Exploring, investigating and discovering in elementary mathematics. (Q2761573)

The aim of this book is to offer an introductory approach to explanation, investigation and discovery in elementary mathematics. The author has tried to illustrate, using suitable examples, which should be the features of a creative approach of any problem in mathematics.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAs in the famous ``How to solve it'' by G. Pólya, the author of the book under review follows the typical ``creative steps''. First of all, one has to know the problem very well, to study it thoroughly, and from all possible angles; to look for its specific characteristics; to find its innermost laws; to ask questions about the reasons for which things happen exactly the way they do; and to try to develop the obtained conclusions, to drive the assessment and to investigate as far as possible this topic.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAmong the included 24 themes are various elementary subjects related to geometric problems (e.g. construction using a ruler and a compass); equations in the set of integers or reals; recurrent sequences; functional equations; inequalities; primitivable discontinuous functions; integral mean value theorem, etc. Each theme is concluded by a list of References, including a set of books or articles for further reading.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThis problem book can be a valuable source for interested high school or university students, as well as teachers of all levels.