# What is the idea of the problems in V. I. Arnold's problem book “A mathematical trivium”?"

Here is the source of most of the problems I ask here, a majority of which I am currently unable to solve.

I have asked three questions related to it on this site$^{(1), (2), (3)}$

From responses to one of these questions I get the idea that there might not be a solution in the ordinary sense to some of these problems. For example, for (3) someone posted a helpful answer of how to get mathematica to solve it, and after staring at the solution I realized it was not in my capacity to have arrived at that answer using my method, or probably any method without a computer.

So I would ask if someone more experienced could give a quick look at the problems and tell me what analytical virtues the author demands and is trying to test, and hence deems essential? So that I can start working on those skill areas so that I know what mathphy minimum expects me to know.

Also a reference request at similar stuff would be good. It is aimed at physicists and as someone hoping to be a mathematical physicist, the premise of the question bank provoked me a little.

-
I think it would be benificial if you edited the title of your post. Your current title actually gives very little information, and does not talk about the source of the problems. Hence, if someone searched for exact same thing, using keywords like "Arnold", "mathematical trivium", they would not find this question. I would recommend the title "What is the idea of the problems in V. I. Arnold's problem book "A mathematical trivium"?". –  user5501 Mar 18 '11 at 10:30
In addition to what Lovre wrote, I am actually not sure what you are trying to ask. You are asking someone to take a quick look at "the problems", which ones? Are you asking us to look through the whole of Arnold's trivium? –  Willie Wong Mar 18 '11 at 12:05
I looked at the list during your last question and don't see a common theme besides "stuff he thinks a physicist should be able to do." Many of them I could never have understood, let alone done. Some of them are quite interesting. –  Ross Millikan Mar 18 '11 at 13:23
@Willie yes, the problems. There are 100 of them but mostly single sentence ones. An experienced person might have to look at a few and tell what is needed = the question. Although it has been considerably downvoted, I think this might be relevant. Arnold was a mathematician after all. I see motivated but casual posts that go "blah blah I'm interested in maths how do I start", which get upvoted. This question is a reverse.. I cannot solve many of the problems in this source, where am I wrong? I posted only after I observed that such a pattern of soft questions were not frowned upon. –  Please Delete Account Mar 18 '11 at 20:49
@Approximist: well, one problem is that you're asking people to read 100 problems, which the casual posts you seem to be criticizing do not. That is a lot to ask of a stranger on the internet. It would honestly be better to continue asking about specific problems or perhaps a specific class of problems (e.g. "these problems seem to be related, is there some general idea behind them" and then quote the problems). –  Qiaochu Yuan Mar 18 '11 at 23:49