Geometry - Plane, Solid & Analytic Problem Solver (Problem Solvers) (Paperback)

~ The Staff of REA (Author), Ernest Woodward (Author)

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Product Description

Covers topics in plane and solid (space) geometry. Pictorial diagrams with thorough explanations on solving problems in congruence, parallelism, inequalities, similarities, triangles, circles, polygons, constructions, and coordinate/analytic geometry. An invaluable aid for students.

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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book can be an invaluable aid to students in geometry as a supplement to their textbooks. The book is divided into 52 chapters, each dealing with a separate topic. The subject matter is developed beginning with lines and angles and extending through analytic (coordinate) and solid geometry. Sections on constructions, coordinate conversions, polygons, surface areas, and volumes have also been included.
Each chapter in the book starts with a section titled ÒBasic Attacks and Strategies for Solving Problems in this Chapter.Ó This section explains the principles that are applicable to the topics in the chapter. By reviewing these principles, students can acquire a good grasp of the underlying techniques and strategies through which problems related to the chapter may be solved.

HOW TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND
A TOPIC THOROUGHLY

1. Refer to your class text and read the section pertaining to the topic. You should become acquainted with the principles discussed there. These principles, however, may not be clear to you at the time.
2. Then locate the topic you are looking for by referring to the Table of Contents in the front of this book. After turning to the beginning of the appropriate chapter, read the section titled ÒBasic Attacks and Strategies for Solving Problems in this Chapter.Ó This section is a review of the important principles related to the chapter, and it will help you to understand further how and why problems in the chapter are solved in the manner shown.
3. Turn to the page where the topic begins and review the problems under each topic, in the order given. For each topic, the problems are arranged in order of complexity, from the simplest to the more difficult. Some problems may appear similar to others, but each problem has been selected to illustrate a different point or solution method.
To learn and understand a topic thoroughly and retain its contents, it will generally be necessary for students to review the problems several times. Repeated review is essential in order to gain experience in recognizing the principles that should be applied and to select the best solution technique.

HOW TO FIND A PARTICULAR PROBLEM

To locate one or more problems related to particular subject matter, refer to the index. In using the index, be certain to note that the numbers given there refer to problem numbers, not to page numbers. This arrangement of the index is intended to facilitate finding a problem more rapidly, since two or more problems may appear on a page.
If a particular type of problem cannot be found readily, it is recommended that the student refer to the Table of Contents and then turn to the chapter which is applicable to the problem being sought. By scanning or glancing at the material that is boxed, it will generally be possible to find problems related to the one being sought, without consuming considerable time. After the problems have been located, the solutions can be reviewed and studied in detail.
For the purpose of locating problems rapidly, students should
acquaint themselves with the organization of the book as found in the Table of Contents.
In preparing for an exam, it is useful to find the topics to be covered in the exam from the Table of Contents, and then review the problems under those topics several times. This should equip the student with what might be needed for the exam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1080 pages
• Publisher: Research & Education Association; Revised edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878915109
• ISBN-13: 978-0878915101
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #232,258 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, really does the trick. , October 11, 2008

By	Alan Charbonneau - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I bought this book right after I started a class in Linear Algebra where the first chapter had us working some geometric proofs using the rules for vector addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication.

Although this book strictly focuses on geometry and does not use vectors in its proofs, it did clearly illustrate proofs that were easy enough to think through in terms of vectors.

The book is well-written and begins with a review of Methods of Proof, Lines & Angles, Perpendicularity, and Triangles before getting into specific geometric forms.

900+ pages and 900+ problems with a summary of theorems and properties at the end of the book. Some reviews at Amazon contain complaints about REA Problems Solvers, but I have always liked them and I really like this one. They are not intended to replace a textbook, but to give lots of examples over-and-above what a textbook would include.

For example, a few years ago I was studying College Algebra and I was having trouble understanding logarithms. So I reviewed the examples in the REA Problem Solver for Algebra and Trigonometry and worked some problems along with the REA book and then I saw how simple they really were. I have purchased REA Problem Solvers for Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra as well and have found all of them to be helpful with some being more useful or better-written than others.

One of the complaints about these books is that they are all written using a Courier-style font. This is true, but there are still Greek symbols, integral signs, exponents, etc (e.g. you do not see 10-squared written as 10^2 - they use a superscript for the exponent). Another complaint that I have seen is that they contain errors. I have not noticed any, but that does not mean there are none present. I do not review these books cover-to-cover, but take a look at those topics that I need to review, so I may not have encountered any errors but they could still be present.

Purchased new, the books may seem a bit pricey if you are on a budget (nowadays the books have a list price of $30.95 for some subjects and $25.95 for others, with discounted prices ranging between $17.95 and $30.25). I always buy them from the affiliated 3rd-party booksellers on Amazon. I got my Geometry Problem Solver extremely cheap $3.15 plus $3.99 for S&H - total of $7.14 and the book arrived in a couple of weeks and was in excellent condition (like new!).

Most of the time I have spent in the $12-$15 range (incl S&H) for these guides. Even if I only were to find help on a single topic within the book, that, to me, is still a bargain. Especially so if you consider the price relative to the cost of tuition and textbooks. If you are really price conscious, most college libraries have copies that are rarely checked out. Until my copy was shipped, I used the one in our library and saw that it had last been checked out in 2004!

p.s. I am 54 years old and went back to night school and started studying math 3 years ago with College Algebra, Trig, PreCalc, Calc 1,2,3, Diff Eq, and now Linear Alg. I have had REA guides for all of the classes and have found them useful in every case.

8 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK, June 15, 2000

By	Jason B. "ebays-cyclonechem" (Ames, IA) - See all my reviews

A great book loaded with proofs for geometry (SAS, CPCTC, etc) and geometic problems (Pythagorean Therom).