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# Daniel Liu's Messageboard

I've seen some other people do this, so why not, I'll jump on the bandwagon.

First a few things: I am a 8th grader who is taking Geometry in class, but is working on advanced Pre-calculus concepts and a little Calculus for fun.

You can ask me on advice, whether it be doing math competitions or how to write good problems. Any question is encouraged, as long as I deem it fit for me to answer (no privacy-infringing questions please). Or you can just talk about whatever you want to talk about with me :3

Note by Daniel Liu
3 years, 1 month ago

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How Make Good Problems ?

I Have To Feeling that my Problems are Much Easy ! · 3 years, 1 month ago

Making a good problem all starts with an idea. Surf the internet for ideas to start from. Wikipedia is a good source, if you do not have other resources like AoPS books and the whatnot.

Once you have a basic idea, play around with it. Explore, and question what will happen if you do something. Once you happen upon a particularly good idea, you can expand upon that idea. Make it more complex, add "bells and whistles", if you may. You can do this by trying to find a relation to some other part of math: the problems that use ideas from multiple categories of math are often the best. If you are out of ideas on how to relate to other categories, just try to make it harder to solve. For example, replace $$10$$ with $$100$$. Combine the idea multiple times onto each other. In the case of Algebra, randomly do algebraic maneuvers in hopes of making it more complicated. The only thing to avoid is to make it a "relay" problem, where you take the answer of a solved problem and use it for the next part of the problem.

Once you make your problem more sophisticated (without making it a drag) you have to solve it yourself. Yep you have to actually solve the problem yourself first. Fortunately, you already have your idea in mind, so you already know how to proceed. Make sure not to mess up the math.

Once you have done that, you're done! You have successfully made a new problem.

I hope this helped a little. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to ask. If you are in the process of creating a problem and really don't have any idea how to make it more complicated than a simple idea, you can also ask me for help. · 3 years, 1 month ago

I really don't get why you guys are arguing over such petty things. :? · 3 years, 1 month ago

Create Problems is a New Tool To Me!

I Always Resolved Problems, But Never Did My Own Problems!

I'll try to work harder!

Thank You , All the Best ! · 3 years, 1 month ago

Hi Daniel, I like your problem very much! It is awesome! I wonder if you can make your own tag like #DanielLiu or something? It would be more convenient for me :D · 2 years, 11 months ago

If you look in my profile, there's an unshared set called "Daniel's problems". All (or almost all) my problems are contained there back to a certain point. · 2 years, 8 months ago

What sources do you refer to?? I mean I'm 17 and I just know basics of calculus. I'm very interested in maths and would like to learn advanced stuff but I never stumble upon good sources.(Except brilliant of course.) · 3 years, 1 month ago

I use AoPS for competition problems. You can find competition problems here and here

I also have many of the AoPS books. You can find them here.

I have used Khan Academy for learning Calculus.

Participating in various local and national math competitions has also helped a lot.

Is this enough for your purposes? · 3 years, 1 month ago

Yep.Thanks a lot. Will ask for further help if needed. · 3 years, 1 month ago

Do you have anyone/thing who has inspired you to be who you are now or will be in the future? ~_~ · 3 years, 1 month ago

I want to help other people learn math and other things when I grow up, so people like Calvin Lin, Richard Rusczyk, Salman Khan, etc. · 3 years, 1 month ago

How many hours do you study maths ? · 1 year, 11 months ago

Hi, bob! :P · 3 years, 1 month ago

I doubt using my AoPS nickname is convenient on Brilliant.org :P · 3 years, 1 month ago

It's not your AoPS nickname, its my nickname for YOU! :D · 3 years, 1 month ago

You're still in Year 8? I'm in Year 8. · 1 year, 11 months ago

I'm in 9th grade now, and going to 10th grade. · 1 year, 11 months ago

Hi Daniel,It is nice to talk to a* MathWiz* Like you.Have you ever been to India? · 1 year, 11 months ago

Sorry, I haven't. · 1 year, 11 months ago

Will you Please add me on facebook,I will be really very happy to have a friend like you. · 1 year, 11 months ago

Done. · 1 year, 11 months ago

If you accept my friend request, then we could have some talks related to maths. · 1 year, 5 months ago

Some weeks ago , I noticed that your status stated' 150 problems with 300 solutions' . Have you uploaded them on brilliant? I am eager to solve them. Thanks! · 2 years, 1 month ago

Yes, they are on brilliant. You can check my profile and search a bit to find them. · 2 years, 1 month ago

Thanks a lot! Nice set! · 2 years, 1 month ago

@Daniel Liu I'm on AoPs too (Shabashbeta147) How do I see my documents I've saved using TeXer?I know they give the link but when I click on it it just takes me back to the same page of TeXer.Please please please please please please please tell me how. · 2 years, 2 months ago

As it's quite obvious, you're really good at math and I myself aspire to become better like geniuses such as you. Unfortunately, i only started doing real math (aka math outside of school) labout a year ago (9th grade, I'm actually 15 ignore my profile age). So over the past year I have taught myself trig, alg 2, advanced geom, and half of pre-calc. I've heard of some kids who started at age 2 and they're unbelievably smart at math. So when did you start? · 2 years, 8 months ago

I wonder who this is :P · 2 years, 11 months ago

@Daniel Liu I just looked on your profile for a certain problem when I noticed that solving a Rubik's cube is one of your interests. Can you talk about that? How fast can you solve it, and with what method? Have you been to any competitions?

Personally, I can do it in about 20-30 seconds with a method I came up with on my own that is quite similar to CFOP. No competitions, though. They don't have those in Florida anymore.

Also, you said somewhere else that I got you hooked on Homestuck. How far have you gotten (what act), and who are your favorite characters? · 3 years, 1 month ago

I'm not very good at Rubik's cubes. My best is about 40 seconds. I have also not gone to any competitions.

As for Homestuck, I am currently up to date. Waiting for the final update now... :D · 3 years, 1 month ago

What cube do you use? With a standard Rubik's brand I can do it in a minute at the expense of an aching hand, but is generally use my modified Zhanchi (made by the Chinese company Dayan).

Wow, you read that fast. I got it in 7 weeks, 5 days (6 weeks 12 days!) Who are your favorite characters? In addition to Eridan, I like Terezi, Dave, and Jade. · 3 years, 1 month ago

Teenager Meenah, Sollux, Dave, Jane, Mayor (omg such a cute mayor XD), Roxy...

Yea they're all pretty cool. I don't really not like any of the characters in particular. · 3 years, 1 month ago

Yes, there is no one cuter than the Mayor! · 3 years, 1 month ago

I thought message boards were a private non-re-shareable thing; at least according to the description of Peter's set right here.

Umm... could you post your solution to Classic Climbing Problem 2? I'd really love that! · 3 years, 1 month ago

The main difference is whether you want your messageboard to be sharable.

If you post it as a note to a set, it will not be sharable, and others will not see it in their newsfeed. If they have a link (or are @mentioned), they will be able to access it. This leads to conversations that are initiated by you, and you have slightly greater control over it.

Posting it as a note directly would allow your messageboard to be sharable, and hence much more public. You tend to end up with broader discussions, sometimes initiated by others who are interested in getting to know you. Of course, you could have both versions.

I set mine up by posting to a set, as I wanted to have 'semi-private' conversations easily. The original intention was to easily drop a quick note to various people, somewhat akin to being able to comment on their problem/set. Staff · 3 years, 1 month ago

I guess I prefer the semi-private conversations to the public ones. Maybe I'll do a public message board.

To be honest, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the number of message-boards in my feed today.

On a related note, what do you think of adding a message board feature to everyone's profile? It'd be hard to moderate though. · 3 years, 1 month ago

Certainly possible - if lots of people seem to like them we'll think about a more elegant integration. Staff · 3 years, 1 month ago

Hello, my name is Vish! Nice to meet you. :-0 · 3 years, 1 month ago

What's the meaning of life? Jk... x"D What do you do in your spare time? Do you know any languages other than English? · 3 years, 1 month ago

42 :D

I do math in my spare time, for fun and for preparing for competitions. I also enjoy playing video games.

I know (Mandarin) Chinese too. · 3 years, 1 month ago