In The Oxbridge Interview Book, Thomas Povey shares 109 of his favourite problems in the mathematical sciences, guiding us through the wonderful, fascinating and quirky questions that have become synonymous with the Oxbridge interview. Whether you are an aspiring scientist or an old-hand, you can now pit yourself against these uncompromisingly challenging problems, developed--in time honoured tradition--to test an interviewee's ability to think. Detailed answers are provided, with a refreshing blend of scientific history, application and personal anecdote. In this delightful and idiosyncratic romp through pre-university maths and physics, the author shows us that behind every single one of these questions lies a new way of thinking about subjects we felt we had understood. He argues that engaging with the unfamiliar is key to forming deeper insights and developing intellectual independence. The Oxbridge Interview Book is a manifesto that science should be playful, and that we should celebrate the curious.

In Professor Povey's Perplexing Problems, Thomas Povey shares 109 of his favourite problems in physics and maths. A tour de force of imagination and exposition, he takes us by the hand and guides us through uncompromisingly challenging territory that expands our minds and encourages a playful and exploratory approach to study. The puzzles, he says, are like toys. We should pick up the one we most enjoy, and play with it. Whether you are an aspiring scientist or an old-hand, pitting yourself against these problems will test your ability to think, and inspire you with curiosity and enthusiasm for physics. Presented with charm and wit, the questions span the gap between high-school and university-entrance standard material. Detailed answers are lightened with a fascinating and refreshing blend of scientific history, application and personal anecdote. On this delightful and idiosyncratic romp through pre-university maths and physics, the author shows us that behind every single one of these questions lies a new way of thinking about subjects we thought we had understood. He argues that engaging with the unfamiliar is key to forming deeper insights and developing intellectual independence. Professor Povey's Perplexing Problems is a manifesto that science should be playful, and a celebration of the curious.

What happens if I drop an ant? What books are bad for you? What percentage of the world's water is contained in a cow? The Oxbridge undergraduate interviews are infamous for their unique ways of assessing candidates, and from these peculiar enquiries, professors can tell just how smart you really are. John Farndon has collected together 75 of the most intriguing questions taken from actual admission interviews and gives full answers to each, taking the reader through the fascinating histories, philosophies, sciences and arts that underlie each problem. This is a book for everyone who likes to think they're clever, or who thinks they'd like to be clever. And cleverness is not just knowing stuff, it's how laterally, deeply and interestingly you can bend your brain. Guesstimating the population of Croydon, for example, opens a chain of thought from which you can predict the strength of a nuclear bomb ...and that's just the start of it.

Based on Stanford University's well-known competitive exam, this excellent mathematics workbook offers students at both high school and college levels a complete set of problems, hints, and solutions. 1974 edition.

A collection of math and logic puzzles features number games, magic squares, tricks, problems with dominoes and dice, and cross sums, in addition to other intellectual teasers.

This series has been developed specifically for the Cambridge International AS & A Level Mathematics (9709) syllabus to be examined from 2020. Cambridge International AS & A Level Mathematics: Pure Mathematics 2 & 3 matches the corresponding units of the syllabus. It clearly indicates materials required for P3 study only, and contains materials on topics such as logarithmic and exponential functions, trigonometry, differentiation, integration, numerical solutions of equations, vectors and complex numbers. This coursebook contains a variety of features including recap sections for students to check their prior knowledge, detailed explanations and worked examples, end-of-chapter and cross-topic review exercises and 'Explore' tasks to encourage deeper thinking around mathematical concepts. Answers to coursebook questions are at the back of the book.