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High-level math can be fun – all it takes is a few gems. That’s the idea behind a new book by mathematics professor Dr. Hongwei Chen.
Monthly Problem Gems (A K Peters/CRC Press) is an outgrowth of a collection of 62 problems that Chen developed and offered over the last 20 years in American Mathematical Monthly. The academic journal is published by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and popular with math buffs from undergraduates to research professionals.
Each problem has a central theme, contains gems of sophisticated ideas connected to important current research in the field and opens new vistas for understanding mathematics. “Readers can see this as a jumping off point to new ideas in math, moving them away from routine exercises, and it will extend their personal lexicon of problems and solutions,” Chen said.
Monthly Problem Gems is a sequel to Chen’s acclaimed Excursions in Classical Analysis published by the MAA, described by a reviewer as “an enlightening and inspiring book to introduce the reader to advanced problem solving techniques via case studies. Chen’s book is a wonderful updated tour of classical analysis and would serve as an excellent source of undergraduate enrichment/research problems.”