E-book to help pupils improve maths skills

THE South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) has launched a new e-book to help pupils in grades 7 to 12 improve their mathematics skills.

The book, 1000 Mathematics Olympiad Problems, by Professor Poobhalan Pillay, has been a work-in-progress since 2014, with Pillay spending more than 8 000 hours to compile it.

Pillay, who started his lecturing career in 1967, is an emeritus professor in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and also the national academic co-ordinator, regional co-ordinator and coach for the Siyanqoba Regional Olympiad Training Programme.

“The e-book, is suitable for all learners who take mathematics at school,” said Professor Kerstin Jordaan, executive director at the foundation.

Each problem is assigned a difficulty level ranging from level 2 to level 10.

The problems and topics have been sorted in tables at the beginning of the book so that teachers can teach a lesson which is in the curriculum, and select problems from the book which are more challenging than the ones that routinely appear in school textbooks.

“In this way, the problem-solving skills of learners would be greatly enhanced,” said Jordaan.

“The cognitive range of the problems make them suitable for learners ranging from Grade 7 to Grade 12. Higher-level problems cater for learners who qualified for the various olympiad programmes offered by the SAMF,” Pillay said.

Parents, teachers, and pupils can purchase the book via: https:// www.samf.ac.za/en/mathematicsolympiad-problems

Pupils on the Siyanqoba programme will receive the E-book on a flash drive free of charge. | Writer