trouble with AoPS Number Theory: only us?

[serendipitous journey]

It wasn't until the middle of chapter 5 that I realized that, in our Intro Number Theory AoPS book, the answers to the grey "teaching problems" are not fully worked.  At least, many many are not fully worked.  Which means: if a problem has subsets, as in

a. part #1

b. part #2, relies on solution to part #1

c. part #3, relies on solution to part #2

d. Big Scary Problem that isn't so hard if you have worked out how to do a-c

 

The solution is worked to the Big Scary Problem, but if you are stuck back at (a) or (b) or ( c) there's nothing for you, and to figure it out requires understanding the full solution to (d).  Which makes this book not so easy for us to use. 

 

Algebra didn't do this -- it had solutions for each part of the grey problems --  and the Counting/Probability doesn't.  Now I know why Number Theory is less popular with the children than C&P!!!  But I've not heard of this problem.  Has no one else found it an obstacle? 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2017 by serendipitous journey

[Julie of KY]

I found it an obstacle on select problems in the book. We got past it and ended up loving the book.

[serendipitous journey]

Thanks, Julie, that is helpful!

[Roadrunner]

Hmmmmm, we never even noticed. That course gets interesting in the last 5 chapters. It seems to me a lot of what it covers in the beginning was a review from preA.

Also, it's not a required course in their sequence so maybe that's why less people take it.

[daijobu]

I remember the first few chapters had a bunch of tedious calculations.  But don't skip the last half of the book that covers modular arithmetic.  It's pretty tough stuff to get through, but it's the best introductory coverage of the subject I've been able to find.  

[visitor]

Is this book necessary for a kid who wants to study Engineering ?

[regentrude]

Is this book necessary for a kid who wants to study Engineering ?

 

No.

It is not "necessary" for anybody - it's just fun. 

Number Theory is not taught as part of the standard high school sequence; most students never covered any of this.

Edited October 16, 2017 by regentrude

[Arcadia]

Is this book necessary for a kid who wants to study Engineering ?

Which branch of engineering? It would be a benefit for computer engineering even though it isn’t necessary.

 

E.g.

Computer Science & Engineering 235

Introduction to Discrete Mathematics Sections 3.4–3.7 of Rosen lecture slides 109 pages pdf http://cse.unl.edu/~choueiry/F07-235/files/NumberTheoryApplications.pdf

 

ETA:

Home » Courses » Electrical Engineering and Computer Science » Mathematics for Computer Science » Video Lectures » Lecture 4: Number Theory I

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-042j-mathematics-for-computer-science-fall-2010/video-lectures/lecture-4-number-theory-i/

Edited October 16, 2017 by Arcadia

[serendipitous journey]

hmmm... we've set it aside, the child was utterly demoralized, and are doing C&P right now.  Maybe I'll work to Maintain Skills and pick it up again when I have more time to help him with it.  The modular stuff would be very very nice. 

 

thank you all for helping me think about this. 

[Arcadia]

hmmm... we've set it aside, the child was utterly demoralized, and are doing C&P right now. Maybe I'll work to Maintain Skills and pick it up again when I have more time to help him with it. The modular stuff would be very very nice.

My DS11 was ready to struggle through intro to NT online class only this summer after he had already done intermediate algebra and survived taking the SAT twice :lol: He yelled for DS12 to help too.

 

Number Theory and C&P have been great at breaking the monotony of intro to algebra, intermediate algebra and precalculus in our house. We run them concurrently with another AoPS book.