Jewish Problems

• Published in 2011
In the collections
This is a special collection of problems that were given to select applicants during oral entrance exams to the math department of Moscow State University. These problems were designed to prevent Jews and other undesirables from getting a passing grade. Among problems that were used by the department to blackball unwanted candidate students, these problems are distinguished by having a simple solution that is difficult to find. Using problems with a simple solution protected the administration from extra complaints and appeals. This collection therefore has mathematical as well as historical value.

BibTeX entry

@article{JewishProblems,
title = {Jewish Problems},
author = {Tanya Khovanova and Alexey Radul},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.1556v2 http://arxiv.org/pdf/1110.1556v2},
urldate = {2017-03-23},
abstract = {This is a special collection of problems that were given to select applicants
during oral entrance exams to the math department of Moscow State University.
These problems were designed to prevent Jews and other undesirables from
getting a passing grade. Among problems that were used by the department to
blackball unwanted candidate students, these problems are distinguished by
having a simple solution that is difficult to find. Using problems with a
simple solution protected the administration from extra complaints and appeals.
This collection therefore has mathematical as well as historical value.},
comment = {},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
eprint = {1110.1556},
primaryClass = {math.HO},
collections = {attention-grabbing-titles,history,puzzles},
year = 2011
}