AMC 12 Preparation Book

Book excerpt: This book consists only of author-created problems with author-prepared solutions (never published before) and it is intended as a teacher's manual of mathematics, a self-study handbook for high-school students and mathematical competitors interested in AMC 12 (American Mathematics Competitions). The book teaches problem solving strategies and aids to improve problem solving skills. The book includes a list of the most useful theorems and formulas for AMC 12, it also includes 14 sets of author-created AMC 12 type practice tests (350 author-created AMC 12 type problems and their detailed solutions). National Math Competition Preparation (NMCP) program of RSM used part of these 14 sets of practice tests to train students for AMC 12, as a result 75 percent of NMCP high school students qualified for AIME. The authors provide both a list of answers for all 14 sets of author-created AMC 12 type practice tests and author-prepared solutions for each problem. About the authors: Hayk Sedrakyan is an IMO medal winner, professional mathematical Olympiad coach in greater Boston area, Massachusetts, USA. He is the Dean of math competition preparation department at RSM. He has been a Professor of mathematics in Paris and has a PhD in mathematics (optimal control and game theory) from the UPMC - Sorbonne University, Paris, France. Hayk is a Doctor of mathematical sciences in USA, France, Armenia and holds three master's degrees in mathematics from institutions in Germany, Austria, Armenia and has spent a small part of his PhD studies in Italy. Hayk Sedrakyan has worked as a scientific researcher for the European Commission (sadco project) and has been one of the Team Leaders at Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT). He took part in the International Mathematical Olympiads (IMO) in United Kingdom, Japan and Greece. Hayk has been elected as the President of the students' general assembly and a member of the management board of Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris (10,000 students, 162 different nationalities) and the same year they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Nairi Sedrakyan is involved in national and international mathematical Olympiads having been the President of Armenian Mathematics Olympiads and a member of the IMO problem selection committee. He is the author of the most difficult problem ever proposed in the history of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), 5th problem of 37th IMO. This problem is considered to be the hardest problems ever in the IMO because none of the members of the strongest teams (national Olympic teams of China, USA, Russia) succeeded to solve it correctly and because national Olympic team of China (the strongest team in the IMO) obtained a cumulative result equal to 0 points and was ranked 6th in the final ranking of the countries instead of the usual 1st or 2nd place. The British 2014 film X+Y, released in the USA as A Brilliant Young Mind, inspired by the film Beautiful Young Minds (focuses on an English mathematical genius chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the IMO) also states that this problem is the hardest problem ever proposed in the history of the IMO (minutes 9:40-10:30). Nairi Sedrakyan's students (including his son Hayk Sedrakyan) have received 20 medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), including Gold and Silver medals.