Back in the seventies , the mathematics department at the Soviet Union ’s Moscow State University ( one of the most prestigious department in the USSR at the time ) used a particular collection of math problem , conversationally referred to as “ Jewish ” problems or “ coffins ” ( “ coffin ” problem read roughly to “ killer ” problems in English ) , to keep Jewish scholar and other so - call “ undesirables ” out of the section .
The problems were notoriously difficult to solve , but had seemingly simple solutions , allowing the department to forefend criticism of the wait - a - second - what - you’re - doing - is - totally - unethical variety .
Here ’s an example of one of the problems :
get all tangible functions of real variable quantity F(x ) such that for any x and y the following inequality holds : F(x ) − F(y ) ≤ ( x − y)^2 .
In the summertime of 1975 , math portent Tanya Khovanova was approached by a teacher diagnose Valera Senderov , who had managed to ascertain a list of these problem , and asked to help oneself work out them .
At the time , Khovanova was attending a Soviet mathematics clique , ready — along with 7 other new , brainy mathematicians — to compete in the International Math Olympiad on behalf of the Soviet Union . Khovanova spell about the experience in a paper the late posted to arXiv :
These problems and their root were , of line , kept secret , but Valera Senderov and his friends had carry off to collect a leaning . In 1975 , they border on us to solve these trouble , so that they could train the Jewish and other students in these numerical estimation . Our team of the estimable eight Soviet students , during the calendar month we had the job , resolve only one-half of them . honest , that we had other priorities , but this fact talk to the dificulty of these problems .
Being young and waxy , I was stir by this whole situation . I had had no idea that such vociferous secernment had been extend on . In addition to trying to solve them at the clock time , I preserve these problem as my most valuable monomania — I still have that teal notebook .
after , I emigrated to the United States . When I started my own WWW Sir Frederick Handley Page , one of the first things I did was to stake some of the problems . People sent me more problem , and solutions to the ones I had . It turn out that not all of the coffins even had elemental resolution : some were intentionally ambiguous question , some were just plain hard , some had unimaginable premises .
This account is taken from a report , recently posted to arXiv by Khovanova and her boy , that collects trouble with short and “ simple ” solutions that are even so very difficult to clear ( the example job give up top is try from the paper , where you ’ll also find the solution ) .
Those concerned in Khovanova ’s assembling of deceptively hard problems , and more on the backstory of discrimination against Jews in 1970 ’s USSR , will find themhere , available innocent of commission .
arXivviaTanya Khovanova ’s Math Blog
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