• Creating `Nice' Problems in Elementary Mathematics -- I

    • Fulltext

       

        Click here to view fulltext PDF


      Permanent link:
      https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/reso/027/01/0039-0046

    • Keywords

       

      Nice problem, rational number, irrational number, meta-problem, Pythagorean triple, primitive triangle, homogeneous equation, cosine rule, ellipse, circumcentre, incentre.

    • Abstract

       

      We consider here the `meta-problem' of creating `nice' problems in elementary mathematics, `nice' being defined as a problem in which the input data, as well as the answers, are rational numbers. The classical example of this is that of generating Pythagorean triples. Many examples of this kind arise when we study Euclidean geometry and the theory of equations. We consider a few problems of this genre.

    • Author Affiliations

       

      Shailesh A Shirali1

      1. Sahyadri School (KFI), Tiwai Hill, Rajgurunagar, Pune 410 513, India.
    • Dates

       

© 2023-2024 Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru.