: Helping students learn to approach unfamiliar problems without a pre-memorized formula.
: Emphasizing inequalities (such as the Arithmetic-Geometric Mean Inequality ), polynomials, and functional equations. a mathematical olympiad primer pdf
: Developing skills in counting, permutations, combinations, and the Pigeonhole Principle. The "Toolkit" Approach : Helping students learn to approach unfamiliar problems
A defining feature of many primers is the inclusion of a "toolkit" or theory section. Rather than just listing formulas, these sections provide: these sections provide: