ==== Mathematics 114 — Calculus Mathematics 144 — Calculus and Linear Algebra Mathematics 278 (Marking onl
Competition record
South Africa · IMO