It can be tricky deciding how to approach a proof; this problem, whose answer requires going in a very different direction than you might expect, provides some interesting insights into the nature of proof. The proof itself, in fact, is far less interesting than the process of getting there!
Here is an interesting question we got recently, that turns a common maximization problem (the open-top box) inside-out. What do you do when you’re given the answer and have to find the problem? We’ll hit a couple snags along the way that provide useful lessons in problem-solving.
Here are a pair of problems related to the last of the three we looked at last time, involving inverse trigonometric function identities with subtle issues. They were probably intended to be rather simple problems (though going beyond what I typically see in American classes) by ignoring the subtleties, but if you approach them as …
Inverse Trig Problems With Unstated Restrictions Read More »