How to Solve It Export

@book{citeulike:679515, abstract = {{A perennial bestseller by eminent mathematician G. Polya, <I>How to Solve It</I> will show anyone in any field how to think straight.<P>In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be "reasoned" out--from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have relished Polya's deft--indeed, brilliant--instructions on stripping away irrelevancies and going straight to the heart of the problem.<P>}}, author = {Polya, G.}, citeulike-article-id = {679515}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike09-20&amp;path=ASIN/0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike01-21&amp;path=ASIN/0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike06-21&amp;path=ASIN/0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0691023565/citeulike00-21}, citeulike-linkout-4 = {http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike07-20&path=ASIN/0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-5 = {http://www.worldcat.org/isbn/0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-6 = {http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0691023565}, citeulike-linkout-7 = {http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?keywords=0691023565&index=books&linkCode=qs}, citeulike-linkout-8 = {http://www.librarything.com/isbn/0691023565}, comment = {p113 "Heuristic reasoning is good in itself. What is bad is to mix up heuristic reasoning with rigorous proof. What is worse is to sell heuristic reasoning for rigorous proof." p117 "Routine problems, even many routine problems, may be necessary in teachnig mathematics, but to make the students do no other kind is inexcusable. Teaching the mechanical performance of routne mathematical operations and nothing else is well under the level of the cookbook because kitchen recipes do leave something to the imagination and jugment of the cook but mathematical recipes do not." p117 "Rules of style.- The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by change, you have two things to say; say first one, then the other, but not both at the same time." p205 "... to be a clever problem solver is not enough. In due time, [the future mathematician] should solve significant mathematical problems; and first he should find out for which kind of problems his native gift is particularly suited." p205-206 "The future mathematician learns, as does everybody else, by imitation and practice. He should look out for the right model to imitate. He should observe a stimulating teacher. He should compete with a capable friend. Then, what by the most important, he should read not only current textbooks but good authors till he find one whose ways he is naturally inclined to imitate. He should enjoy and seek what seems to him simple or instructive or beautiful. He should solve problems, choose the problems which are in his line, meditate upon their solution, and invent new problems. By these means, and by all other means, he should endeavor to make his first important discovery: he should discover what he likes and his dislikes, his taste, his own line." p219 "Yes, the author of a textbook of calculus, or a college instructor, can hardly serve his purpose if he follows the system of the cookbook too closely. If he teaches procedures without proofs, the unmotivated procedures are not understood. If he gives rules without reasons, the unconnected rules are quickly forgotten [...] if all sorts of reasoning are debarred, a course of calculus may easily become an incoherent inventory of indigestible information." p224 "We soon believe what we desire." }, day = {01}, howpublished = {Paperback}, isbn = {0691023565}, keywords = {algorithms, math}, month = {November}, posted-at = {2008-03-20 09:11:44}, priority = {0}, publisher = {{Princeton University Press}}, title = {How to Solve It}, url = {http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike07-20&path=ASIN/0691023565}, year = {1971} }

TY - BOOK ID - citeulike:679515 L3 - citeulike-article-id:679515 N2 - {A perennial bestseller by eminent mathematician G. Polya, <I>How to Solve It</I> will show anyone in any field how to think straight.<P>In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be "reasoned" out--from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have relished Polya's deft--indeed, brilliant--instructions on stripping away irrelevancies and going straight to the heart of the problem.<P>} SN - 0691023565 TI - How to Solve It PB - {Princeton University Press} KW - algorithms KW - math N1 - p113 "Heuristic reasoning is good in itself. What is bad is to mix up heuristic reasoning with rigorous proof. What is worse is to sell heuristic reasoning for rigorous proof." p117 "Routine problems, even many routine problems, may be necessary in teachnig mathematics, but to make the students do no other kind is inexcusable. Teaching the mechanical performance of routne mathematical operations and nothing else is well under the level of the cookbook because kitchen recipes do leave something to the imagination and jugment of the cook but mathematical recipes do not." p117 "Rules of style.- The first rule of style is to have something to say. The second rule of style is to control yourself when, by change, you have two things to say; say first one, then the other, but not both at the same time." p205 "... to be a clever problem solver is not enough. In due time, [the future mathematician] should solve significant mathematical problems; and first he should find out for which kind of problems his native gift is particularly suited." p205-206 "The future mathematician learns, as does everybody else, by imitation and practice. He should look out for the right model to imitate. He should observe a stimulating teacher. He should compete with a capable friend. Then, what by the most important, he should read not only current textbooks but good authors till he find one whose ways he is naturally inclined to imitate. He should enjoy and seek what seems to him simple or instructive or beautiful. He should solve problems, choose the problems which are in his line, meditate upon their solution, and invent new problems. By these means, and by all other means, he should endeavor to make his first important discovery: he should discover what he likes and his dislikes, his taste, his own line." p219 "Yes, the author of a textbook of calculus, or a college instructor, can hardly serve his purpose if he follows the system of the cookbook too closely. If he teaches procedures without proofs, the unmotivated procedures are not understood. If he gives rules without reasons, the unconnected rules are quickly forgotten [...] if all sorts of reasoning are debarred, a course of calculus may easily become an incoherent inventory of indigestible information." p224 "We soon believe what we desire." AU - Polya, G PY - 1971/11/01/ UR - http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike09-20&amp;path=ASIN/0691023565 ER -