Customer Reviews

The USSR Olympiad Problem Book: Selected Problems and Theorems of Elementary Mathematics (Dover Books on Mathematics)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book consists of "320 unconventional problems in algebra, arithmetic, elementary number theory and trigonometry." The problems are mathematically accessible to students at the high school level or higher, as they call more upon analytical thinking than upon advanced mathematical techniques. There is a range of difficulties, with harder problems marked with stars in the book. (The hardest problems are marked with double stars.) The problems are divided into twelve sections: "Introductory Problems," "Alterations of Digits in Integers," "The Divisibility of Integers," "Some Problems from Arithmetic," "Equations Having Integer Solutions," "Evaluating Sums and Products," "Miscellaneous Problems from Algebra," "The Algebra of Polynomials," "Complex Numbers," "Some Problems of Number Theory," "Some Distinctive Inequalities," and "Difference Sequences and Sums." Much of the book is devoted to providing hints and solutions, which are both thorough and clear. This is a great resource for preparing for competition, for developing your analytical thinking, or just for having fun (that is, if you are the sort of person who finds solving math problems fun).

This is a great resource for challenging math problems. After getting annoyed with newspaper "problem of the week" type books, this was a refreshing find. Don't let the "high school level" disclaimer fool you - there are some seriously difficult problems in here.

If you're the type to find logic and math problems fun, I would recommend dropping $15 for this text. It's well worth the time.

The reason I am giving 5 stars to this book is for its unique collection of problems. It has been very entertaining reading the book so far (I have not completed the book). There however are a few errors which can be easily figured out by the reader. The treatment of each problem is unique.

I found this book very interesting, because it deals with many many problems of algebra and number theory. You can find many interesting and tough theorems (not all of them are widely known nor taught) with their demonstration. I particularily liked the section about "distinctive inequalities": it deals with a great number of inequalities and you can learn some new techniques for solving them. The book lacks of geometry, that's true (only some trig somewhere), but it gives (in my opinion) really a strong preparation on topics concerning algebra... try it!

This books is what every book on math olympiads should be, it deals with high level problems in a way that readers can easily follow; I also liked it because there are some problems who have many interesting solutions and generalizations

We do problems from this book in the math club at my college.
I wish there were more books like this one.

If you like challenging math problems then this book is for you. It's ideal if you want to prepare for a national math olympiad or if you just like hard math problems. Get this book and you won't regret it !!!

This exercise book is great! The collection of the most interessant and exciting problems of elementary Mathematics. Ideal for preparing for the IMO. A must - have book for everybody who likes Math challenge-

The book is good at first but one tires quickly after reading the heavy syntax and the similar style of many of the problem. For example, the authors avoid sums and binomial coefficients, and the problems that make this book interesting are nothing more than difficult theorems that you would find in any textbook on number theory