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This is a question close to my heart. I was a huge fan of Russian Math and Science books and I used them to study for an entrance exam to IIT (its more difficu

This is a question close to my heart. I was a huge fan of Russian Math and Science books and I used them to study for an entrance exam to IIT (its more difficult to get into IIT than Harvard) and came out in top 100 in the country. But, inspite of coming out at the top of the exam, I found Russian maths books very interesting and sometimes very difficult to master. This coming from a country full of brilliant mathematicians. Russian math books are not only hardcore compared to US - they are hardcore compared to India also!! One particular example is V. A. Krechmar. https://www.amazon.in/Problem-Book-Algebra-V-Krechmar/dp/9351448320 https://www.amazon.in/Problem-Book-Algebra-V-Krechmar/dp/935... If you consider yourself good in maths, try solving the problems from this book! There is simply no comparison of Soviet Math Books with the rest of the world. US is so far behind that this comparison is not apt. The closest is Indian Math books or books from Cambridge like S. L. Loney.

ken47 7y ago
"its more difficult to get into IIT than Harvard" By what metric? I doubt that everyone who got into IIT could get into Harvard. But I may be a bit biased because I work with some IIT graduates who are a bit underwhelming relative to the reputation of their alma mater.
- govg 7y ago
  It's a hard comparison since Harvard and the IITs have different admission processes. Admissions to the IITs happen via a single exam, which is held at the end of 12 years of school education and is conducted over a few hours consisting of upper level physics, chemistry and mathematics. Harvard meanwhile has a lot more in terms of admission criteria, with essays, SAT scores and other things taken into consideration. The easiest way to justify OPs stance is to compare the admitted / applied ratio for both schools, owing to the sheer number of people taking the IITJEE and the relatively low number of seats available (around 10k), the success ratio is lower than Harvard.
  - ken47 7y ago
    I agree - that could be the closest to a sound argument, but it's a very superficial one. Someone who claims to be highly intelligent by virtue of their alma mater should know better than to advance such an argument to an educated audience.
    - zeroxfe 7y ago
      OP was not saying anything about intelligence or claiming to be highly intelligent. It was a personal (and very interesting, IMO) anecdote on their experience with math text books.
      - ken47 7y ago
        I take no issue with his anecdote. He said that getting into IIT was more difficult than getting into Harvard, which is a pretty clear claim about the intelligence of an IIT student, and by extension, his intelligence. The IIT graduates I've met are generally quite smart, but I've also noticed occasional arrogance which can lead them to think, say, and do irrational things, such as implying the superiority of IIT to Harvard, e.g. comparing apples to oranges.

ken47 7y ago

"its more difficult to get into IIT than Harvard" By what metric? I doubt that everyone who got into IIT could get into Harvard. But I may be a bit biased because I work with some IIT graduates who are a bit underwhelming relative to the reputation of their alma mater.

govg 7y ago
It's a hard comparison since Harvard and the IITs have different admission processes. Admissions to the IITs happen via a single exam, which is held at the end of 12 years of school education and is conducted over a few hours consisting of upper level physics, chemistry and mathematics. Harvard meanwhile has a lot more in terms of admission criteria, with essays, SAT scores and other things taken into consideration. The easiest way to justify OPs stance is to compare the admitted / applied ratio for both schools, owing to the sheer number of people taking the IITJEE and the relatively low number of seats available (around 10k), the success ratio is lower than Harvard.
- ken47 7y ago
  I agree - that could be the closest to a sound argument, but it's a very superficial one. Someone who claims to be highly intelligent by virtue of their alma mater should know better than to advance such an argument to an educated audience.
  - zeroxfe 7y ago
    OP was not saying anything about intelligence or claiming to be highly intelligent. It was a personal (and very interesting, IMO) anecdote on their experience with math text books.
    - ken47 7y ago
      I take no issue with his anecdote. He said that getting into IIT was more difficult than getting into Harvard, which is a pretty clear claim about the intelligence of an IIT student, and by extension, his intelligence. The IIT graduates I've met are generally quite smart, but I've also noticed occasional arrogance which can lead them to think, say, and do irrational things, such as implying the superiority of IIT to Harvard, e.g. comparing apples to oranges.