18.S34 Problem Solving Seminar

Fall 2004

A cylinder of cheese cut into eight identical pieces.

It's easy to see that a cylinder of cheese can be cut into eight identical pieces with four straight cuts. Can this be done with only three straight cuts? <answer> (Image adapted from Supplementary Problems #1 by Prof. Richard Stanley.)

Course Highlights

This course features an extensive assignments section, including problem sets and supplementary problems.

Course Description

This course,which is geared toward Freshmen, is an undergraduate seminar on mathematical problem solving. It is intended for students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems and who are interested in learning various techniques and background information useful for problem solving. Students in this course are expected to compete in a nationwide mathematics contest for undergraduates.
Donate Now

Staff

Instructors:
Prof. Hartley Rogers
Prof. Richard Stanley

Course Meeting Times

Lectures:
Two sessions / week
1 hour / session

Level

Undergraduate

Archived Courses

Previous version