| Mathematics educators agree that problem solving is one of the essential skills their students should possess, yet few mathematics courses or textbooks are devoted entirely to developing this skill. Supported by narrative, examples, and exercises, Ants, Bikes, and Clocks: Problem Solving for Undergraduates is a readable and enjoyable text designed to strengthen the problem-solving skills of undergraduate students. The book, which provides hundreds of mathematical problems, gives special emphasis to problems in context, often called story problems or modeling problems, that require mathematical formulation as a preliminary step. Both analytical and computational approaches, as well as the interplay between them, are included. This engaging book will strengthen students' mathematical skills, introduce them to new mathematical ideas, demonstrate the connectedness of mathematics, and improve both their analytical and computational problem solving. Students are encouraged to use the computer, or any tool at hand, for experimentation or to test their ideas.
Supported by narrative, examples, and exercises, Ants, Bikes, and Clocks: Problem Solving for Undergraduates is a readable and enjoyable text designed to strengthen the problem-solving skills of undergraduate students. This book, which provides hundreds of mathematical problems, demonstrates the connectedness of mathematics, and improves students analytical and computational problem solving.
About the Author
William Briggs is Professor of Mathematics, University of Colorado at Denver. He is Vice-President for Education of SIAM; Associate Editor of SIAM Review, Education Section; and a recipient of the Burton W. Jones Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics, awarded by the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America. He has authored or coauthored five books and published articles on mathematics education and applied mathematics. |
