MATH 3220: Advanced Problem Solving

Fall 2012

Mondays, 2:30-3:20 PM, Boyd Graduate Studies Building, room 410
Instructor: Paul Pollack

< URL: http://www.math.uga.edu/~pollack/3220f12/ >
This page is an online copy of the syllabus. The web page will occasionally be updated with additional course materials.

Course summary

The object of this class is to introduce you to problem-solving techniques useful for tackling advanced problems in undergraduate mathematics. The sessions will be devoted to collective problem solving and to discussions of problem-solving strategies. Many of our examples will be drawn from past years of the William Lowell Putnam Competition.

Class attendance is required. Please contact me in advance if you have a conflict that will require you to miss a session.

Textbook (recommended, but not required)


Problem-Solving Through Problems,
by Loren C. Larson

Larson's book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to hone their problem solving skills, and especially for those wishing to prepare for an exam like the Putnam. While the book is not required, it is strongly recommended, and I expect that many of the examples we discuss in class will be taken from this text.

Office hours

Instructor: Paul Pollack
E-mail: pollack at math dot uga dot edu

Office: 318 Boyd Graduate Studies Building

Office hours:
Monday, 10-11 AM
Tuesday, 2-3 PM
Thursday, 2-3 PM
and by appointment

Homework/Exams/Grading

The grading for this class is S/U. To receive an S in the course, you must attend class faithfully and must write-up solutions to at least five problems over the course of the semester. There are no exams.

I would strongly encourage you to work with others on the problems, and to share your ideas and strategies with your classmates (both in and out of class). As iron sharpens iron, so one man (or woman!) sharpens another.

However, please make sure that you understand everything you turn in; if requested, you should be able to verbally explain your solutions to me. While it is OK to write-up problems whose solutions we discuss in class, you are not allowed to turn in a solution based on something you looked up online.

Special accommodations

Students with disabilities who may require special accommodations should talk to me as soon as possible. Appropriate documentation concerning disabilities may be required. For further information, please visit the Disabilities Resource Center page at <URL: http://drc.uga.edu/>.

Other resources


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