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USAMO Preparation
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FantasyLover
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#1
USAMO Preparation
Hi,

I wanted to know what books are mostly used in preparing USAMO.

I know of ACoPS and Engel, but I wanted to know how lots of people think.

What books are used in preparing olympiad algebra, combinatorics, geometry, etc...

Thanks. Smile
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 9:06 am  Back to top 
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#2
It depends on your level really. I think PSS is good. If you're more of a begginer to average, I'd get First steps for math olympians.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:39 pm  Back to top 
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pianoforte
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#3
//First steps for math olympians//

Huh? That book is like just AMC 12 stuff.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:49 pm  Back to top 
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#4
That's why I said "If you're more of a begginer to average", but yeah I shouldn't have posted that here. Sorry.
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Goals: | AMC10 : 150 | AMC12 : 132+ | AIME : 9+ | USAMO : score positive
\sim \text{AIME15USAMO}\sim

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:05 am  Back to top 
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abacadaea
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#5
Re: USAMO Preparation
FantasyLover wrote:
Hi,

I wanted to know what books are mostly used in preparing USAMO.

I know of ACoPS and Engel, but I wanted to know how lots of people think.

What books are used in preparing olympiad algebra, combinatorics, geometry, etc...

Thanks. Smile


Hmmm...both of those books are pretty complete books(i.e. they cover most of the subjects required), but both of them will have problems that arent really that good. I own both, but i dont really use them that much. Also, Engel is harder that ACoPS(if you were wondering). For individual subjects, this is what i use:
NT: 104 NT problems
Geo: I use some chinese book....so i cant really help here.
Algebra: I dont have any specific book...darn, i am not helpful again
Combo: i still use Intermediate Counting and Probability, although Engel combo is pretty good. I also heard "A path to combinatorics for undergraduates" is good.

Meh, these are just my preferences. However, you should always pick a book that challenges you. If you pick one thats around your level, you will find it boring very fast.(like i did with ACoPS).
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08-09: AMC8:25(25)/AMC10:150(132)/AMC12:132(117)/AIME:12(9)/USAMO:Red MOP score(epicfail)/USAMTS:70(72)/ARML:9 ind.(epicfail)/Itest:80(88)
Goals 09-10: AMC12:135/AIME:12/USAMO:Red MOP/USAMTS:90

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:06 pm  Back to top 
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fwolth
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#6
Re: USAMO Preparation
abacadaea wrote:
I also heard "A path to combinatorics for undergraduates" is good.


It has some really nice problems and solutions, but it's way, way too notationally heavy; good perhaps for undergraduates who will have to learn to get used to that sort of thing, but terrible for Olympiad training. There are some problems with extremely ingenious and short solutions in there which, when written out, take up a full page of obfuscating symbols. It's still worth a read, though, particularly the bijections and Fubini's principle (though the latter chapter is particularly guilty of overemphasizing notation).

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:54 pm  Back to top 
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Ubemaya
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#7
I also heard (and know from personal experience) that the MathCounts tests from 1995+ are excellent sources for practicing speed and not making mistakes on olympiads.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 3:41 pm  Back to top 
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fwolth
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#8
Ubemaya wrote:
I also heard (and know from personal experience) that the MathCounts tests from 1995+ are excellent sources for practicing speed and not making mistakes on olympiads.


What? Tests from before 1995 are actually even better in doing this.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:58 pm  Back to top 
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modularmarc101
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#9
I'd say that AoPS Volume 2 is a must have.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:06 pm  Back to top 
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connaissance
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#10
Here are my resources

Combo: erm... I used Inter Combo... Now just doing more problems... ask fwolth, he is beast at combo

Algebra: erm... I used Inter Alg... Now I just do problems...

Geo: Geometry Revisited is good

Number Theory: Number Theory as a reference in case I need anything... Most NT problems just need Order, PR, Quadratic Reciprocity, Wilson's, Fermat's, and Euler's... sometimes you need algebraic NT, rings, fields, etc. on harder problems...
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Goals: Get a 42 on all tests known to man, including AIME and AMC 12 Ninja

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:33 pm  Back to top 
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Ihatepie
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#11
C&P-Intro counting, Inter. Counting (I actually picked up most of these stuff myself by doing problems, my favorite topic Very Happy )

Alg- Inter. Algebra

Geo- Geometry Revisited (it's my weakest subject, so I'm gonna get Challenging problems in Geometry)

NT: Number Theory: Structures, Examples, and Problems

I haven't actually started the last two books, so I can't really account for them.

Also, you can find problems listed by topic on the wiki at various levels.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:27 pm  Back to top 
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abacadaea
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#12
Hmm...this is what a certain anonymous black mopper suggests:

Algebra: do mop problems(you can find like 5/6 years of hw problems via google)
NT: do PEN problems
Combo: do Russia problems
he "fails" at geo, so he has no suggestions for that.
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08-09: AMC8:25(25)/AMC10:150(132)/AMC12:132(117)/AIME:12(9)/USAMO:Red MOP score(epicfail)/USAMTS:70(72)/ARML:9 ind.(epicfail)/Itest:80(88)
Goals 09-10: AMC12:135/AIME:12/USAMO:Red MOP/USAMTS:90

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:32 am  Back to top 
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#13
Quote:
Ubemaya
I also heard (and know from personal experience) that the MathCounts tests from 1995+ are excellent sources for practicing speed and not making mistakes on olympiads.


Not much funnier the second time Wink

As for USAMO, there arent much books i know but Canadian olympiad is good for beginners i heard.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:25 am  Back to top 
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#14
Ubemaya has posted "mathcounts to increase speed" on like every Olympiad, AIME, thread I've visited. It's much more than the 2nd time by now.
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Goals: | AMC10 : 150 | AMC12 : 132+ | AIME : 9+ | USAMO : score positive
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:46 pm  Back to top 
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batteredbutnotdefeated
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#15
This is how I prep for USAMO:

AoPS 2
interm. Alg
geo revisited
ACoPS
PSS

and hopefully the result will be: WIN!!!!!
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:15 pm  Back to top 
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Zhero
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#16
Re: USAMO Preparation
abacadaea wrote:
Hmmm...both of those books are pretty complete books(i.e. they cover most of the subjects required), but both of them will have problems that arent really that good.

At that, Engel also has some exceptionally good problems. By that, I mean problems that, if done, will literally trivialize problems on Olympiads a few years from now. By that, I mean a USA TST 2008 problem, and USAMO 2008 #1, and a German Olympiad problem, and few others that aren't on the top of my head.

Also, AOPS 2 mostly covers late AMC to easy AIME level math. It's nothing close to enough for Olympiads. I would say that PSS is probably the best book out there.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:34 pm  Back to top 
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#17
Well he (batteredbutnotdefeated) needs to start somewhere, he can't just jump into Olympiads and expect to do well.
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Goals: | AMC10 : 150 | AMC12 : 132+ | AIME : 9+ | USAMO : score positive
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:40 pm  Back to top 
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#18
Yeah... Actually I started with AoPS volume 1, then I went on to intro to C&P, and then intro to geo, and now AoPS volume 2 & interm alg... I'm looking forward to reading PSS, ACoPS, and GR(geometry revisited)

It helps if you really like the topic. I find challenging geometry very interesting, which makes thinks a whole lot easier. Unfortunately, I find NT very tedious... I also really enjoy learning, whenever I learn something new(any subject), it makes me feel like I've grown. Previous losses are wonderful motivators btw. failing at MC regionals really made me rethink my life.

gl FanFan.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:59 pm  Back to top 
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#19
What is PSS?

EDIT: And the author is Arthur Engel? Is that the same as the book Engel?
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:53 pm  Back to top 
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#20
a book. It stands for Problem Solving Strategies.
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Goals: | AMC10 : 150 | AMC12 : 132+ | AIME : 9+ | USAMO : score positive
\sim \text{AIME15USAMO}\sim

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 7:00 pm  Back to top 
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