Reviews (4)

Great, But Outdated
I thourougly enjoyed learning from this book, and it became the foundation of my analytic philosophy knowledge.

That said, I do not recommend this book as a text for those attempting to learn logic today. The symbolic language that is used and the mode of problem-solving demonstrated by Copi in this work is long since outdated and using this text will only confuse a logic amateur when they move on to more current and complicated logic.

a classic textbook on logic
This was my first textbook on logic and it has a warm place in my heart. It is not very current or modern, and it's probably not appropriate for teaching logic in the math or computer science departments, but otherwise, it's a lovely book. The two nicest features of this book are the wealth of interesting exercises and the emphasis on language: The correspondence between sentences in English and propositions in logic.

Re the logical structure of English sentences, I would like to note that I used many of the exercises from this book in a logic class I taught a few years ago, and was stunned to see the difficulties students were having: Difficulties in comprehending the logical structure of a sentence in English and then expressing this structure using Boolean connectives and quantifiers. I found this discovery both alarming and curious.

This is "the" book to use.
This was the book I used when I took symbolic logic in college. Very self explanitory - the book can be used to learn symbolic logic on your own. Why? Simply because it's fun!

Excellent text dealing with 2nd order predicate calculus.
My Background: Graduate Computer Science student, emphasis in complex programming.

Most programmers never get beyond the first-order (unquantified) predicate calculus introduced in the standard finite math course. This text goes to the next level in formal logic, teaching how to prove or disprove that a quantified expression follows logically from a group of premises.

Copi's notation is concise, leads to elegant proofs, and to proofs which are much shorter than many of the tree methods.

Even if you don't feel that you have the stamina to take on quantified logic, the book is an excellent text to unquantified rules of inference. But the real wealth here is the treatment of UI, UG, EI, and EG. To become fluent with this notation requires diligently working the host of example problems in each chapter, but the result will be problem-solving abilities that are much more flexible than the abilities of mathematics alone. You may find yourself becoming addicted to formal logic! Steve ... Read more

Book Description

James Stewart's well-received CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, Second Edition follows in the path of the other best-selling books by this remarkable author. The First Edition of this book was highly successful because it reconciled two schools of thought: it skillfully merged the best of traditional calculus with the best of the reform movement.This new edition continues to offer the balanced approach along with Stewart's hallmark features:meticulous accuracy, patient explanations, and carefully graded problems.The content has been refined and the examples and exercises have been updated.In addition, CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, Second Edition now includes a free CD-ROM for students that contains animations, activities, and homework hints.The book integrates the use of the CD throughout by using icons that show students when to use the CD to deepen their understanding of a difficult concept.

In CALCULUS: CONCEPTS AND CONTEXTS, this well respected author emphasizes conceptual understanding - motivating students with real world applications and stressing the Rule of Four in numerical, visual, algebraic, and verbal interpretations.All concepts are presented in the classic Stewart style:with simplicity, character, and attention to detail.In addition to his clear exposition, Stewart also creates well thought-out problems and exercises.The definitions are precise and the problems create an ideal balance between conceptual understanding and algebraic skills. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

I liked it.
The book doesn't introduce calculus to high-school students all that well. In fact, anyone that hasn't had any previous experience with calculus may find it a little confusing to use, if they opened the book at the middle and started off from there. Anyone trying to use this book with poor prior experience on calculus should start reading it calmly from the very beggining. The examples are very good, and there are real world examples of the applications of this mathematics.

Don't be too hasty, calculus isn't an easy subject. And this book didn't make me understand the fundamentals of calculus that well, even though it makes an attempt. I does however provide a lot of do-able exercises, and fun computer based exercises, to help you learn how to use calculus. I would recomend this book to 1st year universitary math students, or people who serious want to learn calculus on their own. The book is easy to read, and not very hard to understand.

I would rate it 5 stars after another edition perhaps. Well worth the price.

Gets to the point of the subject.
I'm currently in calc II and we use this book. It meshes very well with the environment of the class, which is small and with a very good math professor. Students who are more independent may prefer other books that have more examples and more explanations into the theory of calculus to this one. If you have a solid background in pre-calc, the first half of the book won't give you too many headaches. There are some sticky spots where you'll have to walk away and come back when you're in a better frame of mind, but with some patience nothing in it is impossible to grasp. As for the second half, a little more examples on trig substitution and integration by parts would probably be helpful to most. Students with other tough classes probably won't appreciate putting in the extra time it takes to make certain connections that are spelled out in other texts. Math enthusiasts would probably skip most of the readings anyway to get that satisfaction of figuring it out on their own(you know who you are!).

In a nutshell, the author is concise, gets straight to the point, and does a wonderful job of balancing pre-reform with reform calc. The graphical approach is very easy to follow, and to me, very helpful in learning the subject. Although I hated having to draw derivatives and antiderivatives from graphs, I have to admit that I learned a lot in the process. The exercises throughout the text are challenging but reasonable. Some sections would probably benefit from more plug-and-chug type exercises, though.

Is this the only Calculus book for college students??
First off, I had no choice but to buy this book.

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? Is this the only book on Calculus? I like to think I am adequet in mathmatics, my number one gripe was I did not take advantage of Amazon before I shelled out the full 150 dollars for this book, I could have had this crad for $50. I have a precalulus book by Michael Sullivan (whom I wish was writing this book), his explanation are pretty good, especially when he refers you back to solving a problem after he has gone over the examples, without that book I would have never done well in precalculus class, I basically thought myself from his book.

Buying this book I thought James Stewart wrote a little like Michael, boy was I wrong, there are hardly any examples to refer back to when working out problems from the book, its just like "okay here are some numbers and theorems, now heres the answer!" The only reason I gave this a second star, was because of the CD-ROM that comes accomodated with this book giving hints on how to solve some selected problems. This book feels more like a text book (reading) than a typical math book, I understand that once you get to Calculus 1 one should be fluent in math, but still there's no reason for this. Maybe he wrote this book for student who like to skip class, because the only way to understand this book is with the help of a math professor.

Good problems, bad organization
This book was actually my textbook for 3 semesters in a row, and, throughout that time, I've been basically forced to live with this book next to me at almost all times. There are certainly some good points and bad, but I'll start with the good.

First off, the book does an excellent job, in my opinion, of giving every student of (almost) all ability levels a chance to grasp some deep calculus theories. For the math majors, that includes theoretical proofs (though most are just sketched in there!) and some good proof problems near the end of each section, and, for the non-math people, many applied problems (both "textbook" and "real-world" applied problems) combined with many routine drill-type problems to drive the concepts home. I also liked the numerous amounts of graphs and pictures drawn in the book, especially for 3-D graphing and surfaces, where it's not as easy to construct those by hand. His review of algebra and trigonometry is also very helpful, as my high school did not cover some of the topics in my precalc class before I took calculus I in college.

But, for the bad, my first gripe is with the organization. You can obviously tell that the book was written in two volumes as there is a clear shift from single-variable to multi-variable in the style of presentation (less examples in the multi-variable, no CD-ROM help available) and language (he shifts from a "let's be nice to the student" point of view in the beginning to skipping some essential steps in exercises and writing like a math professor as you go along!). Also, I felt that some of the sections were out of place where they were, like the l'Hospital's Rule section being right in-between a bunch of sections on physical applications of dervatives? While I can certainly see it as being an application of derivatives, I see it as much more of a theoretical topic than an application; in my opinion, it should come near the end of techniques of differentiation (chapter 3). Also, I felt that he should've included more examples with the solids of revolution sections, one of the hardest parts of calculus for me (and MANY other people in my class); it's one of the only sections in single-variable that considers 3-D problems; therefore, it should be taken slowly, in my opinion. One other gripe: the cost! That's a lot of money to be shelling out on a single book! Luckily, I knew I would use it for three semesters, so it was worth it. If you're not planning on taking multi-variable calculus, then only buy the single-variable volume to save yourself some money!

So, my final thought: If you're looking for a book with a lot of exercises for all levels, then this is definitely a good book. If you're looking for a book to essentially replace a teacher, then this book won't do that. A good teacher will most likely need to accompany this book to really get something out of it.

Junk!
This book is not for anyone struggling with Calculus. It is written in very small print with no bold-face type or any other highlighting to help pick out the major points. The book has only answers to the odd problems in the back and no explanations for how they were obtained. Any explanation of topics provided through out the text is too short and actually confusing in the extreme. If your teacher is very good, then none of this may matter, but if your teacher is sub-standard in their skills and you have to teach yourself from this book, you will be out of luck. (...) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great service
I got the book in 3 days, as promised. Great service. Would recommend it. Thank You.

1
Although there were a few flaws, I gave this book a rating of 4 stars, because it played a key role in helping me to understand College Algebra. ... Read more

Book Description

Traditionally an area of study in computer science, string algorithms have, in recent years, become an increasingly important part of biology, particularly genetics.This volume is a comprehensive look at computer algorithms for string processing. In addition to pure computer science, Gusfield adds extensive discussions on biological problems that are cast as string problems and on methods developed to solve them. This text emphasizes the fundamental ideas and techniques central to today's applications.New approaches to this complex material simplify methods that up to now have been for the specialist alone.With over 400 exercises to reinforce the material and develop additional topics, the book is suitable as a text for graduate or advanced undergraduate students in computer science, computational biology, or bio-informatics. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A very nicely written book
This is THE book on string algorithms; covers all the normal exact match algs (Z, BM, KMP) and then goes on to discuss suffix trees in great depth (but with great clarity!). The second half of the book deals with inexact matching mostly using dynamic-programming-based algs. Some of the stuff generalizes nicely to non-string DP algs as well. Worth the investment just for increasing "algorithmic maturity", not to mention Gusfield's gift for clear exposition makes it a pleasant read.

What it says, it says best.
If you haven't read this book, you don't know biological string matching. The book's focus is clearly on string algorithms, but the author gives good biological significance to the problems that each technique solves. I came away from this book understanding the algorithms, but also knowing why the algorithms were valuable.

No, there isn't any real source code here. That should not be a problem - this book aims above the cut&paste programmer. The book in meant for readers who can not only understand the algorithms, but apply them to unique solutions in unique ways.

String matching is far too broad a topic for any one book to cover. The study can include formal language theory, Gibbs sampling and other non-deterministic optimizations, and probability-based techniques like Markov models. The author chose a well bounded region of that huge territory, and covers the region expertly. The reader will soon realize, though, that algorithms from this book work well as pieces of larger computations. The book's chosen limits certainly do not limit its applicability.

By the way, don't let the biological orientation put you off. DNA analysis is just one place where string-matching problems occur. The author motivates algorithms with problems in biology, but the techniques are applicable by anyone that analyzes strings.

Definitive String Algorithms Text
If you like definition-theorem-proof-example and exercise books, Gusfield's book is the definitive text for string algorithms. The algorithms are abstracted from their biological applications, and the book would make sense without reading a single page of the biological motivations. Gusfield aims his book at readers who are fluent in basic algorithms and data structures (at the level of Cormen, Leisersohn and Rivest's excellent text). The exercises are wonderfully illustrative, being neither trivial nor impossible.

All of the major exact string algorithms are covered, including Knuth-Morris-Pratt, Boyer-Moore, Aho-Corasick and the focus of the book, suffix trees for the much harder probem of finding all repeated substrings of a given string in linear time. In addition to exact string matching, there are extensive discussions of inexact matching. Even the discussions of widely known topics like dynamic programming for edit distance are insightful; for instance, we find how to easily cut space requirements from quadratic to linear. There is also a short chapter on semi-numerical matching methods, which are also of use in information retrieval applications. Inexact matching is extended to the threshold all-against-all problem, which finds all substrings of a string that match up to a given edit distance threshold. The theoretical development concludes with the much more difficult problem of aligning multiple sequences with ultrametric trees, with applications to phylogenetic alignment for evolutionary trees (an approach that has also been applied to the evolution of natural languages).

Note that there is no discussion of statistical string matching. For that, Durbin, Eddy, Krogh and Mitchison's "Biological Sequence Analysis: Probabilistic Models of Proteins and Nucleic Acides" is a good choice, or for those more interested in language than biology, Manning and Schuetze's "Statistical Natural Language Processing". There is also no information on more structured string matching models such as context-free grammars, as are commonly used to analyze RNA folding or natural language syntax. Luckily, Durbin et al. and Manning and Schuetze also provide excellent coverage of these higher-order models in their books.

This book is not about efficient implementation. If you need to build these algorithms, you'll also need to know how to write efficient code and tune it for your needs. This is an algorithms book, pure and simple.

As a computer scientist, I found the discussions of computational biology to be more enlightening than in other textbooks on similar topics such as Durbin et al., because Gusfield does not assume the reader has any background in cellular biology. Instead, he provides his own clear and gentle introductions illustrated with algorithms, applications, open problems and extensive references. Like most Cambridge University Press books, this one is beautifully typeset and edited.

All about suffix trees
Excellent book on String Algorithms. A lot of material. This is not an easy read, though, relatively not difficult for an algorithms and data-structures book.

This is the most complete resource i could find about suffix trees, how to implement them, usages, and algorithms. Actually, when I took this book, I was interested in suffix arrays. Well - this book explains those better than the original paper do.

Many applications to suffix trees are listed, along with comparisons to other algorithms applied to those problems.

If you need to get into string algorithms from computer science perspective - this is a good book to start. If you want to "feel" of the biologists side of the story, than this is not a good choice.

I use this book as a textbook on the subject, and I'm sure I'll be using it as a reference later on.

This book surely is worth its cost (even if you buy it on Amazon...:-)).

Excellent...but dense
This textbook gives a rigorous introduction to the algorithms of computational biology from the standpoint of theoretical computer science. It does however give the reader an overview of the practical application of these algorithms to the subject. The author gives a very detailed discussion of the most important results in the field, but the book is very dense: there are 228 definitions, 127 theorems, 490 references, and over 400 exercises that both illustrate the topics in the book and extend them. The author omits any real source code, but does give a URL where code for many of the algorithms can be found.

The author restricts his attention to deterministic approaches to string matching and comparison, and thus there is no treatment of hidden Markov models or Monte Carlo methods. The major algorithms such as the Aho-Corasick, Boyer-Moore, Knuth-Morris-Pratt, Needleman-Winsch, and Smith-Waterman are discussed and brilliantly motivated in the book. The author employs very effective diagrams to illustrate the matching concepts that are detailed in the book.

The book does require some time to read but it is worth the effort. Also, the exercises can be challenging but some should he done in order to understand the concepts in the book. The empirical results of the algorithms as sequence databases are also included, with FASTA, BLAST, BLOCKS, BLOSUM, and PROSITE are discussed in detail. The chapter that discusses these is the least mathematical of all the ones in the book and was no doubt included to connect the reader with real-world applications of the techniques in the book.

The last quarter of the book is a lot more trendy than the rest, with emphasis placed on algorithms for physical mapping, fragment assembly, and phylogenetic trees. These algorithms of course take on particular importance today given the Human Genome and other gene sequencing projects. Radiation-hybrid mappings, direct sequencing, and shotgun DNA sequencing are discussed in one of the chapters in this section, and the author addresses in great detail some approaches to speeding up sequence assembly. In the discussion on shotgun DNA sequencing the author refrains from any probabilistic analysis, instead referring the reader to the references. This omission goes along with the rest of the book, where probabilistic methods are not used, which is a little disappointing since these have shown great promise in computational biology. The exercises at the end of the chpater are very interesting and it is worth spending time working some of them through.

In a later chapter, the solution of the satisfiability problem in mathematical logic is discussed and shown to be solved (at least theoretically) by DNA-based computing. The quantities of DNA needed to carry out the computation are shown to be infeasible by the author.

This book will no doubt be of great assistance to those interested in the more rigorous approaches to computational biology. But the best attribute of the book is that one gets the impression that the author had a good time writing it, and that shows through in this very important book. ... Read more

Book Description

"Lang's Algebra changed the way graduate algebra is taught, retaining classical topics but introducing language and ways of thinking from category theory and homological algebra. It has affected all subsequent graduate-level algebra books." - NOTICES OF THE AMS "The author has an impressive knack for presenting the important and interesting ideas of algebra in just the "right" way, and he never gets bogged down in the dry formalism which pervades some parts of algebra." - MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS

This book is intended as a basic text for a one-year course in algebra at the graduate level, or as a useful reference for mathematicians and professionals who use higher-level algebra. It successfully addresses the basic concepts of algebra. For the revised third edition, the author has added exercises and made numerous corrections to the text. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

This is the standard reference for algebra
Concise but comprehensive, Lang's book really has no peer as a reference text for algebra. Both Cohn's and Jacobson's books omit far too many topics. Jacobson's book, which I am more familiar with, follows a very linear structure, which I find limits its appeal both as a reference text and as bedtime reading. This book ought to be challenging for any undergraduate, and perhaps even for some graduate students, but much of the material is essential. The book, unfortunately, contains few examples. This is especially problematic in the section on homology theory, where the abstraction becomes nearly overwhealming. Working concrete examples such as Ext, Tor, or the (co)homology of groups into the text would have been helpful.

Excellent if you have the requisite mathematical maturity
I sometimes joke that "mathematical maturity" is the ability to understand poor exposition. Lang's proofs are often too terse, and even experienced readers will sometimes have to work hard to fill in all the gaps. For this reason this book is not the best choice for most beginning graduate students. Nevertheless, time and time again in my study of algebraic number theory and algebraic geometry, when there has been some nugget of algebra that I had forgotten or never learned, I have found it in Lang and not in other standard texts. So for me, this book is an indispensable reference. Lang also has a knack for giving insightful summaries of advanced topics. Most other authors will at most mention an advanced topic without really telling you anything about it, but Lang actually gives useful introductions to a large number of topics of current research interest.

This will teach you how to run if you know how to walk
Lang's algebra book is one of the best algebra books available today. I agree with what most other readers have said. Namely, this shouldn't be your first foray into the subject, the proofs are often terse and take a good amount of time to absorb and there is a conspicuous lack/obscurity of examples. To cite an example, he gives a non-singular projective group variety as an example of a certain group. I shall not give an example of a terse proof. Let's just say that it suffices to note that whenever he says something is 'obvious', the non-expert reader should be prepared to scribble on 4-5 sheets of paper if she wishes to understand why it's 'obvious'.

The core matter (groups, rings, fields, modules) is the same as that you'd find in any other book. As far as topics are concerned, there are just too many fascinating topics in Algebra to cover in one book - even in one like Lang. He covers a fairly wide assortment of topics though. For instance, he covers most of the commutative algebra one would find in Atiyah-Macdonald. He also has a chapter and half on Algebraic Geometry which provides a good preparation for a treatment of schemes like that in Hartshorne Chapter 2,3. His section on Galois theory is detailed and even gets into Galois Cohomology. His chapter on Valuations gets into the theory of Local Fields, but only just. The chapters on multilinear algebra and representation theory are fairly detailed. I talk about the section on Homological Algebra later.

Regarding category theory, Lang likes to phrase his definitions in the language of category theory for a reason. It's much much better this way. Category theory is an elegant way of describing some commonly occuring themes in Mathematics, particularly algebra. His preliminary section on category theory provides a good foundation to study the rest of his book. Another advantage of using category theory is that this prepares the reader well for further study in Algebraic Geometry and Algebraic Number Theory where the language of category theory is ubiquitous. On a related note, the book contains all the homological algebra necessary to read Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry which is indeed quite wonderful for the reader who's not prepared to fight through Eisenbud's encyclopedia on commutative algebra.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that Lang sneers at categorical arguments by calling them 'abstract nonsense'. This isn't quite right. He does call them 'abstract nonsense' but not because he dislikes them or harbours any sort of negative feeling towards them. Rather, he does it because the term 'abstract nonsense' is the common and accepted name used to refer to such arguments. Indeed, it's roots can be traced back to Steenrod who was one of the founders of the subject.

A worthwhile pain in the [behind]
I must concur with my fellow readers that in fact Langs Algebra text is extremely dry, the examples are sparse (as compared with, say, Hungerfords Graduate text), readers are left to fill in the gaps which exist within the majority of proofs and, finally, about the exercises; for the most part the exercises abound, they are challenging, non-trivial and in general are extensions of the material, which for whatever reason, have been relegated to the status of mere exercise. But for those who have a 'Solid' foundation in Algebra, preferably at the level of a Junior-Senior undergraduate who has completed courses in Linear Algebra, Modern/Abstract Algebra, then this text is worth its weight in gold. For those individuals who have either chosen to make Mathematics their career or those who are Mathematically gifted, a text of this stature must be appreciated for exactly those reasons I used to 'negatively' criticize this text. For example, when doing research at any level above that of advanced undergraduate, the researcher should have the confidence, temperance, skill and desire to fill in missing gaps within proofs since the ability to do so is an excellent gauge of how well one actually understands the given material. It would seem to logically follow from this that the researcher would then benefit from choosing a text that contained exercises, which were not trivial calculations or the requirement of proving somthing that is either routine or standard. Instead, major rewards, in the form of confidence and a deeper understanding, are a result of struggling through difficult problems and, in general, problems which lead you toward self-discovery, i.e. those which are extensions of the given material. For these reasons I highly recommend this text to all members of the Mathematical community who desire more bang for their buck since this will serve them well, both as a text for further study and as a lifelong reference.

Great reference, poor text
If you want to learn Algebra, get Artin or Shafarevitch (encyclopedic and much more understandable) or even van der Waerden. Lang does not write in a manner that's understandable by novices and is, in fact often obscure even for cognescenti. His definitions are often couched in the most abstract of category theoretical forms. Amazingly, after doing such, he spends his chapter on homological algebra sneering at such abstractions (He calls it "Abstract Nonsense").
Also, be aware that the change in "editions" seems to consist mostly of adding extra exercises to fill out the page.
Once you know the material, Lang's book becomes an excellent reference - even there, I'd recommend Bourbaki or the Russian "Encyclopedia of Mathematics" for full expositions. ... Read more

Book Description

The Sullivan Enhanced with Graphing Utilities series fully integrates the graphing calculator. These widely adopted books are known for their precise careful presentation of mathematics. This precision permeates the book and is particularly evident in the examples, pedagogy and exercises.This book includes coverage of linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions. In addition, this book discusses the zeros of a polynomial function, systems of equations and inequalities, probability, and conics.For anyone who needs to brush up on everyday or business-related mathematics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This was a competent book with one small problem.
College Algebra is quite authorative on the subject matter covered and helps the student grasp the key points as well as some of the finer points of Algebra. While I was in this course I had the most difficult time trying to find certain supplements the book suggested that were put out by the publisher. They had no knowledge of the material at the company but it was clearly stated in the text. All in all the overall text and message of the book was rather competent and illuminating. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Review of Tommy Volume 2
I am currently enrolled in BC Calculus in my high school as well as linear algebra at a local college. What better way to learn both together than with Tommy. This is a great book to learn the connections between the two and how to do real linear algebra, not straight algebra but differentiating and doing calculus on whatever spaces you want. It's very concise, however not so clear. I skipped into BC and spend a lot of free time doing math and this book is still a bit deep. Also, the tie-ins to LA are definitely not going to be apparent off the bat. I have a really great LA teacher so I find myself skipping over some of his more complicated expressions of very simple items, however if i were a newcomer to LA, this would be totally confusing and Greek. I agree with the other reviewers, if you're familiar with calculus and LA and want to learn more about each and their connections, this is the bible, however, if you're a newcomer to one or both, definitely learn each separately and more simply. The book is very proof based and states it assumes you know how to use the mathematical objects it's presenting, now it's showing you why they work. Some of his expressions are like physics problems mindset, first look you'll have no idea, but if you think about it, eventually the ideas all fall together. A great book and recomended to anyone experienced enough to handle it.

substance w/o the frills
I was looking for a solid reference book and was quite fortunate to stumble across Apostol's two texts. His writing is clear and concise. What I appreciate most is his axiomatic approach. He builds up everything as opposed to the numerous calculus cookbooks out there. Every theorem has a proof.

Calculus Volume 2 (Tom M. Apostol)
This book contains a lot of information, and is rigorous, with many proofs and a vast array of problems. However, it is weak on worked examples and in explaining the concepts clearly. Diagrams are kept to a minimum. I used this book during an undergraduate Calculus course, and found that it did not help me to grasp the fundamentals of the subject. There are much better books available e.g. Stewart, which cover much of the same ground in a much simpler format. In my experience, only the ablest students were able to benefit from Apostol's dense writing style and scarcity of worked examples. Apostol does, however, include sections on matrix algebra and calculus which are not available in many other textbooks. There are also solutions to many of the problems at the end of the text.

CALCULUS
tHERE IS A EXCELLENT BOOK.

Pretty good explanations!
I took a course in Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus through Stanford U. that used the first half of this as a textbook when I was 11. I'm 12 now, and I am taking Stanford's follow-up course (Multivariable Differential Calculus) which uses the second half of this same text. I like it! ... Read more

Book Description

3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development covers fundamental 3D math concepts that are especially useful for computer game developers and programmers. The authors discuss the mathematical theory in detail and then provide the geometric interpretation necessary to make 3D math intuitive. Working C++ classes illustrate how to put the techniques into practice, and exercises at the end of each chapter help reinforce the concepts.

This book:

* Explains basic concepts such as vectors, coordinate spaces, matrices, transformations, Euler angles, homogenous coordinates, geometric primitives, intersection tests, and triangle meshes.

* Discusses orientation in 3D, including thorough coverage of quaternions and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of different representation techniques.

* Describes working C++ classes for mathematical and geometric entities and several different matrix classes, each tailored to specific geometric tasks.

* Includes complete derivations for all the primitive transformation matrices. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Very good book to get started with
The authors state early on that this book is intended as the first book an aspiring game programmer should read, and I would agree that for the most part it lives up to that goal. Many 3D game programming books include math primers covering a chapter or two, but really, 3D math is a huge topic deserving an entire volume. This book provides a great service, then, in that it thoroughly covers most of the basic topics that graphics programmers need to know, in a tutorial style that should be accessible to all beginners. Hopefully, we'll start to see more game programming books that focus on their core material and defer coverage of 3D math to books like this one rather than trying to pack unavoidably incomplete coverage into a few dozen pages.

So, what exactly does it cover? It starts off with a couple of chapters on coordinate systems, and then spends three chapters on vectors, followed by another three chapters on matrices and transformations. It then covers orientation, comparing matrix, Euler angle, and quaternion representations (including one of most clear explanations of quaternions that I've encountered), before diving into several chapters covering geometric primitives, including detailed coverage of working with triangle meshes.

The book closes with a chapter applying 3D math to graphics in areas such as lighting, fog, coordinates spaces, LOD, culling and clipping, and so on, and another chapter on visibility determination, touching on things like quad- and octrees, BSP trees, PVS, and portal techniques. The explanations in these chapters are much less complete, taking more of an overview approach. Others have criticized the book for this, but I feel that an overview is appropriate, since it then sets the stage for these topics to be covered in detail in other game programming books.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone just getting started with game and graphics programming.

Best bet for getting a solid understanding of 3D math
Our goal in writing this book was not to cover as many topics as possible, like some other books, but rather to hit the most important concepts thoroughly. If you are a beginner, or have some "holes" in your understanding of matrices, Euler angles, left-handed vs. right-handed coordinate spaces, or key graphics concepts like zoom or the lighting equation, this book is for you.

A feature of this book over other books is the extent to which we have tried to develop the reader's geometric intuition, rather than just presenting numbers and equations. We show what the geometric interpretation of each mathematical operation is, why you would ever use that operation, and, in many cases, how the equation was derived in the first place. We do not gloss over "minor details" such as row vectors versus column vectors, or left- versus right-handed coordinate spaces. These "minor details" make all the difference in the world when you are trying to use an equation out of a book.

For the more advanced reader, we offer some of the clearest and complete discussions of some more advanced topics such as quaternions and barycentric coordinates. The book can be used as a reference for many important vector and matrix operations and identities. It also has a toolkit of many important equations for geometric primitives and intersection tests.

Our focus is on theory, so the book is not a big code dump like many books. The code we have provided consists primarily of "utility" classes for vectors, quaternions, and matrices. I think you will find that our code is simpler to read and understand than most code you will find elsewhere. We also offer some unique and thoughtful advice on good class design, specifically targetted to classes for doing 3D math and getting it right the first time, without twiddling minus signs or swapping numbers experimentally until it looks right

EXCELLENT BEGINNING BOOK
I RECENTLY RETIRED AND DECIDED TO PLAY AROUND WITH GRAPHICS AND GAME PROGRAMMING, AND THIS BOOK IS JUST PLAIN EXCELLENT!!!!!. I WISH MORE AUTHORS COULD WRITE TECH SUBJECTS THIS WELL.

THANK YOU FLETCHER DUNN AND IAN PARBERRY!!!

the best book on math now
this book assume your beginner in that filed .
authors covers alot of topics in math and its application in a clear style with pictures,examples and finally code !.
i recommend this book for beginners in game programming .

Ahmed Saleh , Computer Graphics Programmer .

Deceptively good book
I need to create a 3d math library for a project I was working on and wanted to take a look at some book on the subject. This one looked like one of the 14 year old 'how to make a video game' type books and I wasn't expecting much, however I was pleasantly suprised by the depth of the 3d mathematics in the book.
As an example i was unclear about how to calculate the inverse matrix correctly for an n-dimension matrix and the book goes over calculating adjucts and determinats, and inverses for a n-dimensional matrix both supplying the general math and some C code. The code i didn't find helpful, simply because I coding in the python c api and not straight c, however it could be helpful to someone writing in C.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking to brush up on quaternions, eulers, matrices, and vectors as this book is simple and to the point. I think the author did a great job balancing the complexty of the math with simplicity in the book's text. The book goes over what is really the essentials of any 3d math library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, Douglas R. Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid is still something of a marvel. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between the music of Bach, the artwork of Escher, and the mathematics of Gödel. It also looks at the prospects for computers and artificial intelligence (AI) for mimicking human thought. For the general reader and the computer techie alike, this book still sets a standard for thinking about the future of computers and their relation to the way we think.

Hofstadter's great achievement in Gödel, Escher, Bach was making abstruse mathematical topics (like undecidability, recursion, and 'strange loops') accessible and remarkably entertaining. Borrowing a page from Lewis Carroll (who might well have been a fan of this book), each chapter presents dialogue between the Tortoise and Achilles, as well as other characters who dramatize concepts discussed later in more detail. Allusions to Bach's music (centering on his Musical Offering) and Escher's continually paradoxical artwork are plentiful here. This more approachable material lets the author delve into serious number theory (concentrating on the ramifications of Gödel's Theorem of Incompleteness) while stopping along the way to ponder the work of a host of other mathematicians, artists, and thinkers.

The world has moved on since 1979, of course. The book predicted that computers probably won't ever beat humans in chess, though Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in 1997. And the vinyl record, which serves for some of Hofstadter's best analogies, is now left to collectors. Sections on recursion and the graphs of certain functions from physics look tantalizing, like the fractals of recent chaos theory. And AI has moved on, of course, with mixed results. Yet Gödel, Escher, Bach remains a remarkable achievement. Its intellectual range and ability to let us visualize difficult mathematical concepts help make it one of this century's best for anyone who's interested in computers and their potential for real intelligence. --Richard Dragan

Topics Covered: J.S. Bach, M.C. Escher, Kurt Gödel: biographical information and work, artificial intelligence (AI) history and theories, strange loops and tangled hierarchies, formal and informal systems, number theory, form in mathematics, figure and ground, consistency, completeness, Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, recursive structures, theories of meaning, propositional calculus, typographical number theory, Zen and mathematics, levels of description and computers; theory of mind: neurons, minds and thoughts; undecidability; self-reference and self-representation; Turing test for machine intelligence. ... Read more

Reviews (197)

Multi-faceted Thesis
Ancient runic languages scrawled onto South Pacific stones. Gödel's Incompleteness Theorum. Shifted perspectives in artistic pencil pictures. Modern artificial intelligence research. Masterpieces of Baroque harmony.
It's not often that bestselling books manage to link all of the above items in a highly satisfying blend of fact and philosophy, but Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid defies both convention and classification.
The book is such a sprawling, wide-ranging argument that it's difficult to know where to start. Personally, I most enjoyed the chapters on the location of meaning within symbols; Hofstadter's description of the essential elements of a message's structure caught my interest because it seemed applicable in many fields: literature, cryptography, and psychology, to start. I was also quite intrigued by his exploration of the brain's mode of operation: sense impressions stored as complex 'symbols.' Fascinating. The long sections on mathematics and the often goofy dialogue chapters were trying, yes, but persevere; better parts lie in store.
Hofstadter's case is best made when he follow a topic through many disciplines. Though I ultimately disagree with his position on the feasibility of artificial intelligence, he has produced a stimulating read, and I am thankful for it. It is far superior to my other late-night literary conquest of the summer (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and I recommend it to anyone with pondering time to spare.
Oh, and as a side note: don't buy Yudkowsky's review. Nothing personal, but this isn't the only thinking man's book out there. It just investigates so many nooks and crannies that almost anyone can find something to further pursue.

Essential reading
GEB is a great jumping point into issues of the philosophy of the mind, the underpinnings of mathemetical logic and the possibility of artificial intelligence and consciousness.

The book explores a number of themes - one of the most important is joining together disparate forms of 'strange loops' - paradoxical self referential constructs that pop up in in art (Escher and Bach fugues), mathematics (Godel's theorem), religion (Zen buddhism), AI and various other places.

I agree with another reviewer - everything in GEB leads towards an understanding the mind (Hofstadter's field is of course AI/cog science) - it's not just a random romp - but it's a misleading exagerration to say GEB is trying to provide a bottom-up theory!

It is true, some of the foundations of AI such as propositional logic are explored and various metaphors for the mind are developed as well as the importance of circular self-referentiality, and emergence of complex behavior from simple primitives - but the implications for AI and cognitive science are always rather vague and the HOW is mostly left as an open-ended question.

This open-endedness perhaps contributes to the rambling feeling of the book. Of course these questions are great mysteries and it's not surprising that GEB doesn't provide a neat theory to tie it all together.

At it's size it is a rather daunting book to read in one go, but since a lot of chapters are rather independent it is possible to dip into it from time to time, i find myself picking it up occasionally and re-reading random chapters, usually i notice something new to ponder on.

For me the most unique contribution of this book is the pointing out the importance of 'strange loops' in so many areas of thought (although they're never formally defined). I found myself constantly linking this idea to other things - for example Jacques Derrida's notion of deconstruction seems to me most easily understood as about creating a linguistic strange-loop to point out the limitations of language and philosophy itself.

I don't think the book has really dated much at all the central ideas are timeless and AI and cognitive science haven't advanced to a point that invalidates anything, although Fermat's theorem has now been solved.

A wonderful read for all aspiring thinkers
The Atlanta Journal Constitution describes Gödel, Escher, Bach (GEB) as "A huge, sprawling literary marvel, a philosophy book, disguised as a book of entertainment, disguised as a book of instruction." That is the best one line description of this book that anybody could give. GEB is without a doubt the most interesting mathematical book that I have ever read, quickly making its place into the Top 5 books I have ever read.
The introduction of the book, "Introduction: A Musico-Logical Offering" begins by quickly discussing the three main participants in the book, Gödel, Escher, and Bach. Gödel was a mathematician who founded Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, which states, as Hofstadter paraphrases, "All consistent axiomatic formulations of number theory include undecidable propositions." This is what Hofstadter calls the pearl. This is one example of one of the recurring themes in GEB, strange loops.
Strange loops occur when you move up or down in a hierarchical manner and eventually end up exactly where you started. The first example of a strange loop comes from Bach's Endlessly rising canon. This is a musical piece that continues to rise in key, modulating through the entire chromatic scale, ending at the same key with which he began. To emphasize the loop Bach wrote in the margin, "As the modulation rises, so may the King's Glory."
The third loop in the introduction comes from an artist, Escher. Escher is famous for his paintings of paradoxes. A good example is his Waterfall; Hofstadter gives many examples of Escher's work, which truly exemplify the strange loop phenomenon.
One feature of GEB, which I was particularly fond of, is the 'little stories' in between each chapter of the book. These stories which star Achilles and the Tortoise of Lewis Carroll fame, are illustrations of the points which Hofstadter brings out in the chapters. They also serve as a guidepost to the careful reader who finds clues buried inside of these sections. Hofstadter introduces these stories by reproducing "What the Tortoise Said to Achilles" by Lewis Carroll. This illustrates Zeno's paradox, another example of a strange loop.
In GEB Hofstadter comments on the trouble author's have with people skipping to the end of the book and reading the ending. He suggests that a solution to this would be to print a series of blank pages at the end, but then the reader would turn through the blank pages and find the last one with text on it. So he says to print gibberish throughout those blank pages, again a human would be smart enough to find the end of the gibberish and read there. He finally suggests that authors need to write many pages more of text than the book requires just fooling the reader into having to read the entire book. Perhaps Hofstadter employs this technique.
GEB is in itself a strange loop. It talks about the interconnectedness of things always getting more and more in depth about the topic at hand. However you are frequently brought back to the same point, similarly to Escher's paintings, Bach's rising canon, and Gödel's Incompleteness theorem. A book, which is filled with puzzles and riddles for the reader to find and answer, GEB, is a magnificently captivating book.

A readable Mobius strip
If you have never read this book, then I'd like to say that it has a lot of the most greatest knowledge out there. It doesn't just deal with math, art, and music, but also with zen, philosophy, self-ref, self-rep, holism, reductionism, and everything else that is considered pure knowledge of cognitive science and general intelligence. I don't know why some of the people rating it have no idea of what's it about; it's not about Godel's theorem like many think it is, it's about consciousness and how the power of the mind and the "I" comes out of the inanimate matter that creates us. That's not it, the second part of the book talks about computer programming and AI. Can a computer program ever have a sense of self or compose meaningful music? Hofstadter's response to the second one was: "Only if that AI could go through the maze of life on it's own, fighting it's way through it and feeling the cold of a chilly night, the longing for a cherished hand, the inaccessibility of a distant town, the regenaration after a human death, the...and only then can it be considered to do so."
This book really has more than that. I can't say all of the things mentioned in it, not in this tiny little review, but I can say that you should probably read it and hopefully understand it because it truly is a masterpiece.

Pseudo-science at best
I quite agree with the reviewer from East Hartford. Maybe I am not extremely eligible to comment on the portions dealing with Escher and Bach, respectively (I have no appetite for Escher. I like chamber music of Bach and somtimes play his keyboard music but my performance level is, of course, that of amateur.)
But I must say the part dealing with Gödel's Theorem of Incompleteness is *complete garbage*. I am convinced anyone with a degree of mathematics will agree with me: for those who have no background in mathematics, I assure you that Gödel's theorem concerns a problem in "formal logic" and has nothing to do with human-cogno-something.
If this book were meant to be a cult literature, that would be okay: I don't care anyway.
But if this is meant to be an entertainment for people with no scientific background, I rate this alchemy or pseudo-science at best. ... Read more

Book Description

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Reviews (7)

Terrible, needlessly confusing mofo of a book...
This atrocious textbook is by far the worst, most confusing textbook, and the volume most devoid of simple, useful explanations I have ever had to endure.
Most explanations and definitions are given in pure mathematical notation, which leaves you (for the most part) ready to crank out a number, but totally unsure of its larger significance.

Interestingly, most of the useful information is to be found in the Instructor's Solution Manual, where they actually work out all of the problems in the book.Why the hell they take the time to work out all the problems for the INSTRUCTOR, but give us students no such luxury is beyond me.
When the book's obtuse and esoteric explanation fails, it's very helpful to see how the pros did it, so I'd recommend buying the answer guide in addition to this book if you're forced to get it.

To its credit, this book does present a lot of pretty graphs, and makes a pretty decent cutting board or paperweight in a space-cramped dorm.

If you want a good general reference, get something else.

Worst Calculus book
Like all other reviews , I also consider that this book is the worst calculus book , I also like math but I didnt find any explanation to the problems in this book.

THIS CALCULUS BOOK IS REALLY BAD.

Worst Calc Book EVER!
What a MESS!!!This is THE WORST textbook I have EVER seen on Calculus (or any other topic)!It should never be used to introduce students to the subject, because I guarantee all it will produce is frustration and confusion!There is little to no explanation on topics, some sections jump right into examples without any background for understanding the basis for the solutions, small little tidbits of important concepts are hidden away in text in obscure places, other less important stuff seems to take prominence in the text andramble on and on, even the approach to exercises seems to be backward - material in the section and worked examples show a method of solution, but the first few sections of exercises ask you to solve the problem backward, and later on you find problems that would have been helpful in the beginning to get you familiarized with the concepts.The Solution Manual to the text isn't much help either.The only way I can accept this book as being worthy of print is to possibly think that it was written for Math instructors - people who already understand the subject and want to read something different - because THIS BOOK STINKS from a student's perspective. It is really, really, REALLY BAD!!!I like math, but I will never take another class if the textbook is by this author.

Worst calculus book I've ever encountered
This book is terrible. The lessons do not adequately cover the topics, and many times the problem sets include problems that are not explained anywhere else in the book. The examples in the lessons are poor, without much explanation (in particular, the physics and applications).

The layout is average - nothing different. However, it lacks reference materials (for example, there are no derivative or integral charts easily accessible in the front or back covers, but are hidden within the pages).

Do not use this book if you want a thorough source for calculus.

hefty...but pretty good
I like this book because it has an excellent format and a logical progression of topics (quite standard). It has answers for every other question and provides NUMEROUS each of section questions as well as end of chapter questions, of various degrees of difficulty.

The explanations and expositions are clear and concise and should have you understanding most of the material with some thought and effort. Because let's face it: no book will learn for you or magically transform itself into your ability without some effort (however much or miniscule) on your part. I find mathematics fairly easy (I'm an engineer), so this book was quite good because some of the questions do take a bit of time (some challenge is always good!). A few of them are VERY difficult, though I've yet to run into one that is by my worth unsolveable. But this is dependent on your mathematical ability.

Altogether, not bad and will teach you introductory calculus and multivariable claculus with some useful appendices as well, including some complex numbers (but not enough). Damn thing weighs about 10lbs though...:) ... Read more

Book Description

Michael Steele describes the fundamental topics in mathematical inequalities and their uses.Using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality as a guide, Steele presents a fascinating collection of problems related to inequalities and coaches readers through solutions, in a style reminiscent of George Polya, by teaching basic concepts and sharpening problem solving skills at the same time. Undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics, theoretical computer science, statistics, engineering, and economics will find the book appropriate for self-study. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book --Wish I had had it to read it in high school
Get it now -- don't wait!

As might be expected from the title, Steele's book includes an in depth exploration of the Cauchy Schwarz. It, however, includes so much more -- for example, many, many useful inequalities are set forth in its pages. But even its richness in range and number of inequalities (and equalities) is secondary to Prof. Steele's method of explication. For the real fruit of this book is the techniques and confidence built by the exercises and exposure to the examples. The exercises feed and bolster confidence in approching or deriving familiar and more importantly, never-before-seen inequalities, a confidence which grows with each page and exercise. Techniques that might normally only accrete after years of experience in the course of undergraduate and graduate mathematics courses are set forth one after another. On top of that, this is one of that handful of mathematics books that you can read almost like a novel. It's so readable and rewarding/interesting and engaging that when people have asked me what I have been reading lately, I can answer with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: "a book on the Cauchy Schwarz inequality" -- which I never said about Royden, etc. These techniques are vital for many types of research -- applied mathematics, CS, economics, statistics, (and competitions) to name a few -- in all of these areas finding bounds can play a central role in research. Well worth every penny. ... Read more

Book Description

This spectacularly clear introduction to abstract algebra is is designed to make the study of all required topics and the reading and writing of proofs both accessible and enjoyable for readers encountering the subject for the first time.Number Theory. Groups. Commutative Rings. Modules. Algebras. Principal Idea Domains. Group Theory II. Polynomials In Several Variables. For anyone interested in learning abstract algebra. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

no better than the first edition
It is always easy to add something to than to get rid of something from the book. I guess this is the case of the author when he prepares the second edition. However, I prefer the first edition because it is more readable, enjoyable, and most importantly, contains just enough information for the introduction to abstract algebra. There are huge number of textbooks on abstract algbra, and making another would not be the author's purpose of the revision, I hope, but it looks it is.
By adding more subjects in detail to the second edition, now it looks the same as any other, only to loose its expository and conversational style of writings, and became a reference-style textbook.

Boo
Before taking an abstract algebra course this semester I studied the material on my own using the introductory texts by Gallian and Hungerford. These books were very useful because they actually completed proofs instead of leaving them as exercises for the reader. Someone new to abstract algebra is also typically new to higher mathematics. This means a book should have clear and full explanations, not skip major points like Rotman does. Rotman commits another sin by failing to provide homework problems which correspond with the material he presents. One nice thing is that the book does provide a wide array of material (much more than most other introductory texts). This virtue soon turns astray however because by providing so much preliminary material on congruences, functions, divisibility, .... you'll be lucky if your teacher gets to groups by halfway through the semester.

I'd skip this one...
I was very disapointed with Rotman's attempt fix his first edition of this book. The wording is still overly dense, the topics skip around too much, and the examples are less than illuminating. At least he fixed the 10 by 10 orthogonal latin square on the cover to be correct this time. I think Hernstien's classic "Topics in Algebra" is a much better introduction

Excellent and aproacheable!
This is an excellent bookto use fo an introduction to modren algebra. It is clear and very accessible, with many useful examples. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

TRADING CHAOS APPLYING EXPERT TECHNIQUES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFITS

Chaos theory now stands at the cutting edge of financial decision-making methods. The product of years of scientific investigation into unpredictable phenomena, it has the potential to offer traders entirely new perspectives on the movements of markets—and less risky routes to greater, more consistent profitability. Unlike other books on the subject, Trading Chaos takes chaos analysis out of the realm of the abstract and makes complex concepts easy to understand and use. It offers you the most practical, comprehensive guide available to applying chaos theory to the real world of trading and investing.

In this breakthrough work, author Bill Williams gives you the benefit of his unique qualifications: 35 years of successful trading and a PhD in psychology. The instructional techniques used in Trading Chaos have been tested and refined in the workshops, seminars, and private tutoring sessions Dr. Williams has conducted in 12 different countries.

Designed for all traders—from beginner to experienced professional—Trading Chaos introduces you to the financial applications of chaos in five graduated stages, starting with a clear, nontechnical introduction (Level One: The Novice Trader) all the way to chart analysis, fractals, Elliott wave, and advanced nonlinear dynamics (Level Five: The Expert Trader).

Trading Chaos probes depths of human and economic behavior that other books do not even mention, including:

• A detailed examination of the underlying structure of the market
• How individual belief systems affect the way we trade
• How to determine "what the market wants"
• Most importantly—"how to want what the market wants"

Numerous charts, trading models, analysis spreadsheets, and review questions reinforce the key concepts and help insure full comprehension of the material.

Regardless of your current degree of expertise, Trading Chaos will take you to new levels of trading confidence and increased profit.

This practical guide to the powerful tools of chaos theory will help you make better, more profitable trades

"Bill Williams brings a unique background and experience to the commodity trading world. His approach to becoming a successful trader includes many fresh and fascinating concepts for traders of all experience levels."—Bruce Babcock Editor, Commodity Traders Consumer Report

"Bill Williams has demystified the Elliott Wave. His technical approach is an innovative and effective way to trade markets for novice and expert traders alike."—Bob Koppel Skylane Trading Group

"Trading Chaos by Bill Williams is an excellent guide to profiting from a market which is nonlinear in structure. The book is divided into logical levels of trading techniques useful to the novice and expert trader. I was genuinely surprised that the expert can still learn refreshingly new techniques at each level presented."—Timothy C. Slater Managing Director of Dow Jones Telerate Seminars

Trading Chaos takes chaos theory out of the abstract realm and into the real world of practical investment decision-making. Using the techniques in this remarkable book, you will uncover the hidden patterns of what appear to be the random, unpredictable movements of the commodity, futures, and options markets. Regardless of your current level of experience, expert commodity trader and trainer Bill Williams will give you the skills and insights to move to levels of trading ability you would not have imagined possible.

Clear, practical, and nontechnical—Unlike other books on chaos theory, Trading Chaos is designed to be easy to understand and use

Unique organizational format—Introduces the reader to the financial applications of chaos in five graduated stages, from Novice to Expert Trader

Expert advice on avoiding common psychological traps and pitfalls—Including such self-limiting afflictions as the "paralysis of analysis," "opinionitis," and the dangers of trading on individual belief systems

A wealth of supplementary materials—Charts, trading models, trade plans, analysis spreadsheets, and trading diaries illustrate and reinforce key concepts ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Fractals in review
As an avid student of Chaos Theory and Fractals, I found this book to be similar to his other one. Williams eludes to using fractals in his analysis but makes no reference to fractal dimensions, Koch curves, monsters or any of the original theories as proposed by Mandelbrot. He does present some scaling principles and their application to Elliot Waves, but this is under the assumption that the Elliot Wave is correct or that you believe in it. I do agree with some of the money flow theories Williams proposes, which is probably the most clearly explained and substantiated part of his trading theoriey. I recommend "Fractals and Scaling in Finance" by Mandelbrot and for software, "Fractal Finance" by Tetrahex. Both of these follow a similar system, although Fractal Finance does use a MACD which appears similar to Williams.

Joke
The five stars is only for the cover. However, the content of the book is pathetic. I have read many trading books and several chaos books and I can honestly say this book is neither. I fell for the enlightened self-similar structure cover and wasted my money. Don't repeat my mistake.

If you are interested in chaos and trading, start with Edgar Peters books such as Chaos and the Capital Markets.

The publisher, Wiley, should be ashamed to put out this sort of drivel. Bill Williams is a joke. If you think your trading style is based on your body type, then maybe this book will help you feel better about losing; otherwise skip it and Bill Williams, PhD.'s other lobotomized treatises on trading.

Trader Development
This book really is mistitled. Chaos theory for markets is not presented, so look elsewhere for that. The book does present a good theory for the psychology of trading such as "traders differ on value but agree on price" as motivation and explains the development of traders from novice, intermediate, and advanced (skip master and expert level)and the goals for each level. Unfortunately, the methodology for trading with a Chaos background is not touched upon.

Good filler read for background on trading and personal development. Poor on methodology for trading with Chaos. Perhaps Mr. Williams had an epiphany and contends all trades are done in Chaos, so traders should relax. To borrow a line from another author, "some trades will, some trades won't, so what, next trade please."

Donate your money to charity
In the first few chapters, he sounds so attractive, after that, you will find the author using new technical analysis words to describe the breakthrough of the resistance/support and claims this a new concept/idea, but he saying nothing on the book and if you are using his method to trade, you are not far from bankruptcy.
Eventually, you waste your money, then why don't send cheque to charities.

Do not buy this book!
Williams uses big words (fractals, chaos, quantum mechanics) to impress the reader, but says nothing meaningful.I found this book a waste of time and money ... Read more

Book Description

The new edition of Rolf's FINITE MATHEMATICS relies on a rich array of examples and a student-friendly approach to clearly illustrate the utility of mathematical concepts in analyzing and solving problems. In addition, the Sixth Edition continues to offer flexible technology integration with optional graphing calculator problems and Excel applications for instructors who wish to bring technology into the course. ... 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 algebraic concepts – from linear equations, relations and functions, and rational expressions to radicals, quadratic systems, and factoring polynomials – 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