Need help preparing for Euclid contest

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around preparing for the Euclid contest, specifically addressing strategies and resources for solving geometry problems similar to those found in past contests. Participants share their experiences and suggest methods for effective preparation.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related, Exploratory, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty with specific problems from the 2007 Euclid contest and seeks resources for learning how to solve similar questions.
  • Another participant suggests reading the provided solutions, emphasizing that the problems are primarily geometry-based and require practice.
  • A different contributor recommends studying basic circle theorems and practicing extensively, including purchasing a specific resource titled 'Problems, Problems, Problems' for structured practice.
  • It is mentioned that writing past contests under timed conditions can be beneficial for preparation.
  • One participant highlights the importance of focusing on the quality of solutions during the contest, suggesting that well-written answers are preferable to a greater number of poorly articulated ones.
  • Another participant notes the necessity of understanding ratios of sides in similar triangles and the properties of tangents to circles, indicating these concepts are relevant to the contest problems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of practice and familiarity with geometry concepts, but there are varying opinions on the best resources and strategies for preparation.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about prior knowledge in geometry may not be explicitly stated, and the effectiveness of suggested resources and strategies may vary among individuals.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for the Euclid contest, educators looking for resources to recommend, and individuals interested in improving their geometry problem-solving skills.

AFG34
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I'm writing the Euclid contest this April so i went to their http://www.cmc.uwaterloo.ca/english/contests/euclid.shtml" and downloaded the 2007 version. I don't know how to solve problems similar to questions 7. b), 8. b), and 10. I have never been taught how to do these problem so I'm asking you guys if you know a link to some website where i can learn to solve these types of questions.
 
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What's wrong with reading the solutions they have? They're all geometry problems and just require experience with working out problems like that.
 
You will need to know the basic circle theorems and exercise plenty. I recommend you buy the three volumes of 'Problems, Problems, Problems' and practice (conveniently, the problems are listed from easiest to hardest).

You should also write past contests, all while timing yourself.

A good strategy to adopt while writing the contest is to allocate time to improving and clarifying your answers rather than to trying to solve a problem for which you see no immediate clue to its solution. Seven well-written solutions are better than ten poorly-written ones, albeit correct.

Good luck.
 
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you need to know about ratios of sides of similar triangles, and the fact that a triangle with two sides tangent to a circle is isosceles, i.e. that both tangent lines to a circle from a point outside the circle have the same length.
 

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