Competition Math For Middle School

The 39 self-contained sections in this book present worked-out examples as well as many sample problems categorized by the level of difficulty as Bronze, Silver, and Gold in order to help the readers gauge their progress and learning. Detailed solutions to all problems in each section are provided at the end of each chapter. The book can be used not only as a text but also for self-study. The text covers algebra (solving single equations and systems of equations of varying degrees, algebraic manipulations for creative problem solving, inequalities, basic set theory, sequences and series, rates and proportions, unit analysis, and percentages), probability (counting techniques, introductory probability theory, more set theory, permutations and combinations, expected value, and symmetry), and number theory (prime factorizations and their applications, Diophantine equations, number bases, modular arithmetic, and divisibility). It focuses on guiding students through creative problem-solving and on teaching them to apply their knowledge in a wide variety of scenarios rather than rote memorization of mathematical facts. It is aimed at, but not limited to, high-performing middle school students and goes further in depth and teaches new concepts not otherwise taught in traditional public schools.

Written for the gifted math student, the new math coach, the teacher in search of problems and materials to challenge exceptional students, or anyone else interested in advanced mathematical problems. Competition Math contains over 700 examples and problems in the areas of Algebra, Counting, Probability, Number Theory, and Geometry.Examples and full solutions present clear concepts and provide helpful tips and tricks."I wish I had a book like this when I started my competition career."Four-Time National Champion MATHCOUNTS coach Jeff Boyd"This book is full of juicy questions and ideas that will enable the reader to excel in MATHCOUNTS and AMC competitions. I recommend it to any students who aspire to be great problem solvers." Former AHSME Committee Chairman Harold Reiter

This book can be used by students in grades 3-5: (1) who seek material more challenging than they typically encounter in their math classroom, and (2) who would like to build a solid problem solving foundation for future math competitions such as AMC 8, Mathcounts, and other math competitions. Each chapter consists of (1) basic skill and knowledge section with plenty of examples, (2) exercise problems, and (3) detailed solutions to all exercise problems.

The New Mexico Mathematics Contest for high-school students has been held annually since 1966. Each November, thousands of middle- and high-school students from all over New Mexico converge to battle with elementary but tricky math problems. The 200 highest-scoring students meet for the second round the following February at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where they listen to a prominent mathematician give a keynote lecture, have lunch, and then get down to round two, an even more challenging set of mathematical mind-twisters. Liong-shin Hahn was charged with the task of creating a new set of problems each year for the New Mexico Mathematics Contest, 1990-1999. In this volume, Hahn has collected the 138 best problems to appear in these contests over the last decades. They range from the simple to the highly challenging--none are trivial. The solutions contain many clever analyses and often display uncommon ingenuity. His questions are always interesting and relevant to teenage contestants. Young people training for competitions will not only learn a great deal of useful mathematics from this book but, and this is much more important, they will take a step toward learning to love mathematics.

MIT Professor Glenn Ellison has spent more than a decade coaching math teams and developing math enrichment materials for his daughters and their classmates. His middle school Hard Math textbook and workbook contain the materials he used while coaching many successful Mathcounts teams. They are a labor of love sold at bargain prices with the hope that they will help students around the world develop a deep understanding of middle school math and enjoy every minute of it. The topics align with modern middle school curricula: fractions, decimals, percents, prime factorization, plane and spatial geometry, probability, statistics, combinatorics, algebra, modular arithmetic, etc. But Hard Math challenges students to develop a deeper understanding: it asks much harder questions than standard texts and teaches the material and problem solving strategies students need to attack them. For example, rather than asking students to write 2/5 as a decimal, it might ask students to use the fact that 99999 = 9 × 41 × 271 to find the tenth digit in the decimal expansion for 1/271. (It might ask this, but never actually does.) The personal and somewhat irreverent prose in the IMLEM Plus edition of Hard Math for Middle School speaks directly to students participating in both the Intermediate Math League of Eastern Massachusetts and Mathcounts(r). The organization of the book is also designed to serve IMLEM students. But middle school math is middle school math and the book should be great for students preparing for other math contests or just looking for general enrichment or hard problems to do. Hard Math for Middle School: Workbook, sold separately, contains over 100 worksheets. The worksheets have problems at different difficulty levels that students can use to solidify their understanding of the material in each section of the textbook. It would be crazy to buy this text and not also get a copy of the workbook unless your child is using this book in school or in an enrichment program that is already providing plenty of practice problems. Solutions to many of the problems in the workbook are currently available for free on Prof. Ellison's website. Mathcounts(r) is a registered trademark of the Mathcounts Foundation, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this book.

This book takes the reader on a journey through the world of college mathematics, focusing on some of the most important concepts and results in the theories of polynomials, linear algebra, real analysis, differential equations, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, elementary number theory, combinatorics, and probability. Preliminary material provides an overview of common methods of proof: argument by contradiction, mathematical induction, pigeonhole principle, ordered sets, and invariants. Each chapter systematically presents a single subject within which problems are clustered in each section according to the specific topic. The exposition is driven by nearly 1300 problems and examples chosen from numerous sources from around the world; many original contributions come from the authors. The source, author, and historical background are cited whenever possible. Complete solutions to all problems are given at the end of the book. This second edition includes new sections on quad ratic polynomials, curves in the plane, quadratic fields, combinatorics of numbers, and graph theory, and added problems or theoretical expansion of sections on polynomials, matrices, abstract algebra, limits of sequences and functions, derivatives and their applications, Stokes' theorem, analytical geometry, combinatorial geometry, and counting strategies. Using the W.L. Putnam Mathematical Competition for undergraduates as an inspiring symbol to build an appropriate math background for graduate studies in pure or applied mathematics, the reader is eased into transitioning from problem-solving at the high school level to the university and beyond, that is, to mathematical research. This work may be used as a study guide for the Putnam exam, as a text for many different problem-solving courses, and as a source of problems for standard courses in undergraduate mathematics. Putnam and Beyond is organized for independent study by undergraduate and gradu ate students, as well as teachers and researchers in the physical sciences who wish to expand their mathematical horizons.

Based on Stanford University's well-known competitive exam, this excellent mathematics workbook offers students at both high school and college levels a complete set of problems, hints, and solutions. 1974 edition.