the Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2: and Beyond

AoPS Competition Preparation

by Richard Rusczyk, Sandor Lehoczky

Grades 9 -12. The Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2, is the classic problem solving textbook used by many successful high school math teams and enrichment programs and have been an important building block for students who, like the authors, performed well enough on the American Mathematics Contest series to qualify for the Math Olympiad Summer Program which trains students for the United States International Math Olympiad team.

Volume 2 is appropriate for students who have mastered the problem solving fundamentals presented in Volume 1 and are ready for a greater challenge. Although the Art of Problem Solving is widely used by students preparing for mathematics competitions, the book is not just a collection of tricks. The emphasis on learning and understanding methods rather than memorizing formulas enables students to solve large classes of problems beyond those presented in the book.

Speaking of problems, the Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2, contains over 500 examples and exercises culled from such contests as the Mandelbrot Competition, the AMC tests, and ARML. Full solutions (not just answers!) are available for all the problems in the solution manual.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Science, Textbooks, Collections, Psychology, Stem

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Richard Rusczyk is one of the co-authors of the Art of Problem Solving textbooks, and author of Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Algebra and Introduction to Geometry textbooks (Intermediate Algebra due to be published in early 2008). He is also one of the co-creators of the Mandelbrot Competition, and the Director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search. He was a participant in National MATHCOUNTS, a participant in the Math Olympiad Summer Program 1987, 1988 and 1989, the only perfect scorer on the 1989 AIME, and a USA Mathematical Olympiad winner (1989). He graduated first in his major, top 5 in his class, with a BSE from Princeton University in 1993. Richard helped inaugurate ESPN's SportsFigures program, and worked as a bond trader for D.E. Shaw & Company for four years. AoPS marks Richard's return to his vocation - educating motivated students.

Reviews

[Natik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, books like these are used to prep for high school events but don't let that put off any older folks! Doesn't matter how advanced your studies are, there is a good chance you were never taught these things properly in high school. It's good to fix that before it generates a pile-up in later math courses.

[powei · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet high school memory. wonderful for kids with few friends and slightly mathematically inclined. empowers you in ways that poetry can't; depresses you the way life doesn't; distracts you because of it.

[David Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book to study for the AMC and AIME. It was super helpful. Even though I already knew most of the material, it was great to review it and to see how it could actually be used in problem