Problem Solving Seminar

As taught in: Fall 2007

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.)

Instructors:

Prof. Hartley Rogers

Prof. Kiran Kedlaya

Prof. Richard Stanley

MIT Course Number:

18.S34

Level:

Undergraduate

Course Features

Assignments and solutions

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.