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Culture Documents
7 Dmitr i Fomin, Sergey Genkin, and Ilia Itenberg, Mathematica l circle s (Russia n experience) ,
1996
6 Davi d W . Farme r an d Theodor e B . Stanford , Knot s an d surfaces : A guid e t o discoverin g
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5 Davi d W . Farmer , Group s an d symmetry : A guid e t o discoverin g mathematics , 1 99 6
4 V . V . Prasolov , Intuitiv e topology , 1 99 5
3 L . E. Sadovski ï an d A. L . Sadovskiï, Mathematic s an d sports , 1 99 3
2 Yu . A . Shashkin , Fixe d points , 1 99 1
1 V . M . Tikhomirov , Storie s abou t maxim a an d minima , 1 99 0
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1090/mawrld/007
Mathematical Circles
(Russian Experience)
C. A . T E H K H H , H . B . H T E H B E P r , ü . B . # O M H H
MATEMATH^ECKMH KPY>KO K
C A H K T - n E T E P B y p r 1 992 , 1 99 3
Foreword vi i
Preface t o th e Russia n Editio n i x
Part I . Th e Firs t Yea r o f Educatio n
Chapter 0 . Chapte r Zer o
Chapter 1 . Parit y 5
1
Chapter 2 . Combinatorics- 1 1
Chapter1
3 . Divisibilit y an d Remainder s 9
Chapter 4 . Th e Pigeo n Hol e Principl e 3 1
Chapter 5 . Graphs- 1 3 9
1
Chapter 1 1 . Combinatorics- 2 0 7
Chapter 1 2 . Invariant s 2 3
Chapter 1 3 . Graphs- 2 3 5
Chapter 1 4 . Geometr y 5 3
1
Chapter 1 5 . Numbe r Base s 6 7
Chapter 1 6 . Inequalitie s 7 5
Chapter 1 7 . Problem
1 s fo r th e Secon d Yea r 8 7
CONTENTS
vii
viii F O R E W O R D
§1. Introductio n
This boo k wa s originall y writte n t o hel p peopl e i n th e forme r Sovie t Unio n
who dealt wit h extracurricula r mathematica l education : schoo l teachers, universit y
professors participatin g i n mathematica l educatio n programs , variou s enthusiast s
running mathematica l circles , o r peopl e wh o just wante d t o rea d somethin g bot h
mathematical an d recreational . And , certainly , student s ca n als o us e thi s boo k
independently.
Another reaso n fo r writin g thi s boo k wa s tha t w e considere d i t necessar y t o
record th e rol e playe d b y th e tradition s o f mathematica l educatio n i n Leningra d
(now St. Petersburg) ove r the last 6 0 years. Thoug h ou r city was, indeed, th e cradl e
of th e olympia d movemen t i n th e USS R (havin g see n th e ver y firs t mathematica l
seminars fo r student s i n 1 931 -32 , an d th e first cit y olympia d i n 1 934) , an d stil l
remains on e o f th e leader s i n thi s particula r area , it s hug e educationa l experienc e
has no t bee n adequatel y recorde d fo r th e intereste d readers .
* * *
§2. S t r u c t u r e o f t h e b o o k
The boo k consist s o f this preface , tw o main parts , Appendi x A "Mathematica l
Contests", Appendix B "Answers , Hints, Solutions", an d Appendi x C "References" .
The firs t par t ("Th e Firs t Yea r o f Education") begin s wit h Chapte r Zero , eon -
sisting o f tes t question s intende d mostl y fo r student s o f age s 1 0-1 1 . Th e problem s
of this chapte r hav e virtually n o mathematical content , an d thei r mai n objectiv e i s
to reveal the abilitie s o f the student s i n mathematics an d logic . Th e rest o f the first
part i s divide d int o 8 chapters . Th e first seve n o f thes e ar e devote d t o particula r
topics, an d th e eight h ("Problem s fo r th e first year" ) i s simpl y a compilatio n o f
problems o n a variet y o f themes .
P R E F A C E T O T H E RUSSIA N E D I T I O N x i
The second par t ("Th e Secon d Year of Education") consist s of 9 chapters, som e
of whic h jus t continu e th e discussio n i n th e firs t par t (fo r example , th e chapter s
"Graphs-2" an d "Combinatorics-2") . Othe r chapter s ar e comprise d o f materia l
considered t o b e to o complicate d fo r th e firs t year : "Invariants" , "Induction" , "In -
equalities".
Appendix A tell s abou t five mai n type s o f mathematica l contest s popula r i n
the forme r Sovie t Union . Thes e contest s ca n b e hel d a t session s o f mathematica l
circles o r use d t o organiz e contest s betwee n differen t circle s o r eve n schools .
Advice t o th e teache r i s usuall y give n unde r th e remar k labelle d "Fo r teach -
ers" . Rar e occasion s o f "Methodologiea l remarks " contai n mostl y reeommen -
dations about th e methodology o f problem solving: the y draw attentio n t o the basi c
patterns o f proof s o r method s o f recognizin g an d classifyin g problems .