Book Description

This clear, accessible treatment of mathematics features a building-block approach toward problem solving and realistic, diverse applications. The Putting Your Skills to Work and new chapter-end feature, Math in the Media, present readers with opportunities to utilize critical thinking skills, analyze and interpret data, and problem solve using applied situations encountered in daily life.The goal of the changes in the 2nd edition is to upgrade the level of algebra in the book—This is accomplished by introducing equations, evaluating expressions, and properties of exponents earlier and revisiting the topics moreoften. Readers now learn how to solve equations using one principle first (Chapters 1, 3, 4, and 5)—Using bothprinciples together is covered (Ch. 6) after readers have had substantial practice using one principle of equality. Contains 2 chapters dedicated to algebra skills (Ch. 3 and 6). A substantial increase in coverage of evaluating expressions (nearly double) from the first edition. Signed numbers are now covered earlier in Chapter 2 and Whole number operations are covered in one chapter vs. two in the previous edition. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Pre-Algebra Book
This book worked good for me, I also had a good teacher though. Never found mistakes in it. Good beginning book to learn Pre-Algebra concepts

The ladder of success
I have been below average in Math for most of my life but thanks to Prealgebra by Blair, Tobey and Slater my grade went up considerably. I managed to maintain a B average thanks to this comprehensive and easy to follow book. It set a steady foundation for me. Thanks ... Read more

Book Description

Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity provides a lucid and thoroughly modern introduction to general relativity. With an accessible and lively writing style, it introduces modern techniques to what can often be a formal and intimidating subject.Readers are led from the physics of flat spacetime (special relativity), through the intricacies of differential geometry and Einstein's equations, and on to exciting applications such as black holes, gravitational radiation, and cosmology.For advanced undergraduates and graduate students, or anyone interested in astronomy, cosmology, physics, or general relativity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

To learn GR, read this one first...
I may be biased (as a student there), but the University of Chicago has the market for textbooks on GR cornered. Between Sean Carroll and Bob Wald, the student has everything he needs. I do have to reccomend reading this one first though, as the explanations are more physical (where Wald is more formal) and the style is more readable and easier to digest. In short it is probably the best book on the market from which to learn GR. Once you finish this book, add Wald's to your library for a more complete reference set (Wald's book is likely the best on the market once you already know GR).

Great GR Book!
This book has helped me long before it was ever published! It is based off of lecture notes that Carroll gave for a graduate level General Relativity course. These notes are still freely available at:

http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/gr-qc/9712019

But you miss out on extras like better diagrams, more examples and exercises, so this is still a great buy!

Stellar
This is a fantastic book on cosmology both to learn cosmology for the first time and to use later as a reference book. Most useful text I have bought in a long time.

Fabulous!
Fantastic introduction to the topic -- even for the non-physicist who likes to dabble in such subjects.

Buy This Book
if you want to learn GR and have fun learning it.

Of course this review is completely unhelpful, but I've never reviewed books on Amazon before, and I felt obliged to review this book for various reasons better kept to myself. (Edit : It turned out that a long time ago, I reviewed Nakahara. My memory is failing me...)

If you are looking for a real reason, then here it is :

Pages 281-286 on degrees of freedom in linearized GR.

Oh, again, don't forget to buy this book. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

great, easy to read calc book
Swokoski's book is easy to read and presents the topics with lots of explaination.There are at least 7 examples fully worked out to help you understand, usually they take 2 or 3 pages per example to show you how he gets the answer and why that method works.The exercises are pretty thorough.With this book and a good professor you can gain a solid calculus foundation.

I was self taught with this book
I just graduated high school. While still in school, I used a swokowski book. It was perfect for me.

The first year I took first semester college calculus in an AP class. I was introduced to calculus through this book. Personally, I thought it was a very good textbook, especially compared to previous ones I had used. I got an A in the class and a 5 on the AP exam. Perhaps partly because of the teacher, but the book was essential.

The next year I (effectively) had an independent study class for Calculus II (much harder class/concepts!) Once again, I used swakowski. I passed the exam again, this time with a 4 (5 subscore in Calc I).

The merits of the book lie in it's concept as calculus as an accumulating course - everything builds up. First we learn the concept of limits, then derivitive, then area, and integrals, then series... and on and on to ifinity ;) Many of the practice exercises draw upon concepts learned much earlier.

My favorite part of the book (and perhaps this is only me) was that it showed every derivation for all major theorems. I understood where the theorems and equations were coming from -I understood the concept behind it, rather than learning by rote, which is (shockingly) becoming more the norm (easier for teachers...?). For someone interested in mathematics, especially in the higher-level study, this book is ideal.

Also nice: wide margins, extensive example problems, answers to odd problems in back, numbered theorems for reference in later chapters (easier to find!)

Not so great: uses a lot of technical/"math" terms - good if serious about math, bad if just started/dabbling/unsure
also, tends to build on concepts, so if you're starting this book 1/2 way through, expect some page flipping

Also see if you can get a copy of the solutions manual. helpful to see the STEPS to solving the problem. nice.

One more note. My teacher senior year used a new textbook geared entirely toward AP students (ie it took all of the thinking out of the math). I didn't like it. I preferred swakowski. It's a college textbook, so it's not easy. But it gets you thinking the right way. :)

swokowski's calculus
the above reviewer was a bit harsh in their treatment of this fine text. I found this this to be an excellent calculus text for all three semesters of calcI, calcII, and calcIII. It does not however, alleviate the need for hard work and determination in studying, no text can do that. The level of rigor is equivalent to any other text such as stewart's claculus or anton's calculus but does not delve into theory at the level of tom apostol's calculus. An excellent resource for learning basic calculus.

Buy Some other Book
I really dont like the way author explains in this book. He makes easy things seem hard. It's like one of those teacher who dont know how to teach. Well consider this author much worse. There is no point of having this book unless you are in the calc. class that requires this book, even much much worse if you are trying to self teach. DONT with this book. Try some other Calculus Author. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Just for thoughts
I am a Math teacher in Malaysia. I own Bittinger's "Elementary
and Intermediate Algebra" and also "Trigonometry". Judging from
the books I am using as teaching materials, I can say that the
Bittinger's team has written some of the best Algebra/Trig/
Precalculus textbooks. The explanations are straightforward,
clear and the format neat. Their exercise sets are excellent,
enough for drill-practice purposes and also challenging ones.

In my country American math books are way too expensive because
its the bad economic condition we are having in my country that
buying of American books is a luxury. I am not able to acquire
Bittinger's "College Algebra" yet, hopefully I will be able to
see a copy in the future. In their series, the Bittinger team
has produced their Intermediate Algebra text worth using and I
believe this "College Algebra" title would guarantee that the
team has produced a text that will not disappoint us.

I would strive to get a copy myself one day and I am very sure
I will not regret owning it anyway. ... Read more

Book Description

In this two-volume work Paul Wilmott, described by the Financial Times as a "cult derivatives lecturer", updates and extends - with 18 new chapters - his earlier classic Derivatives: The Theory and Practice of Financial Engineering (also published by John Wiley). The new material includes chapters on technical trading, volatility modeling, utility theory, trader options, modeling dividends, real options, energy derivatives and analysis of recent derivatives-led fiascos.

Throughout the book's incredibly wide breadth, the author presents to the reader all current financial theories in a manner designed to make them easy to understand and implement. The reader will discover what the author thinks of certain theories, and where an existing concept is dismissed as impractical or unworkable it is always replaced with one of the author's own, alternative theories. Reviews of Derivatives: The Theory and Practice of Financial Engineering.

"It is a serious work that takes the reader all the way from the simplest of notions to the most complicated of recent models. In short, it is the most comprehensive and up-to-date textbook on options that I have seen ... The style is jocular, but the content heavyweight. The aim is to use a mathematical approach at all times but to motivate the development of models with intuition and to use diagrams and spreadsheet solutions whenever possible. It sounds like an impossible mission. Whoever heard of a mathematician who could convey the intuition of a result to those with a less complete training in the subject? Wilmott is an exception: he knows when a result is hard to understand and treats the reader in a sympathetic manner. ... I cannot imagine any derivatives specialist in an investment bank who would not want to have the book available." The Times Higher Educational Supplement.

"...this book has all the qualities necessary to attract impulse buyers expecting the novel which does for/to high finance what Malcolm Bradbury's 'The History Man' does for/to literary academia. ...What the reader gets is a text which will probably come to rank alongside Fabozzi's collected works of Leibowitz as a comprehensive practical reference source for finance theory." Futures and OTC World "Paul Wilmott has succeeded in simplifying the mathematics of financial engineering and he deserves praise for that. Unlike any other mathematical texts, the book uses a crisp and accessible language, relying on plain calculus and avoiding unnecessary formalism of topology and measure theory. It is rich in illustrations and graphs, making it easy for someone with limited maths to understand." --Risk Magazine.

"Paul Wilmott has produced one of the most exciting and classic reference volumes on derivatives which is a must for both students, practitioners, risk managers and the misunderstood."-- Global Trading.Volume 1: This first volume of Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance incorporates Parts I-III of this two-volume, seven-part publication. This new book by Paul Wilmott is an extensively updated and expanded edition of the bestselling Derivatives: The Theory and Practice of Financial Engineering. The first third of this volume (introducing the classic financial and mathematical concepts) remains largely the same as in Derivatives, with the remaining two-thirds incorporating the majority of the updating and expansion, plus the addition of a number of completely new chapters, including: Technical methods for predicting market movement Utility theory Derivatives and stochastic control The exercise of American options at non-optimal times Stochastic volatility and mean-variance analysis Dividend modeling.

The author has included numerous Bloomberg screen dumps to illustrate in real terms the points he raises, together with essential Visual Basic code, spreadsheet explanations of the models, the reproduction of termsheets and option classification tables. In addition to the practical orientation of his new publication the author himself also appears throughout the text - in cartoon form only, many readers will be relieved to hear - to personally highlight and explain the key sections and issues discussed. And if that wasn't enough, there is also a movie quiz hidden within the pages...

Volume 2 This second volume of Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance incorporates Parts IV-VII of this two-volume publication. Throughout this volume, many of the chapters which also appeared in the first edition - Derivatives: The Theory and Practice of Financial Engineering - have been extensively expanded and updated and in addition there are 11 completely new chapters, including: Mortgage-backed securities Pricing and optimal hedging of derivatives Increased uses of non-probabilistic interest-rate models Valuing a firm and the risk of default An analysis of financial crashes The modeling of bonus compensation for traders Real options Energy derivatives. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Wilmott is now the quant to beat
Who should buy this book? The real question is who shouldn't buy this book. For the Phd Quant this book is a tour de force in how to explain technical topics clearly and concisely. For the newbie, this is simply the lowest barrier to entry available.

Interestingly, QF does not "replace" a bookshelf of quant books -- rather it nicely compliments many that you're likely to have such as Taleb, Neftci etc. As sales of QF increase, it is likely that readers will be less likely to buy a derivatives book that is over their head.

Volume 1 covers 37 chapters of the equities/currency derivatives world, While Volume 2 covers the Fixed Income World, Risk Measurement , Miscellaneous Topics and Numerical Methods.

Chapter 10 has an excellent and all too rare discussion of Probability Density Functions and First Exit Times, whilst Chapter 14 has an outstanding Trading Game invented by one of Paul Wilmott's former students.

Chapters 16 through 21 cover the Path Dependent world while the balance of the chapters cover extensions to Black Scholes.

Its in these sections that Wilmott delivers some surprising thoughts and insights into Stochastic Volatility Surfaces that are currently the rage.

Throughout both volumes I continue to be astonished at how clear, concise and effective his explanations are. The icons are not annoying at all -- rather I found myself skimming the icons to find out what was required to be committed to memory in each section versus what was background.

As obvious as it sounds, a glaring weakness in Derivatives texts is the inability of authors to elucidate what must be memorized as rote for the student to make further progress. Paul's easy to follow icons lay out a precise plan of study.

I can't say enough about what a leap this is over competing texts.

In Volume 2, Chapters 38 through 50 cover models that Wilmott likes as well as ones that he doesn't [again, a rather novel approach]

Some surprises in Chapters 51 and 52 are an excellent overview of Portfolio Management and a survey of Robert Merton's Asset Allocation in Continuous Time.

Sprinkle in outstanding chapters on Derivatives Fiascos, Real Options, Energy Derivatives and 5 chapters on Numerical Methods and an astonishing survey of Quantitative Finance is complete.

Throughout the books Paul's practical use of Term Sheets and quick and dirty VB code and spreadsheet tricks [you just have to see his Excel shortcut for approximating the Normal distribution] leave the reader constantly wanting to rev ahead.

To round out a tremendous effort, Wilmott also pays homage to authors that he's found helpful and he's generous with suggestions on further reading. This builds sorely needed confidence when attempting new material.

The comparison with Richard Feynman is apt but misses an important detail...Feynman was not noted for turning out hordes of talented understudies. Paul Wilmott has turned out enough talented graduate students that maybe he will be a bona fide cult leader someday.

Insufficient
This is not as good as Wilmott's earlier work, and even that could have benefited from better definition of terms. Wilmott needs to brush up on the latest techniques and talk to some practitioners to learn how to apply math to real world examples. It seems there is a lack of depth of understanding evidenced by the writing. The sections of self-expose are an embarrassment.

Old Material
This is recycled Wilmott, but not even as good as earlier work. His first book was better, probably because his co-authors talked some sense into him. His personal anecdotes demonstrate a low emotional IQ. It is as if Wilmott thinks that if readers agree with the finance they must agree with his incessant and juvenile self-regard. My reaction to the inappropriate self-expose was: "Who cares? Get some friends, they might help on the financial aspects of this book".

Wilmott's financial IQ is only average, if this book is to be the evidence. It seems Wilmott isn't up on the latest techniques, or can't be bothered to research them. Stochastic calculus for example. Lack of real world practical examples demonstrates lack of knowledge of how financial instruments work in practice.

The first resource
I own 'most' of the standard texts, oddly enough, this was one of my most recent purchases. Now, whenenver I need to find out about some concept I am unfamiliar with, or brush up on something, this is the first reference. Very often the other books don't get a look in.
Luckily I work from home. They aren't the sort of books you would take home from the office for bedtime reading, unless you did weightlifting as a hobby.
Pity the martingale approach is missing. Ignore the ridiculous comment by another reviewer who dismisses the martingale approach as useless. The approach is hard, that's all. It would be great to see it boiled down in further volumes.

Not practical or academic enough
The finance market is flooded with paper, but much is redundant and some isn't even very useful. This book manages to be both. "Market Models" by Carol Alexander is a fabulous resource. There are a lot of books and articles on quantitative finance and if you want only that, look through the literature and choose, but this book won't give enough comprehensive coverage to make it a buy. ... Read more

Book Description

When it comes to pinpointing the stuff you really need to know, nobody does it better than CliffsNotes. This fast, effective tutorial helps you master core mathematical concepts – from fractions, decimals, and statistics to graphs, integers, and exponents – and get the best possible grade.

At CliffsNotes, we're dedicated to helping you do your best, no matter how challenging the subject. Our authors are veteran teachers and talented writers who know how to cut to the chase – and zero in on the essential information you need to succeed. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

really good
this book: 1. will help you solve 80% of the math the average person will encounter in their life, 2. [and if a parent] will allow you the math knowledge to allow you to help you to help your kids with their homework until they reach that age where they are sure that your to dumb and way to old to help them, anyway, 3. [if a student] only half listen to the 'really dull' math teacher and then learn it on your own - but it will really help if you listen and study on your own.

6th Grade Math Teacher Loves This Resource
I teach both average and honors math to typical 6th grade students. I use the Cliffs Quick Review for Basic Math and Pre-Algebra in my classroom and encourage my students to purchase a copy for themselves. I find it to be a usable source for self study and review. The language and examples are useful and simple for students and parents to understand.

I also have several other Cliffs Quick Review titles for my own children. My children use the Quick Reviews for Algebra I & II, Geometry, Chemistry, and Biology. I am so pleased with the format of these books that I will purchase any of the other titles relevant to high school and college study.

This is a great book
If you have a hard time in algebra or pre-algebra, you should buy this book. To get to perform the most odd looking problems it takes basic math and pre algebra, so i suggest this as a good book

basic math and pre-algebra
this was just a good book and i have no need to write a review on it people should just read it themselfs. ... Read more

Book Description

Through four editions, Arfken and Weber's best-selling Mathematical Methods for Physicists has provided upper-level undergraduate and graduate students with the paramount coverage of the mathematics necessary for advanced study in physics and engineering. It provides the essential mathematical methods that aspiring physicists are likely to encounter as students or beginning researchers. Appropriate for a physics service course, as well as for more advanced coursework, this is the book of choice in the field.

* Provides the essential mathematical methods that aspiring physicists are likely to encounter as students or beginning researchers
* *Serves as both text and useful reference for students of physics and applied mathematics
* *Throughout the text the physical relevance of the mathematics is constantly reinforced ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A physicists handbook for mathematics -- not a textbook
The lecturer of our undergraduate Mathematical Methods for Physics course said that he recommends Arfken's book because it will be useful also later as a reference book. Hearing those words, I could not help but to think "this is one of *those* books". And indeed, although Arfken's and Weber's book covers quite a wide range of mathematics, it does so by being very concise, e.g. there is usually only one example per topic. This is one example of why it is not a good textbook. Not following Arfken's course, I will give another example: there are no answers and no solutions for any of the problems, making it very undesirable from the viewpoint of the person who cannot attend all the lectures. Finally, text itself is quite concise, and often it stops at telling the things rather than explaining them also. I guess I have to admit that I am not one of the excellent students mentioned by a reviewer, for I liked Kreyszig's Advanced Engineering Mathematics much more. As a contrast to Arfken's book, it offered many examples and helped to understand what the thing was all about. Unfortunately, it does not cover nearly all of the topics covered by Mathematical Methods for Physicists. If Mathematical Methods for Physicists is going to be your first introductory text to these topics and if you are not supported by very good lectures I can only say that may God have mercy on your soul.

Needs elaboration: Add 5 pages per page.
I am convinced that the author of this book has made the assumption that the reader has had pretty significant exposure to most of this already. Therefore, this is nothing more than a "all in once place" reference on math methods for physicists. The reason for the diverse range of opinions on this book is due to the various backgrounds of students. For most physic undergrads now taking a grad level math methods course, our exposure to differential eqns, complex functions, tensors, group theory, etc. is superficial. Here is a good entrepreneurial idea for an accomplished physicist that can relate to us mere mortals. For each page that Arfken has provided on a topic, ELABORATE (add 5 pages per page to it and now you have a useful textbook that every graduate student in physics should have). It would save us a fortune in buying the many additional supplemental texts required if you are stuck with Arfken.

Not good to learn from
I used this book in a Math Methods 1st year Graduate Physics course, and I dont think I really learned anything from it.
It doesnt do well at TEACHING you anything, you'll have to buy another book with examples or find them somewhere, and that itself can be difficult.

I found myself referring to Mary Boas' book for a few examples if I wanted to learn anything, but when you get to Group Theory you'll end up lost because the professor will run right over the material and textbooks on that subject arent that great.

If i'm looking for an equation or a mathematical rule, this book is great. Ive used it for Quantum and Jackson E&M quite a bit.

A salad of typos
I have had the misfortune to teach from several editions of this pathetic textbook. The later printings of the 3d edition, by Arfken alone, were quite free of mistakes and of typos. But the early printings of the 5th edition by Arfken and Weber are loaded with typos and have some errors. Most of these typos are in equations that were correct in the 3d edition.

My students have had a hard time learning from this book.

Also, the binding of this $99 book is cheap cardboard -- the hardcover edition does not really have a hard cover. All in all,
this is a typical Elsevier product: inferior and expensive.

Great text for reference and learning
I noticed that most student reviews seemed to disparage this book as a textbook, so I am writing this to provide an alternative veiwpoint. My intermediate Math Methods class used this book and I have not yet enountered a math problem in any of my grad classes that I couldn't use this book as an aide to solve. The book is clear yet concise, which allows for a large breadth of material to be covered in one semester effectively. Yes, some material is not covered with great depth, but I think that Mathematical Methods Books by design are not meant to be thourough, mathematically rigourous books but rather books that will present the method of solving, if not the exact solution, of most problems one might encounter in the physical sciences.

I reccomend this book. Like all other Math Methods books I have seen it will require other texts as supplements if one wants a reference for every problem one could encounter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stupid author
Indeed, the author doesn't show much examples for most of the
problems. The author assumes students know how to solve the problems, therefore, she skips most of the details. This type of math is not very useful in today's society. It's really stupid!
This is also an expensive book and it certainly not worth leaning when the author didn't show much details especially for the more difficult problems. She is a stupid, lazy author!

"Since you should already know this, I'll skip the details"
...that is the attitude of the lazy author. It assumes too much prior knowledge of math and especially algebra. Granted, prior to taking a class that requires this book, you should have some. Well, I do. Nonetheless, it should still cover it as a review since it is so difficult. For example, in chapter 8, graphing equations is covered. It goes right from the equation to the graph. It skips all the algebraic steps inbetween needed to get from one to the other and gives no explanation of graphing. I know...the author is thinking we should already know that. But if we do, why do we need this book? This author seems to be tremendously lazy. Since she assumes we know so much already, what purpose does this book serve? Maybe a review for those already well versed in math. Many have criticized it for lack of examples. There are plenty of examples, what there is not, is detailed explanations or examples which repeat a concept to get it to sink in. Many times she will list only one true example which gives a full explanation of how to solve a problem (ie simplex method). All subsequent examples in the same or other sections or chapters that rely on using the same method of problem solving will skip that key step and jump right to the newly presented material. Perhaps a mention will be made to solve the first few steps as "we did before". Yeah, lets hope you understood where and how that key step was done before in the ONE example where it was actually explained. In the case of row operations involved in the simplex method, a good portion of the book builds on that method of problem solving. So you are working from one decent initial example since she is too lazy to repeat row operations in the simplex method chapter. An even better example of the mindlessness of this book is the example of instantaneous rate of change in 12.2. No explanation whatsoever - heres the problem, heres a bunch of unexplained nummbers, heres the answer, dont ask how we solved it because...again...you should already know this.

To get through parts of this nightmare I used another book called Mathematical Ideas by Miller, Hereen, Hornsby. That book is what this one should strive to be. Good details and assumes little knowledge. I had to read quite a bit from it fill in the gaps left out in this. Unfortunately, it doesnt cover everything in this one. My advice would be to get a more elementary level math book covering algebra, calculus, graphing, finance, etc. to assist with this one, since this author is too lazy to explain how she got from point a to b. It would be better if you didn't have to use this one but sadly, professors make that decision for us. However, they will regret it in the end when we bug them for help since the book they chose is useless.

If you think mine is the only bad review, read the many similar reviews of previous editions of this book.

I will say, the student workbook that comes separately is pretty good. It gives the solutions to, in most cases, the odd numbered problems from the book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dosage Calculations Made Incredibly Easy
This book truly does make learning how to calculate drug dosages very easy. It takes each step of each type of problem and explains in understandable terms how to set up the calculation and how to solve it. The book is filled with sample calculations and problems for the reader to solve. At the same time that it is a learning tool, it is easy to read and entertaining. It covers all types of calculations even dimensional analysis, explains drug labels, and helps the nurse avoid making drug calculation errors. Great book!

A little to simple
This book was a big disapointment I ordered it to help with IV drug probloms. The book is very basis it has mostly basis math like adding, divison, and % there is only about one or two real math probloms that are used as example. This book is not a good learning tool. ... Read more

Book Description

This book, modern in its writing style as well as in its applications, contains numerous exercises—both skill oriented and applications—, real data problems, and a problem solving method.The book features exercises based on data form the World Wide Web, technology options for those who wish to use a graphing calculator, review boxes, strategic checkpoints, interactive activities, section summaries and projects, and chapter openers and reviews.For anyone who wants to see and understand how mathematics are used in everyday life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Essential reference for any 3D graphics work.
Finally, no more searching through all my college math textbooks for the reference I need for real-time 3D software development. The basics of vectors and matrices are of course included, but in much more depth than you got in school, more than likely - and with emphasis on how they are useful in 3D game programming. So many game developers lack an intuitive feel for such basics as transformation matrices, dot products, and cross products and are hobbled by this; just read up to chapter three and the lights will go on, so to speak. The chapter on lighting is particularly, well, enlightening - not only are the various lighting models explained in detail (including some I was unfamiliar with before), but the author provides means for accomplishing them in real-time using texture and vertex shaders.

The notation used in the book is modern and consistent, and the code samples clearly written. I believe this is the first volume to combine complete mathematical explanations of essential 3D computer graphics operations with practical advice on how to implement the sometimes complex math efficiently in real-time systems.

The chapters on picking and collision detection are also complete and include practical advice on implementation in addition to the theory behind it.

This is not a book for most high school math students - the author assumes you've at least been through some higher level math and can talk the basic language of mathematics. However, it does not presuppose that you are familiar with anything but basic calculus, and more importantly, it doesn't assume that you're familiar with some quirky notational system specific to the author. I haven't been in a math class for ten years, but I had no trouble understanding any concepts introduced in this book upon the first read.

I don't forsee this volume leaving my desk anytime soon!

Great book!
This book explain the mathematics behind a game engine, and it does it pretty well. If you are looking for code to cut and paste into your programs, then this book is not for you. But if you want to really anderstand the theory, it has, in my opinion, a very good balance between explanations, demonstrations and examples.
I got this book because my math was a little 'rusty' and it does a perfect job in bringing all this stuff back in memory, and mutch more as I discover a lot of new stuff and how it can be used in a game engine. I really enjoy this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Updates the original, comprehensive introduction to the areas of mathematical physics encountered in advanced courses in the physical sciences. Intuition and computational abilities are stressed. Original material on DE and multiple integrals has been expanded. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

indispensable Mathematical hanbook for physics students
To put it quite simply, if you are a physics student, you must own this book. What does this book do for you? Consider this...

In my school, we do not have a mathematical methods course for science, so I decided to take on a math minor to take all the classes neccesary to do physics "right." This included a class on ODEs, Fourier Series & PDEs, Linear Algebra, and Complex Variables. These classes, although helpful, cover a lot of stuff that is not quite useful for understanding physics concepts, often undermining or dampening the stuff that is actually applicable.

What makes this book so great is that it combines all the essential math concepts into one compact, clearly written reference. If I could do it all over again, I would easily rather take a two semester Math Methods course (like they do in many schools) using a book like Boas than take all these obtuse math courses. With this book, it makes it so handy to review previously learned concepts or actually learn poorly presented topics ( for a physicist anyway) in mathematics classes... (Things like Coordinate Transformations, Tensors, Special Functions & PDEs in spherical & cylindrical coordinates, Diagonilzation, the list goes on.....)

Keep this gem handy when doing homework and studying for exams, learning the math tools from this book enables you to concentrate squarely on the physics in your other textbooks... (since mathematical background information, understandably, is often cut short...)

Boas is the best math methods book
It is not only well written, it has lots of worked examples! It is not as comprehensive as some "standards" such as Arfkin or Butkov, but it is much more useful for mastering the basics. No physics student should be without this book.

Clearest and most comprehensive book on Math for Physics
I'm a physics undergraduate. Out of all my books on math, this is far and away the most comprehensive and useful book! It has supplanted my other, thicker books and is the one thing I turn to whenever I need to refresh myself on a math method.

It covers practically every useful math technique for physics, and never assumes that you're a genius (unlike other books). Each step is explained in clear, refreshing language and in a very logical order. From Laplacian transforms to Fourier series to ODEs, each subject is introduced so well that, even when I've missed a lecture, I can understand the topic just from reading it.

Highly recommended and worth the price, this is one book physics undergraduates should have. The only thing else needed with it is the solutions manual.

A book that has everything.
This book has a bit of everything from Linear Algebra, Calculus, Analysis, Probability and Statistics, ODE, PDE, Transforms just to name a few. If you get a chance to study everything from this book, you will probably learn more from this book than all your undergraduate math courses combined. Some concepts on this book may be difficult to understand due to the lack of in depth coverage. But I guess the main intention of this book is to focus on the applied side and cover as much material that is relevant to physics and engineering as possible and not go into much detail on the theory side.
If you are a graduate student in physics or engineering and want to buy this book for reference, it will be a good start for the first year courses but won't help you much after that.
Readibility of this book is excellent. You will understand most of the concepts and examples presented.
Bottomline: This is a must have book for engineers and physicists.

This is not the best math methods book
Boas is overrated. The book "Mathematical methods for Physics and engineering" by Riley, Hobson, and Bence is much better. ... Read more

Book Description

How can parents help their children with math at home? With over 300 pages of lively activities, the classic FAMILY MATH book represents one of the greatest strides taken to involve parents in the mathematics education of their children. Using easy instructions and simple objects such as beans, blocks, pennies, buttons, and string, parents and kids solve problems together. FAMILY MATH is a rich resource of math curriculum including number and estimation, logical thinking, probability and statistics, geometry, measurement, and calculators. The stimulating games, puzzles, and projects entice kids in playful ways to master math concepts. Because this book reinforces the basic school curriculum, it is also a must for teachers. The book has a step-by-step description of how to organize a FAMILY MATH class in your community.For families with children five to twelve years old.Grades K-8.318 pp ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great for the classroom too
I use this book to get the kids in my classroom hooked on liking math. Most of the time they end up asking "Is this math?" because they've always believed it was too hard or boring, but this book makes learning math fun because of its interactive activities. I would say it's a must have for teachers too.

Fun ways to help your children love math
I hate math. Memories of trying to understand long division in fourth grade can still make me squirm. Algebra was a lost year of my life - I had no idea what the teacher was talking about. Wouldn't you just guess I'd end up with a son who could add two digit numbers in his head before he started kindergarten? (I'm over 40 and I still can't do it very well) He even thought it was fun to do so.

You can probably guess that the normal elementary school math curriculum did not thrill him. Fortunately, early on, his kindergarten teacher lent me her copy of this book, and suggested that it might help him get started on understanding some higher math concepts, while still being age appropriate. The words "higher math" were not exactly music to the ears of a math phobe like me. But within a couple of weeks, after trying out a few games, I was hooked, and bought my own copy.

During the time he was in elementary school, I think we did at least 3/4 of the activities in the book, not because I thought he should, but because he wanted to. And, to my enormous surprise, so did I. The games and activities in this book are so intriguing that even I began to develop a sense of what it must feel like to really love math. (And, amazingly enough, I even got a little better at basic arithmetic.) Several of the games were so much fun, they became obsessions. We played them day after day.

My younger child, who recently finished kindergarten, doesn't remotely share her brother's love of numbers, but this year I dug out my old copy of the book to see if it might get her more interested. Sure enough, it worked. The games of logic and the games designed to develop rapid mental arithmetic skills that so fascinated her brother don't really interest her. In fact, most of the book is still way beyond her skill level. But I've found quite a few games that are appropriate for a child still struggling to add and subtract single digit numbers. (She says they're more fun than the math games they play at school). And there are several activities (Tangrams, and Color Designs, for instance) that take advantage of her love of art to help her understand math better. At the end of kindergarten, my daughter told me that her favorite school subject was math. I have no doubt that her exposure to Family Math games had a lot to do with that. And I have no doubt that we'll be using this book more and more over the next few years.

South Coast Children's Services ¿¿SEAL OF APPROVAL!¿¿
This book is great for teaching kids math. We have used it at home and while traveling. Learning math has been fun for the whole family. The exercises are fantastic, the instructions clear and the learning stimulating for everyone.

We highly recommend you buy a copy and use it with your children.

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Fantastic, flexible resource
FAMILY MATH is one of the best resources for elementary mathematics! The activities are excellent as part of workshops designed to involve parents in the math education of their children; for homeschooling families; for use in classrooms; and for having fun with math in any setting.

You must get this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Demystifying mathematics like no other, this book presents the basics in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way. The authors emphasize the development of skills and confidence in mathematics for readers with a wide range of abilities.Presents material in a thorough, patient manner with a wealth of worked examples and systematic step-by-step solutions. Revises design and layout for a more engaging, accessible presentation. Includes more real-world problems throughout. Includes more applications with real sourced data. Provides online Web exercises in each chapter, noted by a special icon for easy identification.A useful reference for anyone who needs to brush up on their mathematics skills. ... Read more

Book Description

Mastering the art of problem solving takes more than proficiency with basic calculations; it requires understanding how people use information, recognizing the importance of ideology, learning the art of storytelling, and acknowledging the important distinction between facts and values. Intended for professors, managers, entrepreneurs, and students, this guide addresses these and other essential skills. With clear prose, quotations, and exercises for solving problems in the real world, this book serves as an ideal training manual for those who are new to or intimidated by quantitative analysis and an excellent refresher for those who have more experience but want to improve the quality of their data, the clarity of their graphics, and the cogency of their arguments. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

It's Invaluable and Fun!
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge deals with the fundamentals of analysis, research, and problem solving, not with their fashionable technical adornments. It is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to critically review anything from costly, technical studies to everyday rhetorical argument.

The adjectives that came to my mind as I read Turning Numbers Into Knowledge were, "Engaging, comprehensive, down-to-Earth, well-researched, well-written, well-planned, well-documented, creative, helpful, entertaining, filled with useful resource material, user-friendly, personal, witty, and wise."

Whereas I had anticipated a ponderous technical tract, Turning Numbers Into Knowledge entertainingly deals with problem solving and analysis in its broadest context, including the often-ignored yet critical human elements. Because of its breadth, I can scarcely think of any scientist, social scientist, student, researcher, writer, or policy analyst who could not benefit from this book. Its lessons are brought home with cleverly chosen anecdotes and lucid examples. The reader is rewarded frequently with wonderful quotations and great cartoons.

What Koomey says about use of the Internet, web sites, and information dissemination over the Internet also has valuable implications for modern administrators, project managers, and executive directors whose organizational management responsibilities increasingly include management and dissemination of information.

As with other classics, I expect Turning Numbers Into Knowledge to be in print for a long time and would not be surprised to see students a generation from now relying on a future edition. Jon Koomey is a hard worker, clear thinker, and has produced an extraordinarily useful book that will help the practitioners of science, research, policy analysis, and journalism in the pursuit of truth.

Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others.

Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.

not for the technically minded
This is an entertaining and well written book on some of the do's and don'ts of data analysis. To quote from Dr. Beers review below, "The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation." Indeed there are useful tools here for performing sanity checks and for asking critical questions about all sorts of data collections. ... The examples are, at best, sketchy and few in number. The anectodes are amusing but not terribly informative. I would have much preferred more concrete examples and further discussion on some technical matters. ....

TNIK: For scientists & non-scientists alike
I began to enjoy the book almost from the very beginning, the writing style is easy to follow, and its explanations are straight to the point.

Non-scientists & scientists alike will find useful:
1) the methods and ideas for analyzing and testing for plausibility the everyday information encountered in the media,
pointers to finding logical flaws in arguments, and common tricks used by presenters in order to be ambiguous or downright deceptive.
2) simple methods of keeping facts at your fingertips
3) the chapters on life improvement and work-efficiency which made this book pay for itself in a matter of days.
4) helpful links to the Internet and to other books.

Scientists and Engineers in particular will find useful
· The back-of-the-envelope numerical methods. Many sci/engs do not use them enough.
· The description of the scientific process, of which they are (often unconsciously) a part.
· Suggestions on efficient, non-sloppy data analysis. The examples on data analysis are somewhat geared to the field of Energy Analysis, but easy to understand and generalize; in the process I learnt something about that field.
· suggestions for clear, concise presentation of text and figures during presentation of results.

This is also a good book to lend to a student intern or new employee to teach them back of the envelope statistical methods, how to get organized, and good habits, both organizational and data-analysis wise.

Among the most influential books I've read
I was expecting a book about quantitative methods and advanced problem solving techniques. What I got, instead, was a book that didn't even discuss numbers until page 111 of a 221 page book, and it was lite on problem solving techniques. Although it was not what I expected it turned out to be one of those rare books that deeply influences and provides fresh perspectives. The book led me on a journey that broke the process of critical thinking into manageable steps. Among the things I learned were:

* Examine key factors, such as information, attention and action within the context of a cycle of actions that begins with goals, and moves through execution, how events in the external world influence the meeting of those goals, an evaluation and refinement of goals. Then the process starts anew.

* Structured methods for getting organized. The techniques given are simple, yet powerful.How to collect and critically analyze data and information, common fallacies and how to spot them. Two of my favorite parts that reinforce these are then single-page chart titled "What Scientists Say, and What They Mean", and Chapter 20 (Uncertainty Principle and the Mass Media).

* The straightforward process of numerical analysis, using relatively simple math techniques to make sense of numbers and turn them into knowledge, is priceless. What makes this part of the book valuable is that the author integrates the preceding chapters that lead you to a critical thinking mindset with common sense and techniques that are within the grasp of high school students. It looks easy, but is testimony to the author's exceptional ability to communicate and inspire.

Overall this book is one of my personal favorites and one that I recommend to colleagues. Another book that complements this one nicely is Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity by Jamshid Gharajedaghi. ... Read more

Book Description

Many mathematics students have trouble the first time they take acourse, such as linear algebra, abstract algebra, introductory analysis, or discrete mathematics, in which they are asked to prove various theorems.This textbook will prepare students to make the transition from solving problems to proving theorems by teaching them the techniques needed to read and write proofs.The book begins with the basic concepts of logic and set theory, to familiarize students with the language of mathematics and how it is interpreted.These concepts are used as the basis for a step-by-step breakdown of the most important techniques used in constructing proofs.The author shows how complex proofs are built up from these smaller steps, using detailed "scratchwork" sections to expose the machinery of proofs about the natural numbers, relations, functions, and infinite sets.Numerous exercises give students the opportunity to construct their own proofs.No background beyond standard high school mathematics is assumed.This book will be useful to anyone interested in logic and proofs:computer scientists, philosophers, linguists, and of course mathematicians. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A good start on writing proofs, but falls short!
I found that this book utilized a little too much set theory for beginning students. If the author could have given more concrete examples, perhaps from group theory or simpler ones from analysis or number theory, it would have been much better. For students wanting a more lucid exposition of proof techniques, I highly recommend, "100% Mathematical Proof" by Rowan Garnier and someone else,whos name escapes me at the moment. "100% Mathematical Proof" is far superior to this book, and it has answers to the exercises which is crucial to the beginning student learning on his/her own. Velleman needs to bring the abstract nearer to the concrete for the beginning student.

An excellent book
This is an excellent book for the early undergraduate student. It is actually two books in one. The first half is a careful review of Logic and the essentials of Set Theory with an emphasis on precise language. Thereafter a structured development of proof techniques is clearly presented using these tools. The second half of the book is a detailed presentation of introductory material about functions, relations, and a few aspects of more advanced set theory. These chapters serve as a wonderful introduction and show applications of the proof techniques developed earlier.
I have referred back to this book often in my own study of analysis and number theory. I recommend it highly. It will be very useful to any undergraduate proceeding through a mathematics curriculum. I recommend studying it early in the first semester, and re-reading it as time goes on.

Starts off good, and then goes off on a tangent.
I bought this book in the hopes that it would help me improve my proof writing skills. Being only a high school graduate (a month ago), I had practically no knowledge of set theory. The initial proof structures were great, and I enjoyed following the proofs from the premises and, through logical steps, to the desired conclusion. However, then the Set Theory came in. I can understand why a certain amount of set theory was necessary in order to be able to talk about certain types of proofs, but he goes so far into set theory in the book, that by a certain point, instead of following the logical flow of the proofs, I was trying to remember abstruse terminology he had mentioned briefly and trying, successfully for the most part, to understand what the actual proof meant, and why it would make sense that it was correct. Its possible that the reason I feel this way is because when I do proofs, I usually need to understand it intuitively first and then go from there, and it could be the case that this isn't possible with more abstract proofs. Overall, it was a good read, but unfortunately, he went a little too far into the set theory than was necessary. Reading it twice would fix that problem though. Another criticism is that there are no solutions to the exercises.

Breakthrough and Original ......
I recall it was a few years back when I encountered this little gem at my first analysis class. In fact this book wasn't assigned and instead we used Analysis by Lay. I didn't get essential proof tactics/strategies out of Lay's so I plunged myself into Library and after looking up one after another, I finally found this book. It is about as title says and not about Analysis. The book does not cover as much as one expects from Analysis books. But many of them I've seen seem to fail on teaching "how to prove" to study Analysis.

Velleman uses structured style as a technique. Two columns are prepared. The left column is Givens and right Goal. By restructuring Givens and Goal using relationships and definitions, some parts of Goal statement is moved to Givens, like peeling skins of onion. This process iterates until one finds the proving obvious. The whole process is a "scratch work" and a reader is able to see how the author structures the proof step by step, both from Goal and Givens viewpoints.

In past, there was only a Macintosh proofing program, but now Java version called Proof Designer is out. So Windows and Linux users alike can now enjoy this little program in conjunction with the book. Two disappointments with Proof Designer are that the output is only in the form of a traditional proof style which does not expose "the scratch work" and that the program does not use the two column style used in the book.

There are additional materials such as supplementary exercises, documentation, and a list of proof strategies (which is also available at the end of the book as a good reminder and reference), all available from author's site for free. [search in google like this: velleman "how to prove it" inurl:amherst]

After completion of this book, don't throw it away! Advance to Rudin's Principles of Mathematical Analysis and keep Velleman aside. Now one can work on complete proof of materials in Rudin with rigor and study how he constructs logical structures step by step in your own "structured" words!

Probably the best book out there but not perfect
A good basic introduction to understanding math proofs by understanding logic first. Only lacking in its connection to math proofs that one might actually see, in other words too basic (which is as much complement as a critcism.) ... Read more

Book Description

THE MATHEMATICAL PALETTE makes mathematics enjoyable, relevant, understandable, and informative for students. Visually engaging, the text features full color pictures of fine art to bring mathematical concepts to life for the liberal arts student. The text emphasizes problem solving through discovery and applications, encouraging students to become active participants and instilling a rich understanding and appreciation for the beauty of mathematics. Along with its emphasis on writing and critical thinking skills, the text presents the history of mathematicians with numerous, everyday applications to illustrate the evolution and practicality of math and parallel the creativity of liberal arts majors. The Third Edition of THE MATHEMATICAL PALETTE also features a robust suite of online course management, testing, and tutorial resources for instructors and students. This includes BCA/iLrn Testing and Tutorial, vMentor live online tutoring, and a Book Companion Web Site featuring online graphing calculator resources. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Great Intro to math concepts
This book served as a great introduction to almost all math concept. Each capter could easily expand into a 500 page book but that wasn't the intent of the author. I had this book as required reading in a class. The secondchapter was a bit of a hurdle but well worth it. It explains thisrelatively cleary however I highly suggest you get the student study guide.You can become easily lost without it as the other assumes you know certainbasic concepts. All in all I gave it four of five stars. Hopefully he willpublish a second edition soon. ... Read more