Sounds hard...

Hey fellow problem-solvers.... Good evening here... I would like you to give an advice especially in problem-solving... I am somehow troubled solving problems here in Brilliant... How much should I study the subject matter to solve (if not all) but most of the problems here? Cite also good references... Thank you!

Easy Math Editor

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Comments

Hey John! I'm here to give you some tips about problem solving. While my levels are decent, I make lots of mistakes which makes them lower than they should be. Anyways, that's a topic for a different discussion. Nonetheless, I do have a couple of aces up my sleeve that I can share with you. For Brilliant problems, you will need to know most of the standard curriculum, and a couple of tricks (mostly in Geometry and Number Theory). To learn these, I would suggest Art of Problem Solving. The name says it all. I wouldn't worry too much about getting really into topics, though (after all, I'm in Algebra 1, but I still solve Olympiad-level problems). Of course, it's always good to know as much as possible. As for individual problems, you will need to follow these steps:

Read the problem multiple times It's better to spend 30 extra seconds figuring out what you're solving than to spend 30 minutes solving the wrong problem and missing it.
Choose a battle plan and stick to it Whenever you first approach a problem, think through exactly how you're going to solve it. Then, use that method AND DON'T SWITCH METHODS. This is a huge waste of time, unless the method you've chosen is really horrible. That's why you have to think it through.
Do whatever you have to do to solve it If it's an equation, solve it. If it's anything, just solve, count, measure, or do what you have to do to figure it out. This step should take the least amount of time.
Check your work It shouldn't take long, just see if there's any fault in your calculations, or if you've overcounted, or done anything wrong.

If you stick to these steps, you should be golden. Don't be like me and skip the last step! Note that these rules do not apply to speed problems and tests (most of the time).