Problem-Solving Methods in Combinatorics: An Approach to Olympiad Problems

✍ Scribed by Pablo Soberón (auth.)

• Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 178
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Every year there is at least one combinatorics problem in each of the major international mathematical olympiads. These problems can only be solved with a very high level of wit and creativity. This book explains all the problem-solving techniques necessary to tackle these problems, with clear examples from recent contests. It also includes a large problem section for each topic, including hints and full solutions so that the reader can practice the material covered in the book.​ The material will be useful not only to participants in the olympiads and their coaches but also in university courses on combinatorics.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages I-IX
First Concepts....Pages 1-16
The Pigeonhole Principle....Pages 17-26
Invariants....Pages 27-41
Graph Theory....Pages 43-57
Functions....Pages 59-76
Generating Functions....Pages 77-92
Partitions....Pages 93-99
Hints for the Problems....Pages 101-112
Solutions to the Problems....Pages 113-167
Back Matter....Pages 169-174

✦ Subjects

Combinatorics