Overview
Aims to inspire talented students at various levels and other mathematicians interested in similar problems
Offers insight on different problem solving methods used to attack the problem, “How Does One Cut a Triangle?”
Presents example problems and solutions as well as open problems
Engages a general audience
Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
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Table of contents (16 chapters)
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Front Matter
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The Original Book
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This second edition of Alexander Soifer’s How Does One Cut a Triangle? demonstrates how different areas of mathematics can be juxtaposed in the solution of a given problem. The author employs geometry, algebra, trigonometry, linear algebra, and rings to develop a miniature model of mathematical research.
How Does One Cut a Triangle? contains dozens of proofs and counterexamples to a variety of problems, such as a pool table problem, a fifty-dollar problem, a five-point problem, and a joint problem. By proving these examples, the author demonstrates that research is a collection of mathematical ideas that have been developed throughout the course of history.
The author brings mathematics alive by giving the reader a taste of what mathematicians do. His book presents open problems that invite the reader to play the role of the mathematician. By doing so, the author skillfully inspires the discovery of uncharted solutions using his solutions as a guide.
Reviews
From the reviews of the second edition:
“In the second edition of an engagingly written book … addressed to bright high school students and undergraduates, whose contributions are very nicely incorporated into the narrative, the author presents problems belonging to discrete and combinatorial geometry.” (Victor V. Pambuccian, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1180, 2010)
“How does one cut a triangle? is a charming little book intended for that most rare of readers: one with little or no knowledge of mathematics above the high school level … . For such a reader, this book constitutes an opportunity to learn a number of mathematical tools and problem-solving techniques. … overall there is much in this book to commend it to both expert and novice … .” (Michael Weiss, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2011 c)
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: How Does One Cut a Triangle?
Authors: Alexander Soifer
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74652-4
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics and Statistics (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York 2009
Softcover ISBN: 978-0-387-74650-0Published: 10 September 2009
eBook ISBN: 978-0-387-74652-4Published: 25 August 2009
Edition Number: 2
Number of Pages: XXX, 174
Number of Illustrations: 83 b/w illustrations
Additional Information: Originally published by Soifer, Alexander, 1990
Topics: Algebra, Geometry, Combinatorics, Mathematics, general