Introduction to Geometry, 2nd Edition (The Art of Problem Solving) by Richard Rusczyk

AoPS Introduction Series

by Richard Rusczyk

Rusczyk, Richard

Genres: Mathematics, Textbooks, Geometry, Science

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Richard Rusczyk is one of the co-authors of the Art of Problem Solving textbooks, and author of Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Algebra and Introduction to Geometry textbooks (Intermediate Algebra due to be published in early 2008). He is also one of the co-creators of the Mandelbrot Competition, and the Director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search. He was a participant in National MATHCOUNTS, a participant in the Math Olympiad Summer Program 1987, 1988 and 1989, the only perfect scorer on the 1989 AIME, and a USA Mathematical Olympiad winner (1989). He graduated first in his major, top 5 in his class, with a BSE from Princeton University in 1993. Richard helped inaugurate ESPN's SportsFigures program, and worked as a bond trader for D.E. Shaw & Company for four years. AoPS marks Richard's return to his vocation - educating motivated students.

Reviews

[Yumeko (blushes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this sometime earlier this year for a math competition (the results are here, I didn't do very well lol), it's formatted in a rather ugly and confusing way, and I believe it didn't have an answer sheet alongside itself for some reason. Though aside from that, it develops wonderfully, asks plenty fun questions and more or less encourages learning. I liked that proof questions had the author giving us a little push at a time through steps, instead of asking us to figure everything out on our own.
I also appreciated the author displaying a cool geometrical idea at the end of chapters, I'm sure people other than me tried to learn what they were themselves too.
Though I already more or less had studied most of the things in this book previously, it is still quite different from school standard textbooks.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best high school geometry curriculum I've ever come across, and one of the only ones designed specifically for gifted math students. Topics are introduced using a discovery approach - a problem is posed for the student to attempt on his or her own. Next, a solution is provided for clarity. In the process, theorems are discovered, which are then immediately used in solving the next problem(s), and so on. This is exactly the reverse approach that most geometry textbooks take (introducing theorems first, and only then showing why they are true) - which really takes most of the fun and creativity of geometry out of the learning process. The discovery approach wouldn't work unless it were masterfully crafted, and indeed, the sequence of problems is no less than brilliant. Use this with your brightest math students and watch their faces light up!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, I thought geometry would be one of my least favorite math subjects, especially after going through the first couple of chapters. But after moving on, I ended up enjoying it greatly. I enjoy these types of books that genuinely encourage learning and creativity in problem-solving.

[ToG Fan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The questions are so confusing and it was definitely not an engaging book.
It was so tedious and frankly, some of the questions aren't suited for middle/highschoolers.

[Chrollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been listening to my teachers, this is a pretty good math book, so I want to check it and see If it is true.

[Acapaca · Rating 1 out of 5]

the way it was organized and the formatting and everything just made it so hard to focus. I loved the other introduction books by AoPS but not this one

[sbs transit · Rating 5 out of 5]

#nsreads 57

Funny how the other aops founder just runs jane street now

[Thomas Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was really good, and teaching out of it was really fun. It did a much better job of holding interest in Geometry for the kids I taught than my Junior High geometry ever did. The proofs it had kids do were interesting, and they didn't require any of that 2-column junk I had to learn. Just good solid explanations as to why things worked out the way they did.

And the book covered a wide variety of Euclidean geometry. Barely touched 3 dimensions, but what can we expect?

[Lucas Bomfim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the Algebra one. I hate how congruence is introduced without a proper definition; actually, they use a very much wrong definition!