Sampo is a competitive mathematician, dual-degree student, and someone who genuinely enjoys wrestling with tough, brain-bending problems.
With one foot in mathematics at the University of Helsinki and the other in computer science at Aalto, Sampo is the kind of person who sees a complex challenge and says, “Alright, let’s go.”
So, tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Sampo, one of the summer trainees this year at Digisalix. During the rest of the year, I’ve been deep in university studies. I’m actually pursuing two degrees at once: mathematics at the University of Helsinki and computer science at Aalto University.
I find both subjects fascinating, so instead of choosing one over the other, I decided to go for both. I started maths two years ago, and computer science a year after that – and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.
What drew you to Digisalix in the first place?
The job description felt like it was written for me. It combined mathematics and computer science which is exactly the skill set I’ve been developing. I was particularly excited about the idea of working on challenging problems and applying algorithmic thinking to solve them.
Digisalix has definitely lived up to that expectation.
The problems I’ve
worked on here have been interesting,
non-trivial, and right up my alley.
What inspired you to get into mathematics, programming, and machine learning?
Maths was always a strong suit in school, and I taught myself programming in my early teens. In high school, I entered the Finnish High School Mathematics Competition just to see how I’d do. It went really well, which kicked off a full-on competition streak.
Among other things, I ended up representing Finland at the International Mathematical Olympiad three years in a row (2020–2022), earning Honourable Mentions each time. I was just one point away from a bronze medal in my last year.
At the same time, I’d done a lot of coding and decided to try my luck in Datatähti, the national competitive programming contest. I placed second in both 2021 and 2022. It was great to see how well the skills from maths competitions and programming challenge sites like Project Euler transferred to programming contests.
Even now, while university keeps me busy, I still take part in competitions now and then. I took part in HIIT Open 2024 last autumn with a couple of friends, and this summer I’m heading to Bulgaria for an undergraduate maths competition.
What’s your favourite kind of problem solve?
I really enjoy problems that stretch what I already know and cause me to learn something new in the process. That’s when it feels most rewarding.
The best problems sit right in that sweet spot: they’re not instantly solvable, but also not so impossible that you end up banging your head against the wall for what feels like forever. It’s about the right kind of challenge and the satisfaction that comes with cracking it.
What’s been the best part about working at Digisalix?
Definitely the variety and depth of the problems I’ve been able to work on. I’ve had the chance to really dig into some topics independently, which I enjoy. At the same time, help is always nearby when I need it. It’s a nice balance between autonomy and support.
Final note
Sampo brings the same mindset to Digisalix that made him one of Finland’s top maths competitors: focus, patience, and a genuine curiosity about how things work. He’s exactly the kind of problem-solver we love working with – and we’re lucky to have him on the team this summer.
