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How to Solve It - A New Aspect of Mathematical Method by G.Polya 2nd Edition
How to Solve It - A New Aspect of Mathematical Method by G.Polya 2nd Edition
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How to Solve It - A New Aspect of Mathematical Method by G.Polya. 1971
HOW TO SOLVE IT
A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
Heuristic the study of the methods and rules of discovery
and invention has until our time been a largely neglected,
almost forgotten, branch of learning. The disputed province
of logic or philosophy or psychology, it tries to understand
the process of solving problems and its typical mental
operations. Today heuristic is undergoing a revival whose
impetus is provided largely by Professor G. Polya's unique
HOW TO SOLVE IT, the outstanding modern contribution
to the study of problem solving.
Though Professor Polya, an eminent mathematician cur-
rently at Stanford University, uses specific examples taken
largely from geometry, his principal aim is to teach a
method which can be applied to the solution of other prob-
lems, more or less technical. The particular solution of a
particular problem is, for his purposes, of minor impor-
tance. The approach used in heuristic reasoning is constant
regardless of its subject, and can be expressed in simple
but incisive questions:
"What is the unknown? What are
the data? What is the condition? Do you know a related
problem?" Deftly, Polya the teacher shows us how to strip
away the irrelevancies" which clutter our thinking and
guides us toward a clear and productive habit of mind.
The "Short Dictionary of Heuristic" included in HOW
TO SOLVE IT supplies the history, techniques, and termi-
nology of heuristic with brilliant precision, and there is
a concluding section of nineteen Problems, Hints, and
Solutions.
Review
""[This] elementary textbook on heuristic reasoning, shows anew how keen its author is on questions of method and the formulation of methodological principles. Exposition and illustrative material are of a disarmingly elementary character, but very carefully thought out and selected.""---Herman Weyl, Mathematical Review
""I recommend it highly to any person who is seriously interested in finding out methods of solving problems, and who does not object to being entertained while he does it.""
""Any young person seeking a career in the sciences would do well to ponder this important contribution to the teacher's art.""---A. C. Schaeffer, American Journal of Psychology
""Every mathematics student should experience and live this book""
""In an age that all solutions should be provided with the least possible effort, this book brings a very important message: mathematics and problem solving in general needs a lot of practice and experience obtained by challenging creative thinking, and certainly not by copying predefined recipes provided by others. Let's hope this classic will remain a source of inspiration for several generations to come.""---A. Bultheel, European Mathematical Society
Bs16.25722.e
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