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  • Solving Diophantine equations with binomial coefficients in study group sessions using both elementary and higher mathematical methods
    1-12
    Views:
    13
    The paper can be considered as the continuation of [4] in the sense that we are studying Diophantine equations containing binomial coefficients. It was an important aspect that one should be able to discuss these problems — even if not in complete depth — also in high school study group sessions with the most talented students. We present various methods through several examples, which help the successful handling of other questions too, including problems in math competitions. Our discussion starts with the elementary treatment of easier problems, and then proceed gradually to more difficult questions which require higher mathematical methods.
  • Diophantine equations concerning various means of binomial coefficients
    71-79
    Views:
    11
    The main goal of this paper is to show by elementary methods, that there are infinitely many different pairs of binomial coefficients of the form (n C 2) such that also their arithmetic, geometric and harmonic means, resp. have the same form. We give all solutions for the arithmetic mean. We also give infinitely many non-trivial solutions for the arithmetic mean of three binomial coefficients satisfying some special conditions. The proofs require the solution of some other interesting Diophantine equations, too. Since the author is also a secondary school teacher, we use elementary methods that mostly can be discussed in secondary school, mainly within the framework of group study sessions. This explains why the means are generally analysed for two terms and for binomial coefficients with "lower" value 2, since further generalizations require substantially deeper mathematical methods which are beyond the frames of this paper.
  • Analysis of a problem in plane geometry discussed in an 11th grade group study session
    181-193
    Views:
    7
    The main aim of this paper is to show those strategies and proof methods we try to teach in secondary maths education through an interesting geometric problem: Find a relation for the sides of a triangle where an angle is the double of another angle. Is the converse also true? Is it possible to generalize the problem? We try to answer these questions while discussing the upcoming difficulties in detail and presenting more possible solutions. Hopefully the paper can be successfully used in study group sessions and problem solving seminars in secondary schools.