mathematics

Murray S. Klamkin

Murray S. Klamkin is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Murray S. Klamkin rather than just read about it. In short: Murray Seymour Klamkin (March 5, 1921 – August 6, 2004) was an American mathematician, known as prolific proposer and editor of professionally-challenging mathematical problems. Life Klamkin was born on March 5, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York.

Key takeaways

Murray S. Klamkin belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Murray S. Klamkin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Murray S. Klamkin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Murray Seymour Klamkin (March 5, 1921 – August 6, 2004) was an American mathematician, known as prolific proposer and editor of professionally-challenging mathematical problems.

Life Klamkin was born on March 5, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York. He received a bachelor's degree from the Cooper Union in 1942 and, after four years of service in the United States Army, earned a master's degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1947, where he taught from 1948 until 1957. After this, Klamkin worked at AVCO, taught at SUNY Buffalo (1962–1964), and served as the principal research scientist at Ford Motor Company (1965–1976). During this period, he was also a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota. After leaving Ford, he became a professor at the University of Waterloo. From 1976 to 1981 Klamkin was the chairman of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Alberta. After 1981 he became an emeritus professor at Alberta. Klamkin died August 6, 2004.

Mathematical problems Klamkin was known worldwide as a prolific proposer and editor of professionally challenging mathematical problems. He served as problem editor for SIAM Review, the American Mathematical Monthly, Math Horizons, and other journals. He was also known for his work in high-level mathematics competitions, such as the USA Mathematical Olympiad, the International Mathematical Olympiad, and the Putnam Competition. In 1988 the Mathematical Association of America gave him its Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics, its highest service award. In 1992, the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions awarded Klamkin the David Hilbert Award for his contributions to mathematics competitions.

Selected bibliography "The asymmetric propeller", Leon Bankoff, Paul Erdös, and Murray S. Klamkin, Mathematics Magazine 46, #5 (November 1973), pp. 270–272. International Mathematical Olympiads, 1978–1985 and Forty Supplementary Problems, ed. Murray S. Klamkin, pub. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 1986. ISBN 0-88385-631-X. Mathematical Modelling: Classroom Notes in Applied Mathematics, ed. Murray S. Klamkin, pub. Philadelphia, PA: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1987. ISBN 0-89871-204-1. U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiads, 1972–1986, ed. Murray S. Klamkin, pub. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 1988. ISBN 0-88385-634-4. Problems in Applied Mathematics: Selections from SIAM Review, ed. Murray S. Klamkin, pub. Philadelphia, PA: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1990. ISBN 0-89871-259-9. Five Hundred Mathematical Challenges, Edward J. Barbeau, Murray S. Klamkin, and William O. J. Moser, pub. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 1995. ISBN 0-88385-519-4. Liu, Andy; Shawyer, Bruce, eds. (2008). Problems from Murray Klamkin. Washington: Mathematical Association of America. ISBN 978-0-88385-828-8. A collection of problems posed by Klamkin in Crux Mathematicorum with Mathematical Mayhem. On cooking a roast, Murray S. Klamkin. SIAM Review 3.2 (1961): 167–169.

See also List of University of Waterloo people

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Murray S. Klamkin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Murray S. Klamkin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Murray S. Klamkin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Murray S. Klamkin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Murray S. Klamkin

In research: Murray S. Klamkin appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Murray S. Klamkin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Murray S. Klamkin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1921 births, 2004 deaths, 20th-century American mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Murray S. Klamkin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Murray S. Klamkin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Murray S. Klamkin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Murray S. Klamkin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Murray S. Klamkin in simple terms?

Murray Seymour Klamkin (March 5, 1921 – August 6, 2004) was an American mathematician, known as prolific proposer and editor of professionally-challenging mathematical problems. Life Klamkin was born on March 5, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York.

Why does Murray S. Klamkin matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Murray S. Klamkin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Murray S. Klamkin.