Could Kiselev's geometry books complete H.S Geometry?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the adequacy of Kiselev's geometry books as a complete high school geometry curriculum. Participants explore the content and structure of Kiselev's works, compare them with other geometry texts, and consider their suitability for self-study and undergraduate introduction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses interest in using Kiselev's geometry books for self-study, noting the promise of the first book, Planimetry.
  • Another participant provides a detailed description of Kiselev's books, highlighting their classical roots, coverage of Euclidean geometry, and adaptations for modern curricula.
  • A participant mentions a preference for Moise/Downs: Geometry over Kiselev's books, suggesting it is a more affordable option.
  • There is a discussion about the quality of Kiselev's books, with some participants praising their clarity and exercise quality, while others express a preference for Euclid's original work and its accompanying guide by Hartshorne.
  • Concerns are raised about the lack of construction exercises in Kiselev's books, although it is noted that this is not an issue due to the content of Kiselev's work.
  • Participants debate which book is better for undergraduate introductions, with some suggesting Kiselev should be read before Moise's more advanced texts.
  • Questions arise about how Kiselev compares to Lang's Geometry book and whether it is advisable to read Lang's book followed by Moise's work.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the suitability of Kiselev's geometry books compared to other texts like Moise's and Lang's. There is no consensus on which book is definitively better for introductory purposes or self-study.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the differences in educational systems and grading, which may affect the interpretation of Kiselev's books as a complete curriculum. There are also mentions of varying preferences for different geometry texts based on personal experiences and teaching styles.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students considering self-study in geometry, educators evaluating curriculum materials, and anyone interested in comparing classical and modern geometry texts.

Patrick Nguyen
I was wondering if I read Kiselev's geometry books, would it count as a whole high school geometry curriculum? Currently, I am reading his first book, Planimetry, which is coming out as promising. I am planning to self-study geometry.
 
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I think it would be good I'm not familiar with the US gradings but this is what Amazon writes on their site:

The book is an English adaptation of a classical Russian grade school-level text in solid Euclidean geometry. It contains the chapters Lines and Planes, Polyhedra, Round Solids, which include the traditional material about dihedral and polyhedral angles, Platonic solids, symmetry and similarity of space figures, volumes and surface areas of prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones and balls. The English edition also contains a new chapter Vectors and Foundations (written by A. Givental) about vectors, their applications, vector foundations of Euclidean geometry, and introduction to spherical and hyperbolic geometries. This volume completes the English adaptation of Kiselev's Geometry whose 1st part ( Book I. Planimetry ), dedicated to plane geometry, was published by Sumizdat in 2006 as ISBN 0977985202.
Both volumes of Kiselev's Geometry are praised for precision, simplicity and clarity of exposition, and excellent collection of exercises. They dominated Russian math education for several decades, were reprinted in dozens of millions of copies, influenced geometry education in Eastern Europe and China, and are still active as textbooks for 7-11 grades. The books are adapted to the modern US curricula by a professor of mathematics from UC Berkeley.

So it goes until grade 11, so if I understand Wiki correct this is Senior Highschool.
 
It is great and very thorough. I much prefer Moise/Downs: Geometry. This book can be purchased for under 15 dollars.
 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0201050285/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Not sure why it is more expensive now. Maybe I bought all the cheap copies? I usually give these out to students.
Look around on other used book sites. Abehbooks is one of them.

It is a great book! I love the chapter that explains what existence and uniqueness is. Also, the chapter proof by contradiction. Really neat exercises. The book is engaging and well explained. I my only problem, is that the book lacks constructions, but since you have Kiselev, that is not in issue. He does have a chapter explaining contractions and the famous impossible constructions.

He wrote a really wonderful Calculus text that is a forgotten Gem.
 
So which is better for an introduction for undergraduates? Kiselev or Moise's Elementary Geometry from an Advanced Standpoint/Geometry?
 
shinobi20 said:
So which is better for an introduction for undergraduates? Kiselev or Moise's Elementary Geometry from an Advanced Standpoint/Geometry?

Elementary Geometry is not an itroduction. It should be read after finishing kiselev. The Moise geometry book I mentioned is his more elementary one.
 
MidgetDwarf said:
Elementary Geometry is not an itroduction. It should be read after finishing kiselev. The Moise geometry book I mentioned is his more elementary one.
So how does Kiselev compare to Lang's Geometry book?

Is it a good plan to read Lang's Geometry then Elementary Geometry from an Advanced Standpoint by Moise?
 

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