Book Description

Since its initial publication, MATHEMATICS: A GOOD BEGINNING has set the standard for math methods books. More than just a textbook, this is a complete instructional program that serves a multitude of curriculum needs. The book has been praised for its depth and clarity, its imaginative activities, and its attentiveness to the philosophy and recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). This edition is solidly grounded in the latest research on how children learn mathematics and how teachers develop attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge that promote successful teaching. ... Read more

Book Description

A proven system of teaching essential math skills in the areas of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, geometry, integers, percents, charts and graphs, and problem solving.The easy-to-follow program consists of short, concise, and self-contained lessons which require only twenty minutes per day. Excellent for middle gradesstudents and also for students with limited-English skills.This program ensures that students will have the necessary skills to be successful in algebra. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mastering Essential Math Skills
I have used this book as a skill drill for most of my classes. The falw however, is that if you don't follow the same order in your curriculum, the students get lost in the "review" excercises. The addition and multiplication skill drills are a bonus.

My students begged for more!
This book by Richard Fisher really tells the tale. Students are not strong in their basic skills. This book gives each teacher a chance to put the students best foot forward. The speed drills were looked forward to each day in my classroom. We use this book at the 6th,7th and 8th grade and have had no problems with it being repetitive. The students testing better on the SAT 9 and the MAC. ... Read more

Book Description

This respected, extremely user-friendly text emphasizes essential math skills and consistently relates math to practical applications so students can see how learning math will help them on the job. Visual images are used to engage students and assist with problem solving. ... Read more

Book Description

This text on mathematical problem solving provides a comprehensive outline of "problemsolving-ology," concentrating on strategy and tactics.It discusses a number of standard mathematical subjects such as combinatorics and calculus from a problem solver's perspective. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

General Problem Solving Strategies.
Perfect match for all math problem solvers.
Wonderful Book with around 660 problems.
Level National Math competition, IMO, Putnam.
If I have to pick the best two problem solving books so far publish in the English Language
Problem-Solving Strategies (Problem Books in Mathematics) by Arthur Engel and this Book by Paul Zeitz are the clear winners.

This particular book has very clear explanations of the main problem solving strategies illustrated with carefully sample problems. Reading this book brings to my memory the works of Polya. One of the only things I think the book is lacking is on strategies to solve Geometry problems in particular or to use the same strategies in the book to solve more Geometrically flavor problems. Nevertheless is a Joy to read.
Please Paul keep writing this beautiful problem solving books.

One of the best
This book is indeed one of the best problem-solving textbook so far. As a frequent lecturer of Taiwan IMO team, I have many many MO books. Most of the books available are well-written by professionals and excellent mathematicians. However, since IMO does really prevail in recent years, these authors could not be the participants themselves (^^). Furthermore, usually these books (except those are merely problems collections) contains a good proportion of "harder" and beautiful problems, and the easier and basic training problems are relatively few. It often get the beginners frustrate.

Now this maybe is the first book written by a member of former MO team, and now a training lecturer. (The author himself won the USAMO and IMO in 1974, and helped train several USA IMO teams, including the 1994 "perfect score team"). So here is the precious experience! Besides, the ratio between the harder problems and the easier problems is really good. In my opinion this is an excellent textbook for ambitious beginners (both teachers and students), for self-studys and problem-solving fans. Highly recommended.

Essential for budding (and experienced) problem-solvers
I join the ranks of previous reviewers here who honestly feel that having read this book in high school would have almost certainly changed my life. I, too, did very well in high school math competitions, but the maturity I am gleaning from this gem may have vaulted me into a different league.

It contains hundreds of problems from various levels of competition, from AIME problems all the way through some of the toughest Putnam problems (which, if you know anything about the Putnam, are about as hard as competition problems come). But the biggest help are the vital insights and exciting ways of looking at these problems. Don't take my word for it-- many past IMO contestants have suggested this book too.

You don't have to be a math competition buff to gain from this book, however. If you're simply interested in mathematical puzzles and problems, and looking to expand your repertoire, this book will help you. Anyone with a good dose of intelligence and motivation will benefit.

For an additional problem book, check out Mathematical Olympiad Challenges by Andreescu and Gelca. For purely Putnam treatment, there are several volumes written by Kedlaya. And if you're a CS student, looking for honing those CS math skills to be razor sharp, you should definitely look into Concrete Mathematics by Graham, Knuth, and Patashnik.

Happy solving.

The Book I wish I had in High School
When I was in high school, I placed second in the Alabama State Mathematics Contest and won many others. However, I might could have been competitive with the IMO style problems had I had this book and would be much better off today had I seen this book earlier.

This book is for the exceptionally brilliant and the mentally tough. It is absolutely necessary to approach this book in a different way from a standard math textbook. You MUST attempt the examples BEFORE looking at the example solutions, NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT OR FRUSTRATING. You may be bamboozled by the problems, but even trying to understand the problems before looking at the solutions and thinking about how a solution might proceed will pay huge dividends in the long run.

For example, in the first chapter Zeitz presents an example asking the reader to prove that the product of four consecutive integers cannot be a perfect square. The solution involves some clever algebraic trickery not visible to the inexperienced, but persistence and getting your hands dirty is key.

If you persist in spite of the considerable difficulty, you will find that you get better very, very quickly. You will also notice that it isn't just contest problems it helps you solve. I have found that I have solved my homework sets in the Berkeley graduate engineering program much more easily since working these problems. You will start to see creative and clever solutions where they exist in everything problem oriented.

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE!

Brilliant
As a high school student that is essentially bored with the regular, ho-hum classes that my school offers, this book is perfect. It gives a problem-solving foundation for math enthusiasts desiring to compete nationally in contests like the AMC, AIME, and USAMO. The problems are excellent and cover a wide range of difficulty (past ASHMEs, USAMOs, and, finally, IMOs); and the solutions are well-written, logical, and intelligible. In short, if you are looking to "get better" at problem solving, this is the book for you.

Note: I also bought Problem-Solving Strategies by Arthur Engle. Those, perhaps more advanced, problem-solvers that want even more of a challenge should purchase this book as well (as both books give very challenging problems, but Engel's is undoubtedly more advanced). ... Read more

Book Description

Provides complete coverage of both the Lyapunov and Input-Output stability theories, ina readable, concise manner.
* Supplies an introduction to the popular backstepping approach to nonlinear control design
* Gives a thorough discussion of the concept of input-to-state stability
* Includes a discussion of the fundamentals of feedback linearization and related results.
* Details complete coverage of the fundamentals of dissipative system's theory and its application in the so-called L2gain control prooblem, for the first time in an introductory level textbook.
* Contains a thorough discussion of nonlinear observers, a very important problem, not commonly encountered in textbooksat this level. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first volume in a two volume sequence providing the foundational material on Stochastic calculus models in finance. This first volume is suitable for discrete-time finance. The only pre-requisite is standard calculus; may aspects such as martingales and change of measure are treated in detailed depth. Probability is covered in detail using the binomial model.

The book will be suitable for advanced undergraduate courses and beginning masters-level students in mathematical finance and financial engineering. There are exercises and examples throughout and summaries at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

This popular best-selling book shows students and professionals how to do data analysis with Microsoft Excel. DATA ANALYSIS WITH MICROSOFT EXCEL teaches students and professionals the fundamental concepts of statistics and how to use Microsoft Excel to solve the kind of data-intensive problems that arise in business and elsewhere. Even students with no previous experience using spreadsheets will find that this text's step-by-step approach, extensive tutorials, and examples make it easy to learn how to use Excel for analyzing data. A CD-ROM is included with every new text that contains the StatPlus add-ins for Microsoft Excel and data sets for exercises. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A review by a statistics class (XP edition)
I use this book as the main text book for the first half of a class in statistics and research methods for students from a wide variety of social science and humanities backgrounds, with little formal statistics or mathematics background.

I surveyed my students with 5 questions about the book, with responses on a Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 3=neutral, 5=strongly aggree. 17 students responded, which is a small enough sample size to caution applicability of results. The mean value of each response appears after the questions I asked.

1.The book was, overall, helpful in explaining statistical concepts. (Mean=2.73). Students would have appreciated more explanation and examples.
2.The book helped me to analyze data. (Mean=2.3)
3.The StatPlus AddIn was, overall, helpful in analyzing data. (Mean=3.76)
4.The StatPlus AddIn worked well on my computer. (Mean=3.7)
5.Overall, I would recommend this book to next year's class. (Mean=3.05)

Thus, overall, weighting each question equally, my students gave the book 3.12 stars.

As a professor, I give the book 4 stars. The organization of the book chapters fit well in an overview course, with one chapter assinged per week. The StatPlus AddIn is worth the cost of the book itself, as it expands the statistical capabilities of Excel without students needing to purchase additional software. There are a wide range of problems and example data sets which come with the book, applicable to a wide range of disciplines. A significant number of students had computer difficulties installing and running the StatPlus AddIn, so I would recommend to the company a support web page with FAQs, at the least.

Students with little preparation in mathematics or statiscs who need a good step-by-step guide to data analysis will find this book helpful, especially if they do the excercises at the end of the chapters. (The publishers should make the answers available to everyone, not just us instructors -- for those working on their own who want to check their work). However, students with some preparation in statistics or mathematics may be better served with a more advanced text.

StatPlus a useful tool
The statplus pack taht comes with the book, does a great job at solving one of excel shortcomings - not being able to add test labels to points on a scatter plot.
The book it self is too simplistic, does not go into detail on how formulas work. If you need a book to explain the formulas behind excel stats, and how to manipulate them, this is not the book.
However if you are just learning/teaching how to use the formulas for basic analysis this is great.

Saved my bacon!
This book was a lifesaver on a graduate research project I was working on. I learned a lot about statistics, Microsoft Excel, and how they both work together. (My boss thinks that I am smart now)

Data Analysis for "Non"-Scientists
I was browsing through a local bookstore for a guide to Excel specially tailored for science and engineering applications. I encountered this book and found it very interesting and detailed. It is written in plain English that conveys the message very well. For readers are looking for info about using Excel for statistics (pertaining to business, economics, and social science), this is the perfect book. Yet it does not extrapolate and contain all the necesaary info on science and engineering applications. I still recommend this book for non-scientists.

Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel by Berk and Carey
As a statistics instructor, I found the book and software very helpful. To extract the software is a bit tricky - you need to read pages 8-10 and 76-77 to get the disk installed. Once installed, the Stat Plus Add-In adds extra tools, including a box plot and normal probability plot, that standard Excel does not have. My students use the software in a computer lab. ... Read more

Book Description

A new text for the liberal arts math course by a seasoned author team, Mathematical Excursions, is uniquely designed to help students see math at work in the contemporary world. Using the proven Aufmann Interactive Method, students learn to master problem-solving in meaningful contexts. In addition, multi-part Excursion exercises emphasize collaborative learning. The text's extensive topical coverage offers instructors flexibility in designing a course that meets their students' needs and curriculum requirements.

• The Excursions activity and corresponding Excursion Exercises, denoted by an icon, conclude each section, providing opportunities for in-class cooperative work, hands-on learning, and development of critical-thinking skills. These activities are also ideal for projects or extra credit assignments. The Excursions are designed to reinforce the material that has just been covered in the section in a fun and engaging manner that will enhance a student's journey and discovery of mathematics.
• The proven Aufmann Interactive Method ensures that students try concepts and manipulate real-life data as they progress through the material. Every objective contains at least one set of matched-pair examples. The method begins with a worked-out example with a solution in numerical and verbal formats to address different learning styles. The matched problem, called Check Your Progress, is left for the student to try. Each problem includes a reference to a fully worked out solution in an appendix to which the student can refer for immediate feedback, concept reinforcement, identification of problem areas, and prevention of frustration.
• Each Chapter Opener begins with a short introduction to a real data application, which is then highlighted again in one Excursions activity and in the corresponding Excursion Exercises at the end of a section. This specific Excursion will be denoted by an icon. A section-by-section table of contents is accompanied by a brief summary of the topics that will be covered in the chapter.
• A section called Problem-Solving Strategies in Chapter 1 introduces students to the inductive and deductive reasoning strategies they will use throughout the text.
• An Instructor's Annotated Edition features icons denoting tables and art that appear in PowerPoint and Word files on the Instructor CD-ROM and web site; worked-out solutions to all Check Your Progress exercises and answers to all exercises; and a time-saving listing, Suggested Assignments.
• A supportive Question/Answer feature at key points throughout the text encourages students to pause and reflect on the concept being discussed and to answer the question. The answer is located in a footnote on the same page.
• Carefully developed Exercise Sets, emphasizing skill building, skill maintenance, concepts, and applications, range from drill and practice exercises to engaging challenge problems.
• Extension exercises placed near the end of each exercise set present a combination of Critical Thinking, Cooperative Learning, and Exploration exercises to provide further challenge and concept extension.
• Take Note boxes in the margins alert students to a point requiring special attention or amplify a concept being developed.
• Math Matters essay boxes throughout the text help motivate students by demonstrating how and why math is applicable to contemporary, real-life situations. Accompanying graphs and figures help students visually interpret the material.
• Point of Interest notes provide relevant, contemporary information that helps motivate learning by giving context to concepts being presented. Historical Notes offer additional context by highlighting important mathematical developments or famous individuals who have made major advancements in their fields.
• Calculator Notes offer point-of-use tips on solving select problems with various kinds of calculators.
• Each chapter concludes with a Chapter Summary that includes cross-referenced Key Words and Essential Concepts; and Chapter Review Exercises and Chapter Test Exercises with section references.

Book Description

This text offers a comprehensive review of all basic mathematics concepts and prepares students for further coursework. The arithmetic is presented with an emphasis on problem-solving, skills, concepts, and applications based on "real world" data, with some introductory algebra integrated throughout. ... Read more

Book Description

The Table of Integrals, Series, and Products is the major reference source for integrals in the English language. It is essential for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers, who rely on it when identifying and subsequently solving extremely complex problems.

The Sixth Edition is a corrected and expanded version of the previous edition. It was completely reset in order to add more material and to enhance the visual appearance of the information. To preserve compatibility with the previous edition, the original numbering system for entries has been retained. New entries and sections have been inserted in a manner consistent with the original scheme. Whenever possible, new entries and corrections have been checked by means of symbolic computation.

Preface
This completely reset sixth edition of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik is a corrected and expanded version of the previous edition. The book was completely reset in order to add more material and to enhance the visual appearance of the material.To preserve compatibility with the previous edition, the original numbering system for entries has been retained.New entries and sections have been inserted in a manner consistent with the original scheme. Whenever possible, new entries and corrections have been checked by means of symbolic computation.

The diverse ways in which corrections have been contributed have made it impossible to attribute them to reference sources that are accessible to users of this book.However, as in previous editions, our indebtedness to theses contributors is shown in the form of an acknowledgement list on page xxiii.This list gives the names of those who have written to us directly sending corrections and suggestions for addenda, and added to it are the names of those who have published errata in Mathematics of Computation. Certain individuals must be singled out for special thanks due to their significant contributions: Professors H. van Haeringen and L.P. Kok of the Netherlands and Dr. K.S. K”lbig have contributed new material, corrections, and suggestions for new material.

Great care was taken to check the reset version of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik against the fifth edition, both by computer means and hand inspection, but it is inevitable that some transcription errors will remain. These will be rectified in subsequent reprinting of the book as and when they are identified.The authors would appreciate knowledge of any errors or deficiencies, their email addresses are listed below.If any errata are found, they will be posted on the website, www.az-tec.com/gr/errata.
As in the previous edition, a numerical superscript added to an entry number is used to indicate either a new edition to the book or a correction. When an entire section is new, an asterisk has been added only to the section heading. Continuing in the previous convention, a superscript 10 has been added to entry numbers to indicate the most recent changes that have been made.

This latest version of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik also forms the source for a revised electronic version of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik.

Special thanks are extended to John Law and the Newcastle University Computing Service for their help in the preparation of this edition.

Alan Jeffrey
Daniel Zwillinger ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This software is unusable on mac's and unix systems.
I bought this software hoping that it would help me to find required mathematical formulas faster. At home on my powermac (OSX.1, OS9.2) I only see messed up windows. Furthermore, the formulas are unreadable, using an archaic font. Trying to save the day, I went to my linux machine at work reading "Your operating system, Linux 2.2.19-7.0.1, is not supported by this software. It appears that the software is only suitable for some SUN and SGI machines. It only appears to run properly on a windows machine. From an editor, who I remember, is one of the few persons finding errors in Knuth's TeX system, I expected much better.

A fun book
I bought Gradshteyn & Ryzhik because I had to write an answer to some homework problem in some physics class that I took. The problem had contorted itself into a perverse elliptic integral and its recovery was beyond my means, so I went to the bookstore, looked for something fat and Soviet, and found this gem. I forked over the cash for it, figuring that it was a long-term investment.

I took it home and dutifully plagiarized some of its lines to satisfy my physics professor. For the next few months, that was the mode in which I used this book: read physics problem, translate into elliptic or hypergeometric beast, look up answer in G&R, cover up my tracks, get 9 or 10 points on the problem. Occasionally, I would own up to having looked something up.

The book served its purpose well. Subsequently, I studied some integrals of the spinning top that were more or less right out of Nikiforov's book on special functions (another excellent source for those of you that would like to "earn" a PhD), and G&R stood well by its side. Indeed, I discovered how much fun it was to look up an integral whose complicated solution had been derived elsewhere, and then to look for patterns by analyzing the immediate neighbors of the given integral on the preceding and subsequent lines in G&R.

After I was done with answering questions from physics professors, the book sat on the shelf taking up more room than several of its neighbors put together. Nonetheless, its binding was good, its typesetting clear, and its terse and copious stream of forbidding integral forms was pleasing to the eye.

Some time passed, and one day I asked myself just what would motivate anybody to write such a large collection, so I started rummaging through its pages looking for a pattern. I realized that its organization was excellent (which would explain why I was able to find the answers for my homework), and I also found some sections that were just plain fun. The very beginning lists some sums of infinite series that can be derived during lunch or while waiting for a friend at a cafe (e.g. sum of k^3 = [1/2(n)(n+1)]^2 ). Then one can read about numbers and functions named after Euler, Jacobi, Bernoulli, Catalan... each line, more or less, is cross-referenced, so after you have given up trying to derive that darned product representation of the gamma function, you can go to the book in the library and see how Whittaker did it.

After about 15 years of owning this book, I am nowhere near done with it. If you like math, and you want insurance against being bored, this book just might do the trick. As a bonus, it puts cute matrix stuff in the back (e.g. the "circulant") which one can read when desiring a break from the integrals. I know the book seems expensive, but think of if as spending about two bucks a year on it.

I see that one can now obtain a CDRom version of G&R. An intriguing option, specially because it outputs in TeX; but really, how can anyone resist the large, stubby charm of its paper version?

G&R can help you to deal with members of the opposite sex. I once used it to scare away a girlfriend that was becoming much too annoying, by pretending to be thickly engrossed in the process of memorizing every single integral in the "special functions" chapters. As for my mother, she was particularly proud of me when I showed her that I could actually understand "randomly selected" pages from this book (I don't suppose that I am giving anything away by remarking that books open naturally on sections that have been previously examined).

For those of you that are concerned about home security, G&R is also a weapon. Some people surround themselves with baseball bats or, if they are particularly reckless, a handgun or two... I prefer to keep a fully-loaded G&R by my pillow, which I can hurl at any prowler at a moment's notice. Its shape is surprisingly well adjusted to the hand for the purposes of hurling, and if the covers are bound by a rubber band, the book maintains its shape quite stably as it sails across the room. Sell your Smith & Wesson and buy yourself a Gradshteyn & Ryzhik. You won't regret it.

Daunting at first but worth it.
Before it was much use, I had to read the section as to how the book is organized. As the other reviewers state the integrals are comprehensive and as far as I have used correct. The integrals are very useful, but this book includes many other features that I have found helpful as a graduate student. The sections on Hermite and Legendre polynomials are especially helpful for students of Electricity and Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Mathematical physics (you won't have to hunt in several books to find what you need). The included identities for hyperbolic and trig functions are very helpful simplifying homework answers, mostly because of their comprehensive nature. This book is great because it seems to have everything and most people will not need to buy another table. The binding is good also, so it should last many years with normal care. This is a very good investment.

Gigantic, but well organized and highly accurate
Gradshteyn and Ryzhik is to the CRC Mathematical Tables as the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary is to Webster's Collegiate. Besides being big, it's easy to find things in, because of the way the integrals are organized into classes. Like any other integral tables, you'll probably have to make a change of variables or two to get your problem into a standard form, but since the classes are well covered, you have a big target to shoot for, so your chances of finding your integral tabulated are excellent.

An unscientific sampling indicates that this book has remarkably few errors. It really helped me through grad school.

Best and Largest set of Integral Tables in the WORLD!
This is the best and largest compilation of integrals and their solutions in existence. Whatever integral you are trying to solve, odds are someone else has already solved it and the answer is in this book. If you regularly come across integrals in your work or play (yes, IT IS FUN for some people), this book is an absolute must. Also a great reference for info on special functions, infinite series, jacobians, vectors, rules of integration, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

This CDROM contains all the source code for the routines and examples from Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing (Second Edition) and Numerical Recipes in C++: The Art of Scientific Computing (Second Edition) as well as the affiliated example books. The C++ routines, in ANSI/ISO C++ source code, can be used with almost any existing C++ vector/matrix class library, according to user preference.A simple class library for stand-alone use is also included.The ISO 9660 standard format CD-ROM can be used by Windows (all versions) and Macintosh compatible computers, using any Web browser to navigate among the program files. Included with the CD-ROM is a license to use all the copyrighted Numerical Recipes code on a single Windows or Macintosh compatible computer. Both scientific programmers new to C++, and experienced C++ programmers who need access to the Numerical Recipes routines, can benefit from this new version of a classic text. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is the one of the worst examples of coding I've seen
I just got my copy of the CD today. I was surprised to see that they had stripped off all the code comments provided in the books. All that is left is the terse library of routines with the single character variables we loved to use as a BASIC beginner.

Buy this CD for the licence rights, but download the PDF chapters from the NR web site to get the commented code.

The familiar Numerical Recipies routines without so much C
The numerical recipes books have always provided minimal but usable routines for most numerical applications. The C++ conversion supplies routines that have been barely changed from the C versions, but uses C++ to give you the minimum that C++ programmers demand: automatic memory management and freedom from scary macros and side effects . The authors also updated the code to support double precision floats and complex numbers where the C version does not. The implementation of vectors and matrices is so minimal that even matrix multiplication and addition are not supported. All manipulation is element by element. This may make the routines less readable but has one big advantage: you can plug any vector or matrix library into these routine in place of their built in ones and expect everything to work instantly.

This is NOT free software - the license is relatively friendly to commercial software but not to open source software.

While there are other libraries that seem to be much more friendly to open source development than the NR library, I still think the numerical recipes books and libraries are useful to people writing open source software. You can't use the library directly, but where else are you going to find examples of minimal implementations of numeric algorithms? The code is absolutely modular, so you do have some hope of being able to decipher it.

Anyway even the NR routines are based on older routines so the authors admit in the license that comes with the book that they can't claim to own the algorithms they use.

Basically the new version of the code has been improved to the point where there's no need to run screaming, and for quick and dirty math routines, that's good enough for my use anyway.

... Read more

Book Description

This book provides professionals with a large selection of algorithms, kernels and solutions ready for implementation and suitable for standard pattern discovery problems in fields such as bioinformatics, text analysis and image analysis.It also serves as an introduction for students and researchers to the growing field of kernel-based pattern analysis, demonstrating with examples how to handcraft an algorithm or a kernel for a new specific application, and covering all the necessary conceptual and mathematical tools to do so. ... Read more

Book Description

Karl Smith's loyal customers adopt his book for its clear writing, its coverage of historical topics, selection of topics, level, exercise sets (featuring great applications problems), and emphasis on problem solving. Since the First Edition of Smith's text was published, thousands of liberal arts students have "experienced" mathematics rather than just doing problems. Smith's writing style gives students the confidence and ability to function mathematically in their everyday lives. The emphasis on problem solving and estimation, along with numerous in-text study aids, encourages students to understand the concepts while mastering techniques. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A math text for the masses
This book satisfies the informal definition of the liberal arts "discipline." A little bit about a lot of things, but not too much of any one thing. Which is precisely the targeted audience.
The following topics are covered, and one should preface each with the word elementary: set theory, deductive reasoning, computers, number theory, algebra, the mathematics of finance, geometry, functions, probability, statistics, and mathematical modeling. All presentations are structured so that one can pick and choose without serious loss of continuity. Large numbers of problems are given at the end of each chapter, and the solutions to the odds are in the back of the book.
The text is written in a style that is described as humanistic. Features included in the text are as follows: birthdates of famous mathematicians at the start of the chapters, brief biographical sketches in the margins; cartoons; historical notes; and news clips. All of these add a note of relaxation that serves to improve the quality.
The only criticism is one that stems from personal bias. The chapter on computers does not have enough material to even begin to achieve computer literacy. With the incredible and expanding diversification of computer use, only a full course can begin to prepare people. It would have been better to leave this topic out.
This book is an excellent example of a math text for the masses. Any potential user can find what they want here.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Need Math this is the book to get!
If you ever wanted to know about Math this is the book to get. ... Read more

Book Description

Work at the biology bench requires an ever-increasing knowledge of mathematical methods and formulae. In Lab Math, Dany Spencer Adams has compiled the most common mathematical concepts and methods in molecular biology, and provided clear, straightforward guidance on their application to research investigations. Subjects range from basics such as scientific notation and measuring and making solutions, to more complex activities like quantifying and designing nucleic acids and analyzing protein activity. Tips on how to present mathematical data and statistical analysis are included. A reference section features useful tables, conversion charts and ìplug and chugî equations for experimental procedures. This volume is an excellent, structured source of information that in many laboratories is often scattered and informally organized. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definitely worth having
This is a great book. I use it mostly to look up techniques while I'm working (certain pages are well dog-eared), but when I've read more, I've found it very helpful. I wish I'd had it when I was a student. Teachers should also find it really useful for helping students get the math refresher they usually need for college science classes. There are a couple of errors - you can download the corrections from the publishers website (where it says the mistakes are only in the first printing) - but in a book like this that's hard to avoid, and there are actually very few. Most of the book is really terrific, and surprisingly entertaining, especially the cartoons.

bimbo at math
strong, clear, precise and worth it! unless of course you're worse at math than I am. Then take up kayaking. ... Read more

Book Description

This classic best-seller by a well-known author introduces mathematics history to math and math education majors. Suggested essay topics and problem studies challenge students. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS sections explain the time and culture in which mathematics developed and evolved. Portraits of mathematicians and material on women in mathematics are of special interest. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great!
I agree with the person who said this book is very informative & it is also easy to read. I learned lots from doing the problems too, like for example, a simple algorithm on how to construct magic squares of odd size. This book was good for the course I did because there's only so much you can do in a course; Morris Kline's "Mathematical Thought From Ancient to Modern Times" is twice as long as this one so it goes into much more detail, but too much for a 1-term course. This book by Eves is a good INTRO to the history of math, I liked it.

Excellent
The careful documentation of the discoveries and history of mathematics is of overwhelming importance, especially in modern times where the advances are taking place so rapidly that the historical roots of some branches of mathematics seem to be getting lost. It would be a tragedy if the history of these important developments were not put into print so that later generations of mathematicians and students could have an understanding of how these came about. Thanks to the information age, the accessibility of mathematical documents has dramatically increased, but these documents usually do not include overviews of how the ideas took root and then flourished as independent research disciplines.

This book gives a general overview of mathematical developments up until the middle of the twentieth century. It is a fascinating story, and readers will realize to what extent mathematical ideas deemed complex by even modern standards were known by the ancients. Indeed, it is very surprising to learn that in 2000 BC the Babylonians were solving quadratic equations and even some cubic and quartic equations. The Babylonians did not produce an Evariste Galois, that took centuries more time, but they were dealing with mathematical constructions that were interesting to compare with modern methods.

One very interesting feature of this book is that it is meant to be used as a textbook, and not just in a course in the history of mathematics. The author has included "problem studies" and "essay topics" at the end of each chapter that challenge the reader to solve problems pertinent to the historical topics of each chapter. The inclusion of these problems will allow the student to gain insight on the difficulty in solving problems with the constraint of using concepts that were unique to a definite period in mathematical history.

The book also includes discussions of the history of non-Western contributions to mathematics. The work of the Hindus, the Chinese, and Arabs is included. The contributions of the Arabs are particularly important for later developments in the West, as it was they who revived Greek philosophy and mathematics and consequently changed dramatically the role of mathematics in Europe.

The reading of this book will give a greater appreciation of the developments in mathematics as they are done today. Mathematical research now is done by both human and machine, and no doubt this century, and others beyond it, will result in brilliant developments. Mathematics pervades every human activity in the modern world and every piece of technology. When books like this one are written in the future, readers who peruse them and take note of the incredible advancements made in mathematics in the centuries that preceed them, no doubt their predominant emotion will be astonishment.

When used as a self-study text ...
When used as a self-study text, I found the book to be lacking a sufficient quantity of example problems solved in adequate detail to be truly helpful.

Outstanding!
This book is quite informative and interesting to read. If you love any math at all, you should definitally read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Unlike a couse in "calculus" or "differential equations", in which the content of the course is fairly standardized, the content of a course titled "engineering mathematics" often varies considerably among academic institutions. A text in Advanced Engineering Mathematics is, therefore a compendium of many mathematical topics, all of which are loosely related by the expedient of either being needed or useful in courses and subsequent careers in science and engineering. There is literally no upper bound to the number of topics that could be included in this kind of text. Consequently, this book represents the most accurate list of what constitutes "engineering mathematics" in the authors' opinions. For flexibility in topic selection the text is divided into five major parts or subdivisions that illustrate the authors' belief that the backbone of science/engineering related mathematics is the theory and applications of ordinary and partial differential equations.

A Student Solutions Manual is sold separately (ISBN: 0-7637-1285-X). A Complete Solutions Manual (for qualified instructors only) is available through the publisher (ISBN: 0-7637-1356-2) NEW! Each of the five major parts of the text opens with an essay by an acknowledged expert in his or her field in engineering.Numerous real-world applications, current examples, and a great many illustrations help students visualize important concepts and apply the material to their everyday lives.

Written by a successful differential equations author!Exercises vary in difficulty to reinforce the understanding of the material found in the chapters.Each chapter has an opening page that includes a table of contents, an introduction, a list of important concepts in that chapter, and a list of relevant topics.Answers to odd-numbered problems are given in the back of the text. Along with summaries and review exercises at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

As leading experts in geometric algebra, Chris Doran and Anthony Lasenby have led many new developments in the field over the last ten years. This book provides an introduction to the subject, covering applications such as black hole physics and quantum computing. Suitable as a textbook for graduate courses on the physical applications of geometric algebra, the volume is also a valuable reference for researchers working in the fields of relativity and quantum theory. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Compared to what ?
This is truly a great book for any one who is interested in not just physics, but physical reality. Although the ideas expressed therein have a long history and are by no means as uniquely those of its authors as were Albert Einstein's in his day, I believe that they will have comparable lasting value. Moreover the synthesis presented in this book, which builds pre-eminently on the work of Hestenes, is absolutely superb. Interested readers need not take my word for these claims, but are invited to prove it to themselves.

Although the above should be a sufficient review, my experience nevertheless indicates that it is a good idea to warn potentially enthusiastic readers against several common semantic misconceptions, lest they jump to conclusions which prevent them from ever taking that vital first step. Thus let it be clearly understood that Geometric Algebra is NOT:
(1) A replacement for linear/matrix/tensor algebra (on the contrary, it is a very nice complement to these formalisms).
(2) Identical, or even very close, to Emil Artin's earlier excellent book on bilinear forms with the title "Geometric Algebra".
(3) Another name for the enormous field "algebraic geometry" (it is indeed appropriate that the word stemming from "geometry" comes first in "geometric algebra").
(4) Just another reformulation of complex / quaternion / octonian analysis; for it connects all these purely algebraic objects, and many generalizations thereof, to Felix Klein's Erlangen Programme and Sophus Lie's theory of continuous groups.
(5) The ultimate theory of everything (although it probably will eventually be found to have something to do with it).

Geometric algebra IS a practical and natural (canonical) tool for formulating physical and mathematical problems in homogeneous spaces in a fully covariant fashion. But more importantly, you do not need to understand all those words in order to benefit from it, and this book is an excellent place for physicists of all stripes to start.

Articulate Path to the Future
The quality and importance of this book could hardly be overstated. Geometric algebra might casually be considered the "correct" generalization of linear algebra. By considering, for a start, directed line segments, the linear algebra courses presently taught in some high schools and all universities achieve miracles. Although viewed by a few of the slower students as merely unpleasant bookkeeping systems, linear algebra derives its power from allowing algebraic manipulation of sophisticated aggregate objects, namely vectors. The benefits are not just computational, but stem more importantly from a more powerful and more unified, although slightly more abstract point of view than a student had before studying. Geometric algebra is all that and much more. By extending consideration from directed line segments to the inclusion of direct plane segments, directed elements of three space, etc., an extremely flexible and elegant mathematical tool arises. It allows a deeper, quicker, and more concise treatment of essentially all of modern differential geometry. Its applications throughout physics are at once simplifications of ordinary matrix treatments and occasions to allow much greater insight.

Geometric algebra is a great theory, one of highest importance. It will, undoubtedly, find a dominant place in our mathematics curriculum at the highest speed allowed by our educational systems (the highest speed being actually quite slow). This book is an especially good place to begin study. It starts from the most elementary principles, and exposes the material with very thoughtful, clear presentation. The economy and elegance of the geometric algebra itself allows this one substantial but not enormous book to reveal great insights into many branches of study, from differential geometry and its applications to gravity theory to quantum mechanics and classical mechanics.

If I had no books in my library, I would purchase a Bible. If I had only the Bible in my library, I would purchase this book next. I would certainly study this book in all detail before making a third purchase. My library already has several books in it. None of them will be read further until I finish every line, every exercise of this book. It's an important theory, and it is explained in a very useful and articulate way. This would, of course, be entirely expected if the authors were from Oxford University. Since they are only from Cambridge, we might not have expected as much, but we got it, nonetheless. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

The best introductory book bar none
This book clearly explains the foundation of cryptography, numbers, and the techniques that have emerged to provide modern security technologies. The book starts with Part I, that sets the context by introducing terms and the basics, including ciphers, data encryption standard (DES) and secret keys. The authors did a remarkable job by making complex concepts easy to understand. The next two parts go into more detail about public keys and digital certificates. While these are relatively simple to learn on the surface, the details have always eluded me until I read this book because more papers and books on the subject get too deep into details too fast and assume knowledge of advanced math on the part of the reader. Not so this book - the authors make it easy through clear writing, illustrations that illuminate the textual descriptions and a knack for explaining the complex in simple and easily digestible chunks.

I especially liked Part IV, which covers secure electronic commerce because it covered the full spectrum of technologies and the information is immediately useful to all IT and security professionals. Like in the first three parts of this book I came away with a complete understanding of how everything works.

This book epitomizes clear writing. Moreover, it is simply amazing how much knowledge can be relatively painlessly gained from reading this book. Although I am sure the authors intended to make the inner workings of cryptography accessible to non-security professionals (which they unquestionably accomplished), they also set a standard of excellence in technical writing by producing a book that is, in my opinion, near perfect in its ability to seamlessly use lively prose and well thought out illustrations to convey highly technical information. If you need to learn cryptography but are challenged by the math and the impenetratable writing of other books on the subject, start with this one.

Good But A Bit Rough
* The title of H.X. Mel and Doris Baker's CRYPTOGRAPHY DECRYPTED is a
bit misleading, implying that this is a book on general cryptography.
This isn't exactly the case; while it does have a survey of the
history of cryptography, it is actually focused on digital / Internet
cryptography, explaining such matters as public-key cryptography,
digital certificates, Internet security, and so on.

There is a great deal of very good information in this book, but it
suffers from a certain lack of focus. It's basically set up as an
introductory sort of book, but despite the attempts of the authors to
simplify things for beginners, it comes across as a little too stiff
and difficult for a novice. Crypto is of course difficult, but the
authors just don't seem to have the ability to really make things
simple. It reads much like the "typical computer sort of book".

I get the impression that they never really handed it to a real novice
to see where the text gets a blank look. For example, I kept
wondering what the difference is between a "MAC" and a "hashed MAC" --
doesn't a MAC imply use of a hash, thinks I? -- but though I went
over the text repeatedly I couldn't do more than guess in the end.

So I can only guardedly recommend this book. It's not really
appropriate for a novice, but should be useful for an intermediate
crypto fan interested in Internet cryptography -- with the conditions
that it can be difficult to mine information out of it and that there
are dead ends here and there.

Wonderful! Simple explanations for a complex subject
If you have no idea how network security works than this is THE book for you! After reading several RFC's and other books and materials on topics such as IPSec, Diffie-Hellman, Message Digest,etc., and not REALLY understanding how they work, this book made it easy! The examples in the book are very simple- too simple to be used in the real world. But that's fine because once you understand the examples in the book, you can apply the concepts to real world stuff without being completely confused.
Thank you Mel & Baker!

excellent material for beginners
If you are new to cryptography, this is the book for you. Starts from the history of cryptography and covers briefly all the current encryption systems being used. The coverage of MAC is very good in particular.

Great book for everyone
This book explains basic of cryptography in plain English.
Everyone can understand how cryptography works.
If you don't know anything about it, then you gotta read this. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Journey through Genius, author William Dunham strikes an extraordinary balance between the historical and technical. He devotes each chapter to a principal result of mathematics, such as the solution of the cubic series and the divergence of the harmonic series. Not only does this book tell the stories of the people behind the math, but it also includes discussions and rigorous proofs of the relevant mathematical results. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

An informative an entertaining look at the history of Math.
I studied mathematics in university but never at any great level. I eventually went to law school and I now practice law. I give you this background so that you can appreciate what I know (and don't know about math). When I feel like reading about mathematics I look for a book that can give me a general idea of the math, but that does not get technical (and therfore boring). I also the lives of mathematicians intereting.

Dunham's book fits the bill for excellent reading in mathematics. It has just enough meat to it so that I can get insights into various mathematical theories. However he never gets so technical that I fall asleep reading the material.

The best parts of the book are the discussions of the various mathematician's and the importance of the mathematical in question. Both form the bulk of the book and are witty and informative. After reading this book, you get the impression that the history of mathematics is filled with a collection of absentminded and colourful men. These parts of the book can be read and enjoyed with absolutely no understanding of the mathematics involved. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get some basic knowledge of mathematics and its history.

Quite a Journey
I don't know too many math authors who have consistently written "five-star" books. I had the pleasure of having Dr. Dunham at Muhlenberg (not Muhlendorf!) College for a class on Landmarks of Modern Mathematics. With Dunham's sharp lectures, I hardly needed the book, but with his brilliant book, I hardly needed the lectures. The key, however, is that I wanted both, and couldn't get enough of either. Graduation and reaching the back cover does that...

Others have already described what's in the book, but what I must stress is that everything - every single thing - in the book is written in a clear and captivating fashion. You feel like you're sitting right there with the mathematcian under review, solving the problems for the first time with their hints. You wonder if Dunham has a time machine hidden somewhere. What this book adds to the experience is that you get a hint not just about the mathemacians' genius, but also about the personalities of the mathematicians. For example, Cardano is probably one of the humorously psychotic mathematcians that lived.

This book is good for anybody who has had half of a high school education all the way up to people who think in numbers. This isn't a "skim over the math" book like those of many of Dunham's contemporaries - and you wouldn't want to do that anyway. Buy it for yourself and then give it to a budding math student - or heck, buy two!

Stunning !
Absolutely one of the most wonderful books i've ever read !

In a chronological way, through each chapter, the book covers the background and history of the current chapter's genius, his great theorem and other achievements, including detailed proofs.

William Dunham writing style is perfect :)
Amazon's service is really good also, I live in Israel and I recieved the book in less than one week since ordered...

It drove me crazy
This book talks some of the most intriguing of classical math problems, and I can not tell you enough about how much of a pleasure it is to read.

It forces us to put some thought over some of the mathematical results that we take for granted today, such as pythagorean theorum, the infinitude of the prime numbers, etc. I read it in just 2 sittings, and have read it over once again after that.

If you have any inclination towards mathematics and its beauty, you will be a different person after you have read through this highly motivating and pleasurable read.

The only thing I wished the book had more was the number of problems it covered :) I seriously wish that William Dunham sets out to write many more such books covering many many more such mathematical problems in his beautiful style! Wish you all the best, William!

Solid Math
Dunham selects several mathematical theorems and discusses their meaning and their proof. The book is arranged chronologically beginning with Hippocrates (Quadrature of the Lune) and follows with Euclid, Archimedes through Newton, Euler up to modern scientists. If the subject was ONLY mathematics he would have succeeded. But I expected more of a historical perspective and review that the merely cursory one presented here. Still, the book was arranged well with many graphs, formulae, pictures and charts. ... Read more