From Erdös to Kiev: Problems of Olympiad Caliber

Ross Honsberger9780883853009, 0-88385-300-0

Ross Honsberger’s love of mathematics comes through very clearly in From Erdös to Kiev. He presents intriguing, stimulating problems that can be solved with elementary mathematical techniques. It will give pleasure to motivated students and their teachers, but it will also appeal to anyone who enjoys a mathematical challenge. Most of the problems in the collection have appeared on national or international Olympiads or other contests. Thus, they are quite challenging (with solutions that are all the more rewarding). The solutions use straightforward arguments from elementary mathematics (often not very technical arguments) with only the occasional foray into sophisticated or advanced ideas. Anyone familiar with elementary mathematics can appreciate a large part of the book. The problems included in this collection are taken from geometry, number theory, probability, and combinatorics. Solutions to the problems are included.