Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-174) and index (pages 175-178).
Contents:
All good things must come to an end. Polynomials -- Base mathematics -- A mysterious visitor -- Set theory -- Two triangles -- Independence Day -- Independence aftermath -- Amanda -- An aesthetical error -- Miraculous cancellation -- Probability theory -- Geometry -- Hodgepodge -- Self-referential mathematics -- All good things must come to an end.
Summary:
This book features mathematical problems and results that would be of interest to all mathematicians, but especially undergraduates (and even high school students) who participate in mathematical competitions such as the International Math Olympiads and Putnam Competition. The format is a dialogue between a professor and eight students in a summer problem solving camp and allows for a conversational approach to the problems as well as some mathematical humor and a few nonmathematical digressions. The problems have been selected for their entertainment value, elegance, trickiness, and unexpectedness, and have a wide range of difficulty, from trivial to horrendous. They range over a wide variety of topics including combinatorics, algebra, probability, geometry, and set theory. Most of the problems have not appeared before in a problem or expository format. A Notes section at the end of the book gives historical information and references--Publisher's description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.