Solving Mathematical Problems: A Personal Perspective

A good read for a high school math whiz that might create an appetite and propensity for tackling tough problems, as well as a desire to pick up some basic number theory tricks. Clearly demonstrates how precocious the author once was (and still is)!

thanks for wisdom books. i like it

I came across this book after reading about Terence Tao, a recent Fields medalist. It's interesting to see a book like this by such an accomplished mathematician. The book gives practical approaches to solving the types of math problems encountered in math olympiad competitions. I am not, nor have I ever been, a math olympian, but I found the book to be entertaining and useful for intellectual fortification purposes.

I saw Dr. Tao on the Stephen Colbert show a few months ago and was dazzled by his brilliance. I am an internist but I like to think of myself as a polymath who can read and think about anything. I was good in math in school and was an A student in calculus in college. It's been many years since I've thought about math. I bought this book to see how the author thinks. It's amazing to me, as someone who regards himself as "smart," how quickly I became humbled by the mind of Terence Tao. After ten pages I knew I was in over my head but I stretched my mind for a while before putting the book aside. I am not sure what kind of background is necessary to understand this book, but I can tell you that college calculus and medical school is not the path to understanding. To say Terence Tao is a genius is not enough. He is so much smarter than the average intellectual that the market for him and his book is quite limited. It must be wonderful to wake up every day and start thinking if you're Terence Tao.

I really liked this book. It is written by one of the most brilliant mathematicians of our generation. It presents some of the problem solving techniques math contestants should master in a mature though approachable manner. I wouldn't suggest it as the only book to consult when designing a training curriculum for high level math contestants, but it is definitelly a good reference, and nicely written.

Terence Tao is an extremely smart man and this is a very hard book.

very good book

the publisher's ethics in releasing this "second edition" (does anyone remember the first?) are very much in line with what's coming out of wall street lately -- this is a shameless exploitation of the author's recent medal received long after he "wrote" this book -- this slim volume is in fact thin not only in terms of page count but also in terms of originality -- in the sense that it ain't got any -- problems , almost all of which are painfully well known, are laboriously treated to several pages of wasteful verbiage before finally revealing the one or two line solution -- there is no reason on earth why anyone who has even a modest problem book collection should consider this hack job --