CACrown ArchivesHistory · sources · collections
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Problem book

textbook that uses problems as a means of teaching

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 10, 2026
Entity authorityQ7246954
Source-derived summary

Problem books are textbooks, usually at advanced undergraduate or post-graduate level, in which the material is organized as a series of problems, each with a complete solution given. Problem books are distinct from workbooks in that the problems are designed as a primary means of teaching, not merely for practice on material learned elsewhere. Problem books are found most often in the mathematical and physical sciences; they have a strong tradition within the Russian educational system.

At some American universities, problem books are associated with departmental preliminary or candidacy examinations for the Ph.D. degree. Such books may exemplify decades of actual examinations and, when published, are studied by graduate students at other institutions. Other problem books are specific to graduate fields of study. While certain problem books are collected, written, or edited by worthy but little-known toilers, others are done by renowned scholars and researchers.

The casebook for law and other non-technical fields can provide a similar function.

Notable problem books in mathematics

George Pólya and Gábor Szegő (1925) Problems and Theorems in Analysis (German: Aufgaben und Lehrsätze aus der Analysis)

Paul Halmos (1982) A Hilbert Space Problem Book (ISBN 978-0387906850)

Frederick Mosteller (1965,1987) Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability with Solutions (ISBN 978-0486653556)

Arthur Engel (1997) Problem-Solving Strategies (ISBN 978-0387982199)

Notable problem books in physics

V. V. Batygin and I. N. Toptygin (1964,1978) Problems in Electrodynamics (ASIN B003X6BPSE)

I. E. Irodov (1981) Problems in General Physics (ISBN 5-03-000800-4)

Kyriakos Tamvakis (2005) Problems and Solutions in Quantum Mechanics (ISBN 978-0521600576)

A.P. Lightman, W.H. Press, R.H. Price, and S.A. Teukolsky (1979) Problem Book in Relativity and Gravitation (ISBN 978-0691081625)

W-H. Steeb (2006) Problems And Solutions in Quantum Computing And Quantum Information (ISBN 978-9812567406)

Notable problem books in physics based on candidacy examinations

J.A. Cronin, D.F. Greenberg, and V.L. Telegdi (1967,1979) University of Chicago Graduate Problems in Physics with Solutions (ISBN 978-0226121093)

Nathan Newbury, John Ruhl, Suzanne Staggs, Stephen Thorsett, and Michael Newman.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Problem book” as textbook that uses problems as a means of teaching. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Problem, book and textbook.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1925, 1982, 1965, 1987—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Problem, book and textbook providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Problem book”, the useful work is to connect “textbook that uses problems as a means of teaching” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7246954. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1925, 1982, 1965 and 1987.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Problem book”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Problem book primary sources, Problem book archive and Problem research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Problem book”?
  2. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
  3. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Problem book” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.