Sun Weigang's Junior High School Mathematics (Second Edition)

Name: Sun Weigang's Junior High School Mathematics (Second Edition)
ISBN: 9787301252703

孙维刚Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.1

Word count: 72 words
Chapters: 6
ISBN: 9787301252703

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Summary

This book is the work of the renowned mathematics educator Sun Weigang and serves as the textbook for his three rounds of experimental classes. Grounded in the analysis and grasp of fundamental knowledge and in guidance on methods and ways of thinking, each chapter consists of two parts: study guidance and worked examples. After explaining concepts in detail, it extends to the regularities and methods surrounding those concepts as well as the patterns of thought involved in solving problems. The book proposes that to learn mathematics well one must view problems from a systemic perspective, strive for multiple solutions to a single problem, unity of multiple solutions (a single conclusion), and unity of multiple problems (skill in summarizing), and be good at thinking about problems from a "dynamic" viewpoint (that is, "look far ahead and aim high"). This greatly helps students awaken their mathematical intelligence, master scientific study methods and patterns of thought, and improve study efficiency. The book can serve as a supplementary text or self-study material for middle school teachers and students.

Editor's review

This book is the textbook for mathematics educator Sun Weigang's three rounds of experimental classes; the second edition continues his approach of organizing junior high school mathematics from a systemic perspective. Each chapter first offers study guidance, sorting out concepts and the regularities and methods surrounding them, then uses worked examples to demonstrate the process of thinking through problems, emphasizing multiple solutions to one problem, unity of multiple solutions, and unity of multiple problems, and advocating a "dynamic" viewpoint. Its value lies not in the quantity of exercises but in putting method awareness first: readers understand why to think a certain way before doing problems, which helps correct the habit of merely memorizing routines without being good at summarizing. It is suitable as a supplementary textbook or self-study reader for junior high school mathematics, especially for students who have mastered the basics and wish to raise their level of thinking, to be worked through chapter by chapter with guidance from a teacher or parent. Note that the book is aimed at experimental class teaching, with a pace and difficulty above ordinary synchronized practice; those with weak foundations should first shore up concepts before using it, and the examples should be redone by hand rather than merely read.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students with a solid foundation in junior high school mathematics who wish to improve their problem-solving thinking
Junior high school mathematics teachers who wish to guide students in summarizing methods and regularities
Parents seeking systematic self-study materials for their children, to be used alongside school progress
Students preparing for introductory mathematics competitions who need training in multiple solutions to one problem

Not a good fit for

Students whose classroom foundations are not yet solid and who need to shore up concepts and basic operations first
Test-takers who only want to do large quantities of exercises and pursue sheer coverage
Upper primary students who have not yet systematically studied junior high school algebra

Reading tips

Read the study guidance for each chapter first, and work through the examples after understanding the concepts and the thread of methods
Cover the solutions and attempt the examples yourself first, then compare with the book's reasoning to find differences
At the end of each chapter, summarize in your own words the common conclusions of unity of multiple solutions
Use it alongside school progress; do not rush ahead separately from school teaching

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

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FAQ

How is this book different from ordinary junior high school mathematics supplementary books?

Ordinary supplementary books mostly consist of categorized problem types plus large amounts of practice, whereas each chapter of this book begins with study guidance that focuses on sorting out the regularities and methods surrounding concepts and the patterns of thought in problem solving, with examples emphasizing multiple solutions to one problem and unity of multiple solutions. It is more like a textbook for training thinking; quantity of exercises is not the point, and it suits students willing to slow down and think about methods.

Can students with an average foundation use it directly?

This book comes from experimental class teaching materials, with a pace and difficulty above ordinary synchronized materials. Students with an average foundation are advised to first solidify classroom concepts and basic operations, then proceed chapter by chapter with a teacher or parent, attempting the examples before comparing with the solutions, so as not to give up out of frustration with the difficulty.

Do all the worked examples in the book need to be done by hand?

It is recommended to cover the solutions and attempt the examples yourself first; even if you cannot finish, write down your thinking, then compare with the book's solutions to find differences. Merely reading solutions easily creates the illusion of understanding; only by redoing them by hand can the methods of multiple solutions to one problem and unity of multiple solutions truly become your own habits of thought.

Can teachers use this book as classroom teaching material?

Yes. The study guidance sections are suitable as material for chapter method lessons, and the examples can be used for classroom discussion of different solutions and for drawing common conclusions. But because it was written for experimental classes, teachers need to select content according to the class's foundation and should not copy the whole book as uniform homework.

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About the author

孙维刚 Author

Public information about Sun Weigang is limited; all that is known is that his works have had some influence in the domestic book market. Judging from the four titles held in the collection, his writing centers on middle-school mathematics learning and entrance-exam guidance. These include mathematics study guides covering both junior and senior high school, such as Sun Weigang's Senior High School Mathematics and Sun Weigang's Junior High School Mathematics (2nd Edition), as well as a book for students and parents on study methods and aspiration education, Sun Weigang on Aspiring to Success: How 55% of a Class Got into Peking University and Tsinghua (2nd Edition). His content generally revolves around organizing mathematical knowledge, training problem-solving approaches, and exam preparation strategies. The language is practical and close to classroom teaching, suitable for middle-school students studying on their own or for teachers' reference. The aspiration book combines the topic of further education with discussion of goals and habits, and has a strong flavor of experience sharing. Overall, his works fall under exam preparation and popular science, with a pragmatic style that emphasizes applicability, and are somewhat representative among Chinese middle-school study guides and learning-guidance books.