MAT 160: Freshman Problem Seminar, Stony Brook, Spring 1999


Room/Time: Physics P-125, Tuesday 3:50-5:10 pm.

Lecturer: Saeed Zakeri, Math. Bldg. 2-122
Phone: 216-5122, Email: zakeri@math.sunysb.edu
Webpage: www.math.sunysb.edu/ ~zakeri
Office Hours: Thursday 1:30-3:30, or by appointment.

Suggested references:

  • Mathematical Thinking, by D'Angelo and West, Prentice-Hall, 1997.
  • Problem Solving Through Problems, by Larson, Springer-Verlag, 1983.
  • Concrete Mathematics, by Graham, Knuth and Patashnik, 2nd ed., Addison-Wesley, 1994.
  • The USSR Olympiad Problem Book, by Shklarsky, Chentzov and Yaglom, Dover Publications, 1993.
  • There are many other problem books that you can find in the library. You are not required to buy any of these books since we are not going to follow a specific text closely, but it is useful to have a couple of them as a reference. There is also a nice website called ``Math Competitions Archive'' at
    http://www.unl.edu/amc/a-activities/a7-problems/ problemarchive.html
    in which you can find many problems of the past national and international competitions. I strongly urge you to visit this page frequently.

    Goal and Scope: This course is intended for students who are interested in sharpening their problem solving skills, and in developing their mathematical intuition and ability to express mathematical ideas.

    There will be no standard ``calculus type'' material in this course. As a matter of fact, most of the problems we discuss have a discrete nature and the techniques of calculus cannot be effectively used to attack them. Here are some of the topics that we will be discussing through problem-solving: mathematical induction, the pigeonhole principle, counting, finding patterns, recursion, divisibility, probability, graphs, elementary geometry.

    The class will be divided into groups of approximately 3 people, to accommodate students with different backgrounds and experience. Many of the problems will require little formal knowledge of mathematics. Despite this, they can be very challenging and fun to do.

    Homework: This is an essential part of the course. You will get an assignment each week. Typically you will be given 7 problems and asked to come up with some ideas on how to tackle them. You will also be required to write down the solutions to one or two problems. You are strongly encouraged to do the homeworks together with friends in your group or other groups.

    Click here for the ``PROBLEMS OF THE WEEK''

    Grading: MAT 160 is a one credit course with S/U grading. Thus on your transcript you will either get an S and one credit, or a U and no credit. The grade will not affect your GPA. You will be graded on your effort, which will be measured by class attendance and participation, and on the effort expended on homework. There is no final exam. If you wish to get an S for this class, you must keep up with the homework and tell me if you have to miss class more than 3 times in all.

    Saeed Zakeri