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You failed your math test, comrade Einstein. Adventures and misadventures of young mathematicians or test your skills in almost recreational mathematics. (English) Zbl 1124.01011

Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific (ISBN 981-256-358-X/hbk; 981-256-279-6/pbk). xxii, 210 p. (2005).
From the publisher’s description: This groundbreaking work features two essays written by the renowned mathematician Ilan Vardi. The first essay presents a thorough analysis of contrived problems suggested to “undesirable” applicants to the Department of Mathematics of Moscow University. His second essay gives an in-depth discussion of solutions to the Year 2000 International Mathematical Olympiad, with emphasis on the comparison of the Olympiad problems to those given at the Moscow University entrance examinations.
The second part of the book provides a historical background of a unique phenomenon in mathematics, which flourished in the 1970s–80s in the USSR. Specially designed math problems were used not to test students’ ingenuity and creativity but, rather, as ‘killer problems,” to deny access to higher education to “undesirable” applicants. The focus of this part is the 1980 essay, “Intellectual Genocide”, written by B. Kanevsky and V. Senderov. It is being published for the first time.
Also featured is a little-known page of the Soviet history, a rare example of the oppressed organizing to defend their dignity. This is the story of the so-called Jewish People’s University, the inception of which is associated with Kanevsky, Senderov and Bella Subbotovskaya.
Contents: Ilan Vardi, Mekh-Mat entrance examinations problems (3–76); Ilan Vardi, Solutions of the year 2000 International Mathematical Olympiad (77–102); Ilan Vardi, My role as an outsider: Ilan Vardi’s epilogue (103–106); B. I. Kanevsky and V. A. Senderov, Intellectual genocide: entrance examinations for Jews at MGU, MFTI, MIFI (110–133); Ilan Vardi, Remarks (134–141); A. Vershik, Science and totalitarianism (143–151); A. Vershik, Admission to the mathematics departments in Russia in the 1970s and 1980s (152–155); A. Shen, Entrance examination to the Mekhmat (157–168); Katherine Tylevich, Free education at the highest price: a brief glimpse at Soviet realities, Bella Abramovna Subbotovskaya and “The Jewish People’s University” (171–177); Dmitry B. Fuchs, Jewish University (183–189); Andrei Zelevinsky, Remembering Bella Abramovna (191–195); Ilya Muchnik, Bella Abramovna Subbotovskaya (197–210).
The papers will not be reviewed individually.

MSC:

01A72 Schools of mathematics
00A07 Problem books
01A60 History of mathematics in the 20th century
01A70 Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies
97-01 Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to mathematics education
00A35 Methodology of mathematics
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