Books to improve mathematical problem solving abilty

Question

I don't want books like "How to solve it". Instead I am looking for books that actually have problems in them. And preferably solutions too. Basically books with problems that help you develop mathematical problem solving ability.

For my background, I have graduated from high school and know high school math fairly well. But lot of the problems at high school level are reiterative and can be done by memorizing stuff. I am looking for problems that challenge you and at the same time make you a better problem solver.

I have one more recommendation. Should I edit my previous question to include it or write a new answer? — , Nov 15 '20 at 15:17

score 1 · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-15T15:21:27.343

1

The art and craft of problem solving by Paul Zeitz is a very good book and it meets your requirements. It has many head scratching problems which are easy to understand but hard to do.
The IMO compendium is also a good book, which includes the questions (and answers) from the previous IMO, as well as some additional questions. It also teaches some concepts.

edited Nov 15 '20 at 15:21

answered Nov 15 '20 at 15:06

Thank you! Will definitely check it out. – Nov 15 '20 at 15:14

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 16 '20 at 05:53

0

Turns out that there is a very good book that does what you want: "How to Prove It" by Daniel Velleman. It will not be as challenging as olympiad problems, but is definitely a good place to get started.

answered Nov 16 '20 at 05:53

user21820

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Books to improve mathematical problem solving abilty

2 Answers2