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Concepts and Problems for Mathematical Competitors

Author : Alexander Sarana

Publisher : Courier Dover Publications

Page : 430 pages

File Size : 34,70 MB

Release : 2020-08-12

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0486842533

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Book Description

This original work discusses mathematical methods needed by undergraduates in the United States and Canada preparing for competitions at the level of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the Putnam Competition. The six-part treatment covers counting methods, number theory, inequalities and the theory of equations, metrical geometry, analysis, and number representations and logic. Includes problems with solutions plus 1,000 problems for students to finish themselves.



Problem-Solving Strategies

Author : Arthur Engel

Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media

Page : 404 pages

File Size : 33,53 MB

Release : 2008-01-19

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0387226419

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Book Description

A unique collection of competition problems from over twenty major national and international mathematical competitions for high school students. Written for trainers and participants of contests of all levels up to the highest level, this will appeal to high school teachers conducting a mathematics club who need a range of simple to complex problems and to those instructors wishing to pose a "problem of the week", thus bringing a creative atmosphere into the classrooms. Equally, this is a must-have for individuals interested in solving difficult and challenging problems. Each chapter starts with typical examples illustrating the central concepts and is followed by a number of carefully selected problems and their solutions. Most of the solutions are complete, but some merely point to the road leading to the final solution. In addition to being a valuable resource of mathematical problems and solution strategies, this is the most complete training book on the market.



The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition 1985-2000

Author : Kiran Sridhara Kedlaya

Publisher : MAA

Page : 360 pages

File Size : 30,28 MB

Release : 2002

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 9780883858073

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Book Description

This third volume of problems from the William Lowell Putnam Competition is unlike the previous two in that it places the problems in the context of important mathematical themes. The authors highlight connections to other problems, to the curriculum and to more advanced topics. The best problems contain kernels of sophisticated ideas related to important current research, and yet the problems are accessible to undergraduates. The solutions have been compiled from the American Mathematical Monthly, Mathematics Magazine and past competitors. Multiple solutions enhance the understanding of the audience, explaining techniques that have relevance to more than the problem at hand. In addition, the book contains suggestions for further reading, a hint to each problem, separate from the full solution and background information about the competition. The book will appeal to students, teachers, professors and indeed anyone interested in problem solving as a gateway to a deep understanding of mathematics.



Fifty Lectures for American Mathematics Competitions

Author : Jane Chen

Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 16,53 MB

Release : 2013-01-09

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 9781470194086

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Book Description

While the books in this series are primarily designed for AMC competitors, they contain the most essential and indispensable concepts used throughout middle and high school mathematics. Some featured topics include key concepts such as equations, polynomials, exponential and logarithmic functions in Algebra, various synthetic and analytic methods used in Geometry, and important facts in Number Theory. The topics are grouped in lessons focusing on fundamental concepts. Each lesson starts with a few solved examples followed by a problem set meant to illustrate the content presented. At the end, the solutions to the problems are discussed with many containing multiple methods of approach. I recommend these books to not only contest participants, but also to young, aspiring mathletes in middle school who wish to consolidate their mathematical knowledge. I have personally used a few of the books in this collection to prepare some of my students for the AMC contests or to form a foundation for others. By Dr. Titu Andreescu US IMO Team Leader (1995 - 2002) Director, MAA American Mathematics Competitions (1998 - 2003) Director, Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program (1995 - 2002) Coach of the US IMO Team (1993 - 2006) Member of the IMO Advisory Board (2002 - 2006) Chair of the USAMO Committee (1996 - 2004) I love this book! I love the style, the selection of topics and the choice of problems to illustrate the ideas discussed. The topics are typical contest problem topics: divisors, absolute value, radical expressions, Veita's Theorem, squares, divisibility, lots of geometry, and some trigonometry. And the problems are delicious. Although the book is intended for high school students aiming to do well in national and state math contests like the American Mathematics Competitions, the problems are accessible to very strong middle school students. The book is well-suited for the teacher-coach interested in sets of problems on a given topic. Each section begins with several substantial solved examples followed by a varied list of problems ranging from easily accessible to very challenging. Solutions are provided for all the problems. In many cases, several solutions are provided. By Professor Harold Reiter Chair of MATHCOUNTS Question Writing Committee. Chair of SAT II Mathematics committee of the Educational Testing Service Chair of the AMC 12 Committee (and AMC 10) 1993 to 2000.



Count Down

Author : Steve Olson

Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Page : 264 pages

File Size : 50,56 MB

Release : 2004

Category : Education

ISBN : 9780618562121

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Book Description

Each summer six math whizzes selected from nearly a half-million American teens compete against the world's best problem solvers at the International Mathematical Olympiad.Steve Olson followed the six 2001 contestants from the intense tryouts to the Olympiad's nail-biting final rounds to discover not only what drives these extraordinary kids but what makes them both unique and typical.In the process he provides fascinating insights into the science of intelligence and learning and, finally, the nature of genius.Brilliant, but defying all the math-nerd stereotypes, these teens want to excel in whatever piques their curiosity, and they are curious about almost everything - music, games, politics, sports, literature.One team member is ardent about both water polo and creative writing. Another plays four musical instruments.For fun and entertainment during breaks, the Olympians invent games of mind-boggling difficulty.Though driven by the glory of winning this ultimate math contest, they are in many ways not so different from other teenagers, finding pure joy in indulging their personal passions. Beyond the the Olympiad, Olson sheds light on many questions, from why Americans feel so queasy about math, to why so few girls compete in the subject, to whether or not talent is innate.Inside the cavernous gym where the competition takes place, Count Down uncovers a fascinating subculture and its engaging, driven inhabitants.



Mathematics as Problem Solving

Author : Alexander Soifer

Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media

Page : 120 pages

File Size : 22,86 MB

Release : 2009-04-28

Category : Education

ISBN : 0387746463

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Book Description

Various elementary techniques for solving problems in algebra, geometry, and combinatorics are explored in this second edition of Mathematics as Problem Solving. Each new chapter builds on the previous one, allowing the reader to uncover new methods for using logic to solve problems. Topics are presented in self-contained chapters, with classical solutions as well as Soifer's own discoveries. With roughly 200 different problems, the reader is challenged to approach problems from different angles. Mathematics as Problem Solving is aimed at students from high school through undergraduate levels and beyond, educators, and the general reader interested in the methods of mathematical problem solving.



A Primer for Mathematics Competitions

Author : Alexander Zawaira

Publisher : OUP Oxford

Page : 368 pages

File Size : 36,4 MB

Release : 2008-10-31

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0191561703

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Book Description

The importance of mathematics competitions has been widely recognised for three reasons: they help to develop imaginative capacity and thinking skills whose value far transcends mathematics; they constitute the most effective way of discovering and nurturing mathematical talent; and they provide a means to combat the prevalent false image of mathematics held by high school students, as either a fearsomely difficult or a dull and uncreative subject. This book provides a comprehensive training resource for competitions from local and provincial to national Olympiad level, containing hundreds of diagrams, and graced by many light-hearted cartoons. It features a large collection of what mathematicians call "beautiful" problems - non-routine, provocative, fascinating, and challenging problems, often with elegant solutions. It features careful, systematic exposition of a selection of the most important topics encountered in mathematics competitions, assuming little prior knowledge. Geometry, trigonometry, mathematical induction, inequalities, Diophantine equations, number theory, sequences and series, the binomial theorem, and combinatorics - are all developed in a gentle but lively manner, liberally illustrated with examples, and consistently motivated by attractive "appetiser" problems, whose solution appears after the relevant theory has been expounded. Each chapter is presented as a "toolchest" of instruments designed for cracking the problems collected at the end of the chapter. Other topics, such as algebra, co-ordinate geometry, functional equations and probability, are introduced and elucidated in the posing and solving of the large collection of miscellaneous problems in the final toolchest. An unusual feature of this book is the attention paid throughout to the history of mathematics - the origins of the ideas, the terminology and some of the problems, and the celebration of mathematics as a multicultural, cooperative human achievement. As a bonus the aspiring "mathlete" may encounter, in the most enjoyable way possible, many of the topics that form the core of the standard school curriculum.



Mathematics and Computation

Author : Avi Wigderson

Publisher : Princeton University Press

Page : 434 pages

File Size : 38,21 MB

Release : 2019-10-29

Category : Computers

ISBN : 0691189137

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Book Description

An introduction to computational complexity theory, its connections and interactions with mathematics, and its central role in the natural and social sciences, technology, and philosophy Mathematics and Computation provides a broad, conceptual overview of computational complexity theory—the mathematical study of efficient computation. With important practical applications to computer science and industry, computational complexity theory has evolved into a highly interdisciplinary field, with strong links to most mathematical areas and to a growing number of scientific endeavors. Avi Wigderson takes a sweeping survey of complexity theory, emphasizing the field’s insights and challenges. He explains the ideas and motivations leading to key models, notions, and results. In particular, he looks at algorithms and complexity, computations and proofs, randomness and interaction, quantum and arithmetic computation, and cryptography and learning, all as parts of a cohesive whole with numerous cross-influences. Wigderson illustrates the immense breadth of the field, its beauty and richness, and its diverse and growing interactions with other areas of mathematics. He ends with a comprehensive look at the theory of computation, its methodology and aspirations, and the unique and fundamental ways in which it has shaped and will further shape science, technology, and society. For further reading, an extensive bibliography is provided for all topics covered. Mathematics and Computation is useful for undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, computer science, and related fields, as well as researchers and teachers in these fields. Many parts require little background, and serve as an invitation to newcomers seeking an introduction to the theory of computation. Comprehensive coverage of computational complexity theory, and beyond High-level, intuitive exposition, which brings conceptual clarity to this central and dynamic scientific discipline Historical accounts of the evolution and motivations of central concepts and models A broad view of the theory of computation's influence on science, technology, and society Extensive bibliography



Mathematical Problem Posing

Author : Florence Mihaela Singer

Publisher : Springer

Page : 587 pages

File Size : 28,24 MB

Release : 2015-06-12

Category : Education

ISBN : 1461462584

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Book Description

The mathematics education community continues to contribute research-based ideas for developing and improving problem posing as an inquiry-based instructional strategy for enhancing students’ learning. A large number of studies have been conducted which have covered many research topics and methodological aspects of teaching and learning mathematics through problem posing. The Authors' groundwork has shown that many of these studies predict positive outcomes from implementing problem posing on: student knowledge, problem solving and posing skills, creativity and disposition toward mathematics. This book examines, in-depth, the contribution of a problem posing approach to teaching mathematics and discusses the impact of adopting this approach on the development of theoretical frameworks, teaching practices and research on mathematical problem posing over the last 50 years. ​​



Putnam and Beyond

Author : Răzvan Gelca

Publisher : Springer

Page : 857 pages

File Size : 36,59 MB

Release : 2017-09-19

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 3319589881

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Book Description

This book takes the reader on a journey through the world of college mathematics, focusing on some of the most important concepts and results in the theories of polynomials, linear algebra, real analysis, differential equations, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, elementary number theory, combinatorics, and probability. Preliminary material provides an overview of common methods of proof: argument by contradiction, mathematical induction, pigeonhole principle, ordered sets, and invariants. Each chapter systematically presents a single subject within which problems are clustered in each section according to the specific topic. The exposition is driven by nearly 1300 problems and examples chosen from numerous sources from around the world; many original contributions come from the authors. The source, author, and historical background are cited whenever possible. Complete solutions to all problems are given at the end of the book. This second edition includes new sections on quad ratic polynomials, curves in the plane, quadratic fields, combinatorics of numbers, and graph theory, and added problems or theoretical expansion of sections on polynomials, matrices, abstract algebra, limits of sequences and functions, derivatives and their applications, Stokes' theorem, analytical geometry, combinatorial geometry, and counting strategies. Using the W.L. Putnam Mathematical Competition for undergraduates as an inspiring symbol to build an appropriate math background for graduate studies in pure or applied mathematics, the reader is eased into transitioning from problem-solving at the high school level to the university and beyond, that is, to mathematical research. This work may be used as a study guide for the Putnam exam, as a text for many different problem-solving courses, and as a source of problems for standard courses in undergraduate mathematics. Putnam and Beyond is organized for independent study by undergraduate and gradu ate students, as well as teachers and researchers in the physical sciences who wish to expand their mathematical horizons.