Book Description

Bob Blitzer's books are known for their well-conceived, relevant applications and meticulously annotated examples. This book gives readers the skill-building, practice, applications, and technology needed to foster an appreciation of mathematics. Maintains Blitzer's exceptional writing style that helps readers relate to and grasp the material. Contains new, innovative applications such as “Mammography Screening,” “Political Ideology of U.S. College Freshmen,” and “Nature's Life Cycles and Prime Numbers.” Includes new exercises and more Study Tip Boxes throughout. A handy reference for anyone needing to brush up on their mathematics skills.

Reviews (4)

Not a good book to study with
I taught a course with this book and there are several typo's in the book.

wonderful
I received my book in 2 days. It was in excellent condition, and included the instructor's cd.

Thinking Mathematically
I ordered this book, and it came faster than I expected it too. However, it was the Thinking Mathematically (Expanded 2nd Edition) Instructor's Edition CD-Rom version. I don't know if thats good or bad, but I already purchased the book from my campus bookstore and everything in this book is the same except for the CD that came with it. All and all its the service was exceptional. You should purchase it here.

Not the hardcover edition..
I needed the book "Thinking Mathematically" for a class. Since I dispise carrying hardcover books on my back, I opted for the (cheaper) paperback version. For anyone who is thinking about going a similar route, please note that the paperback version is not of the hardcover "Thinking Mathematically". This is the STUDENT SOLUTIONS MANUAL. If your class requires this too, as mine did, it's a great book for what it's intended.

Please do not purchase this book if you need to ACTUAL "Thinking Mathematically" textbook. THIS IS THE STUDENT SOLUTIONS MANUAL.

Thanks! :-) ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive math review for the GRE, GMAT and SAT. This math refresher workbook is designed to clearly and concisely state the basic math rules and principles of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry which a student needs to master.This is accomplished through a series of carefully sequenced practice sets designed to build a student's math skills step-by-step.The workbook emphasizes basic concepts and problem solving skills.Strategies for specific question types on the GRE, GMAT, and SAT are the focus of the Lighthouse Review Self Study programs. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great basic math review
The ETS tests you on math that you haven't had in years. This is a great refresher book. Simple, straightforward excercises to get your brain going on arithmetics again. There are 3 parts to the book, arithmetics, algebra and word problems, and geometry. Having reviews all of these parts, I scored much higher on a subsequent practice test. If you can be fluent and fast in all the concepts presented in the book, you should be able to over 650 easily in the quantitative section (plus you should review the GRE Quantitative format).

Really helpful
I hated the idea of tackling math again until I found this little Math Refresher book. The book gave me the easy-to-understand brush-up that I needed and it didn't hurt a bit! For anyone who hasn't tackled math in awhile and who needs an inexpensive jump-start, this book is a great buy.

very intresting one
I haven't deal with math for 5 or 6 years. (BTW: And never loved subject really.) :))) But this book was very good first step in my GMAT math. It's worth it's money and your time if you are starting from "below zero'.

Great for GMAT Prep!
I am horrible at math but needed to brush up for my second shot at the GMAT. This book did an exceptional job of reintroducing math concepts I hadn't seen in years. There were plenty of practice problems with simple and practical explanations.

The first time I took the GMAT, I used Kaplan's math prep book. Although it gave me practice answering GMAT type questions, the reality was I really needed to first was brush up on my math fundamentals.

This book covers arithmatic, algebra, and geometry in 37 lessons. A great buy for anyone taking an ETS test!

A Must Have for Every Family
This book should be stored along side your set of encylopedias and dictionary. ... Read more

Book Description

In the numbers explosion all around us in our modern-day dealings, the buzzword is data, as in, “Do you have any data to support your claim?” “The data supported the original hypothesis that . . .” and “The data bear this out. . . .” But the field of statistics is not just about data. Statistics is the entire process involved in gathering evidence to answer questions about the world, in cases where that evidence happens to be numerical data.

Statistics For Dummies is for everyone who wants to sort through and evaluate the incredible amount of statistical information that comes to them on a daily basis. (You know the stuff: charts, graphs, tables, as well as headlines that talk about the results of the latest poll, survey, experiment, or other scientific study.) This book arms you with the ability to decipher and make important decisions about statistical results, being ever aware of the ways in which people can mislead you with statistics. Get the inside scoop on number-crunching nuances, plus insight into how you can

• Determine the odds
• Calculate a standard score
• Find the margin of error
• Recognize the impact of polls
• Establish criteria for a good survey
• Make informed decisions about experiments

This down-to-earth reference is chock-full of real examples from real sources that are relevant to your everyday life: from the latest medical breakthroughs, crime studies, and population trends to surveys on Internet dating, cell phone use, and the worst cars of the millennium. Statistics For Dummies departs from traditional statistics texts, references, supplement books, and study guides in the following ways:

• Practical and intuitive explanations of statistical concepts, ideas, techniques, formulas, and calculations.
• Clear and concise step-by-step procedures that intuitively explain how to work through statistics problems.
• Upfront and honest answers to your questions like, “What does this really mean?” and “When and how I will ever use this?”

Chances are, Statistics For Dummies will be your No. 1 resource for discovering how numerical data figures into your corner of the universe. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It's just okay
A reasonable overview of the subject. Go down to your local community college, buy a $15 Texas Instrument ti-30x-II calculator, go on line and pull down a ti-30x-II pdf file for free and REALLY learn what you're looking at. Plus you get college credit for passing. "Stats for dummies" reminds me of a MBA in 12 hours course I once took. Oh yeah, you might have to invest some time using excel spreadsheets if the stats course is business related.

What Statistics for Dummies is About
Statistics for Dummies would be useful in a statistics class, but it is also easily accessible to the general public. The book contains a wide range of examples for any topic in the introductory statistics syllabus, as well as step-by-step explanations of all calculations needed. The book is also very useful for getting clear cut, intuitive explanations of statistical ideas. The index is a quick way to find whatever you are looking for.

Statistics for Dummies
This author is great, and the book has helped me tremendously! There are tons of problems in the book, and the author walks us step by step through the calculations. If you want to understand statistics, I would recommend this book.

More of a professional level
Deborah Rumsey has obviously written this book for the professional because there are no examples of any kind to be found in the book. If your looking for a book that shows examples of how to work the formulas for statistics then I highly recommend Shaum's Statistics third edition. Statistics for Dummies is a real disappointment to the dummies series of books. ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory text provides a clear understanding of the intuition behind derivatives pricing, how models are implemented, and how they are used and adapted in practice. M. Joshi covers the strengths and weaknesses of such models as stochastic volatility, jump diffusion, and variance gamma, as well as the Black-Scholes. Examples and exercises, with answers, as well as computer projects, challenge the mind and encourage learning how to become a good quantitative analyst. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good book on the basics
This book comes in between Wilmott and the more technical books.
And its by no means complete, if you want a more comprehensive treatment you may want to buy wilmott.
And if you need something more technical you should
get the book by Oskendal and/or Nielsen.

If you want to get an inexpensive book then go for this.

An outstanding book in a crowded field
In recent years bookshelves (and readers) have groaned under the weight of new First Courses in Mathematical Finance. There is, of course, a huge overlap in content and it is no easy task to write a book which is both better than its predecessors and genuinely novel. In both tasks Mark Joshi has succeeded admirably: this book deserves to become the leader in its field.

Finding the right level of mathematical sophistication is a difficult balancing act in which it is impossible to please all readers. Here, the author has had a clear vision that the principal audience is the practising or potential quantitative analyst (or quant) and writes accordingly; it is impossible to do better than taking an approach of this sort. Such a quant must have a certain minimum level of mathematical background (a good degree in a numerate discipline). By definition, this has to be assumed for a decent understanding of the material, but the author always has an eye on what a quant really needs to know. Integrated into this mathematical work is a good deal of information about how markets, banks and other corporations operate in practice, not found in more academically-oriented books.

The first half of the book includes the core material found in any decent first course on the subject including basic stochastic calculus, pricing of European options through discounted expectation under a risk-neutral measure, the Black-Scholes differential equation and so forth. Where this book really stands out, however, is the exceptional clarity with which the key concepts are separated. Not only are three different ways for deriving the Black-Scholes formula presented (through PDEs, expectation, and the limit of discrete tree-models) ; much more significantly, the different roles played by hedging, replication and equivalent martingale measures in enforcing a price are made crystal clear. In whatever way you already think about this material, you will almost certainly come away with something new from reading this treatment. In my case, for example, I gained a much greater understanding of why "risk-neutral" pricing is so called.

The second half of the book, roughly speaking, covers a selection of more sophisticated material. The major areas covered include interest-rate derivatives and models; and more complicated models for stock price evolution (such as stochastic-volatility, jump-diffusion and variance-gamma) that have been proposed to correct inadequacies in the Black-Scholes model such as its failure to explain market smiles. Once the core ideas have been so thoroughly explained in the first half, a great deal of interesting and diverse material can be covered rapidly yet with a great deal of clarity and coherence, relating the new models to core ideas such as uniqueness of prices and hedging issues.

Those with quantitative finance experience are still likely to find a good deal that is new and worthwhile in this book. And if you a thinking about becoming a quant, I cannot think of a better book to read first.

Most comprehensive
This is the most comprehensive and up to date textbook on quantitative finance that I have seen so far. Joshi is an excellent mathematician and an excellent quant. He knows finance like the back of his hand, and explains it very well.

A must read for anyone interested in mathematical finance
The modern paradigm within mathematical finance is the use of martingale
methods for the pricing of options; an understanding of it is
critcal not only to quants who use these mathematical tools on a day
to day basis, but also to risk professionals in general when understanding the
risks inherent in a new product. At present, however,
there are very few accessible texts that discuss this at a level that
is suitable for the (sizeable) interested audience; texts either do not
have adequate coverage of the martingale methodology, concentrating on the
older less insightful pde methods, or concentrate (too much in the
reviewers opinion) on mathematical rigour and
require a substantial understanding
of probability theory before one is able to understand and appreciate
the finance.

Mark Joshi's book fills this niche admirably: it is mathematically rigorous
where it needs to be, but more importantly "physically" insightful --- the
author takes considerable pain in assisting the reader in developing
an intuition both for the models used and the products that are
priced. However, the mathematics is all there; more importantly
for the finance professional there are details on how to implement the
various models described. Again in marked contrast to other texts available
the book includes a number of relevant exercises (with solutions) and
computer projects --- features which this reviewer welcomes.
The book is also to be applauded on the fact that
it does not end after a discussion of the Black Scholes stock case ! Instead
the second half of the book discusses, admittedly assuming a slightly higher
level of mathematical sophistication (but never beyond, what one would
expect of a good physical sciences/mathematics graduate), multiasset options,
the LIBOR market model, stochastic volatility and jump diffusion models.
This again is a key strength of the text, rendering these subjects far
more accessible to a wider audience.

In short this is a book which anyone who is interested in mathematical
finance should have on their book shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Convex optimization problems arise frequently in many different fields. A comprehensive introduction to the subject, this book shows in detail how such problems can be solved numerically with great efficiency. The focus is on recognizing convex optimization problems and then finding the most appropriate technique for solving them. The text contains many worked examples and homework exercises and will appeal to students, researchers and practitioners in fields such as engineering, computer science, mathematics, statistics, finance, and economics. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Advanced Engineering Mathematics
As a text to learn mathematics, this text is better than average. However, there are numerous errors in terms of handling real physical systems. The author clearly does not understand the words "dimensional analysis" when he describes "real problems". Futhermore, many times the author seems quite willing to change physical laws in order to simplify the mathematics. For any doubters out there, consider the 1/r (not 1/r2) electrostatic force described on page 246 problem 19. Simply stated this text is above average if you plan on learning the mathematics needed to solve engineering/physics problems. However, under no circumstances should this text be used to obtain equations for real systems.

It's a worthless piece of junk
To be honest I must let everyone know that the course I used this book for only looked at a couple of chapters, from which we had the option of buying a special excerpt package. From those sections, I can safely conclude that this textbook was the most useless textbook I've ever had to use. Every example is of only the most basic cases, which makes it impossible to solve problems that are remotely different from those shown. The only thing worse than the textbook, was trying to make sense of the professors teaching the course. I'm sure that there is a more useful textbook out there, so buy that one instead.

Excellent
easily understood. Many useful examples. The theory part of it is very concise and relevant

I'm totally satisfied with this book. The price is right.
This book should be a "must" for every graduate student in engineering, mathematics, and applied science. It is well-written and is very comprehensive. In fact, one just needs to read this book and teach other people. As long as you actually spend your time reading this book, you don't even need to come to class and you still score well on your exams. I myself have learned a great deal from this book.

Best undergraduate math book I have ever used
I am a Ph.D. in Geophysics at MIT and I keep coming back to this book again and again. It is clearly written, has useful problem sets, and many clear examples. It covers a great range of topics and should be on the shelf of every engineer or scientist. ... 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

Written by a team of nationally known mathematics educators and mathematicians who have experience in teaching at the public school and university levels, this text builds on the recommendations of NCTM's Principles and Standards. It provides guidance in teaching content and developing processes in students from the middle school through high school. Its emphasis on mathematical modeling as an approach focuses on the development of the competencies needed to teach contemporary curricular materials in today's schools. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique book is a guide for students and graduates of mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, and other number-based disciplines contemplating a career in actuarial science. Given the comprehensive range of the cases that are analyzed in the book, the Actuaries' Survival Guide can serve as a companion to existing study material for all courses designed to prepare students for actuarial examinations.

* Based on the curricula and examinations of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)
* Presents an overview of career options and details on employment in different industries
* Provides a link between theory and practice; helps readers gain the qualitative and quantitative skills and knowledge required to succeed in actuarial exams
* Includes insights from over 50 actuaries and actuarial students
* Written by Fred Szabo, who has directed the actuarial co-op program at Concordia University for over ten years ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fred Szabo Doesn't Deserve To Be Called An Author
This book is useless. I bought it hoping to learn more about the actuarial profession. I returned it after the first "chapter." Basically the author asks a question and then obtains responses from 40 different people in the industry (students, professors, insurance companies, etc.) It is extremely boring and informative. This is nothing more then the results of a questionare give to a few hundred people. Szabo isn't an author, he's a data entry clerk. SKIP! ... Read more

Book Description

Solving word problems has never been easier than with Schaum's How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra!

This popular study guide shows students easy ways to solve what they struggle with most in algebra: word problems. How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra, Second Edition, is ideal for anyone who wants to master these skills. Completely updated, with contemporary language and examples, features solution methods that are easy to learn and remember, plus a self-test.

Reviews (13)

Excellent reference book
Mildred Johnson does something many, if not most, algebra books fail to do. Give the students not just an explanation of how to solve word problems but she gives the students enough problems of the same kind to practice so they can get the pattern engrained in their mind. I have used her book as a reference for my algebra classes for years and highly recommend it.

As Someone Who Always Struggled with Algebra ...
. . . and with algebra story problems in particular, I found that the books I consulted on the subject were often dense and confusing, with insufficient (for me) explanations or none at all. Then, I got a copy of "How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra" from Amazon. This is the book I wish had been used to introduce me to the subject in the first place. It is written in easy-to-understand language that is never intimidating (yet at the same time manages not to be condescending).

The thirteen chapters are organized by problem type - "Numbers", "Time, Rate, & Distance", "Mixtures", etc. Each chapter is packed with practice problems of varying difficulty, answers, and (most usefully) clear, step-by-step explanations.

"How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra" has helped me improve my grades, test scores-and confidence. Highly recommended if you are (or are the parent or teacher of) a beginner, are finding algebra word problems especially difficult, or would just like to improve your efficiency in this area.

This book has been needed for YEARS!
You can be good at algebra and still fail at all the word problems that are set up to test your algebra skills. Word problems require their own study and practice separate from the usual daily algebra lesson. Usually, students are accustomed to learning one algebra concept in a day's lesson and then they go on to drilling through algebra equations that are already set up for them. The lesson and drill focuses on the algebraic operations, so that's all the students are learning. Word problems require the student to perform logical reasoning in setting up the equations before they can apply their algebra skills, and therein lies the problem. Most students spend all their time developing algebra skills solving equations and no time developing the logical reasoning skills that are needed to formulate an equation in the first place. Once the algebra lesson is over and they drill through several exercises, a few word problems are thrown at them at the end and they're told "you should be able to do this." WRONG!

In my opinion, the best way to develop the skills necessary for solving word problems is to treat it as a separate lesson and drill. This book does exactly that and does it better than any book I've seen in my life! For the first time in my life I actually enjoyed doing word problems. This book makes solving algebra word problems as fun and addicting as solving a jigsaw puzzle, and you develop great reasoning skills along the way without even realizing it.

This is a great book and I hope the authors continue to expand on it adding more problems, colors, diagrams, detailed explanations, etc.

I recommend this book HIGHLY to anyone who has to deal with solving algebra word problems.

A very good book
This is an excellent book for my sixth grader. I do not have to keep concocting problems; instead, for a mere $9.95 someone has already done this for me!

A great study source for understanding word problems
Easy to Read. Easy to follow. Very helpful for those who fear algebra word problems. A must buy, and worth every penny!! ... Read more

Book Description

Finance is one of the fastest growing areas in the modern banking and corporate world. This, together with the sophistication of modern financial products, provides a rapidly growing impetus for new mathematical models and modern mathematical methods.Indeed, the area is an expanding source for novel and relevant "real-world" mathematics.In this book, the authors describe the modeling of financial derivative products from an applied mathematician's viewpoint, from modeling to analysis to elementary computation. The authors present a unified approach to modeling derivative products as partial differential equations, using numerical solutions where appropriate. The authors assume some mathematical background, but provide clear explanations for material beyond elementary calculus, probability, and algebra. This volume will become the standard introduction for advanced undergraduate students to this exciting new field. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Practical, easy-to-read and useful
This book is an excellent introduction to the use of finite difference and binomial methods to the pricing of equity options - regular and exotic/path-dependent. Requires only undergraduate calculus, and provides some intuition about the finance. Has exercises and solutions for people who want to learn. The "parent" book (Option pricing: mathematical models and pricing by P. Wilmott) has more information (although a little pricey!), is in fact used by financial "quants".

Only one snag
There is no portfolio analysis which ,I think, is basic to any book in financial math.

Read Hull Instead
It seems the examples in this book are clones of those found in Hull. Odd, since the author seems to want to use more sophisticate math. Since the author can't explain calculus or properly define terms, there is doubt there is even that basic understanding. Pass on this and buy Hull instead for better clarity and better examples.

Copied Equations
Wilmott seems to have copied theoretical derivations using partial differential equations and matrix multiplication symbols. The only examples in the book use basic algebra, so it seems as if the authors don't understand how to apply theory to practice except in the most simple cases.

This book is irritatingly bad. Terms are not well defined. There are no concrete examples following the derivations as if the authors don't understand the meaning of the equations.
The information on options seems to have been copied from the many derivatives dictionaries available on the web. It's clear the authors don't know how to apply the math to price these options. It seems their understanding is equivalent to that of a parrot.

Excellent Student Introduction
This book covers the formulas describing the mathematics of derivatives, and does a good job of it. It introduces the basic concepts in a fairly comprehensive form. I also bought and recommend "Credit Derivatives" by Tavakoli, and "Credit Derivatives Pricing Models" by Schonbucher. ... Read more

Book Description

Upon publication, the first edition of the CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics received overwhelming accolades for its unparalleled scope, readability, and utility. It soon took its place among the top selling books in the history of Chapman & Hall/CRC, and its popularity continues unabated.Yet also unabated has been the dedication of author Eric Weisstein to collecting, cataloging, and referencing mathematical facts, formulas, and definitions. He has now updated most of the original entries and expanded the Encyclopedia to include 1000 additional pages of illustrated entries.The accessibility of the Encyclopedia along with its broad coverage and economical price make it attractive to the widest possible range of readers and certainly a must for libraries, from the secondary to the professional and research levels. For mathematical definitions, formulas, figures, tabulations, and references, this is simply the most impressive compendium available. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Good book, missing a few things
I was hoping the book would include a thorough reference for mathematical notation and symbols, but it doesn't. No list of methematical symbols, no table to the Greek alphabet, etc. It's frustrating when you encounter a new symbol in a text and you don't know what it means; and it's difficult to look it up when you don't know what it's called. ...

Aside from that, quite an interesting book. Lots of interesting terms I never knew existed. For example, any idea what a "McNugget Number" is? Get the book and find out! :-)

... If the website were still online I probably would have bought the book anyway; websites are good for a quick lookup, books are good for longer reading. ...

Scientists should never support dishonesty
You can read what editors did to Eric Weisstein on the web. I've just one thing to say: as mathematicians, we should never support such processes. Look, this book is almost the only one I found on Amazon where the "Look inside this book" option has been locked. This is business only, not maths, and we mathematicians are not sharks.

Excellent Content ... but Its also Available Free
I'm not giving this book 1 star because its a bad book! I'm giving this book 1 star because you shouldn't under any circumstances buy it (in my opinion of course).

The book is a compilation of the mathematical artices compiled by Weisstein over many years. It is the most complete collection of introductory mathematics you can imagine, with ever expanding detail, and contributions from a large number of different writers. I could effuse about the content for hours: it has saved my mathematical bacon on very many occasions, and remains my major reference to new areas of math. This book, while being a new edition, still only contains a small fraction of Eric's content.

The complete contents of this book, instantly and easily searchable, with cross references, links to other topics and sites, and incorporating animations is all available at the mathword.wolfram.com website. It is all available free of charge, and is constantly edited and updated. In addition, a huge amount of extra material is there which couldn't be contained in this book.

A previous reviewer alluded to the fact that Eric, when trying to publish his website (which was always a website, long before he signed the deal for the book, and was given special dispensation in the publishing contract), was sued by the publisher of this book and told to take his site down. Although I can see it from the publishers point of view, their attitude towards this key resource was undoubtedly callous and cynical.

I'd really recommend you use his excellent website. If you feel bad that Eric isn't getting his royalty from your purchase: send him a cheque for $5.

What an Amazing Reference!
I finally found a copy of this book available used, and I snapped it up. I'm absolutely thrilled with it. I'm a math and sciences hobbyist (and not a very advanced one) so I can't comment on accuracy. But the book leaves me with a wonderful way to start researching ideas I've read about in other books and papers.

Each entry in the book includes plenty of information, and almost all of them have references to other entries for related subjects. Many have references which include information about deeper papers or books about related subjects, so I can really do some reading!

I wish the volume included a dictionary of mathematical symbols. After that, my only complaints are minor. First, the book doesn't discuss any people. That is, it has strictly limited itself to mathematic concepts and doesn't have bibliographic entries for mathemeticians and scientists. Second, the book doesn't include pronunciation information.

Boycott CRC - use the on-line version instead
I wish I had known about how evil and unethical the people at CRC are before I bought this book from .... You can read the sordid details on the web site for the book mathworld.wolfram.com. As for the book and CD, it is a great resource; I'll take the other reviewers' word for it not being as rigorous or complete as a professional mathematician would want -- most people who need a book like this are not professional matheticians (why would a professional mathetician even need any math encyclopedia anyway?). ... Read more

Book Description

PROBABILITY AND MEASURE

Third Edition

Now in its new third edition, Probability and Measure offers advanced students, scientists, and engineers an integrated introduction to measure theory and probability. Retaining the unique approach of the previous editions, this text interweaves material on probability and measure, so that probability problems generate an interest in measure theory and measure theory is then developed and applied to probability. Probability and Measure provides thorough coverage of probability, measure, integration, random variables and expected values, convergence of distributions, derivatives and conditional probability, and stochastic processes. The Third Edition features an improved treatment of Brownian motion and the replacement of queuing theory with ergodic theory.

Like the previous editions, this new edition will be well received by students of mathematics, statistics, economics, and a wide variety of disciplines that require a solid understanding of probability theory. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Some nice examples, poorly organized
This is probably a very nice text book if you already know probability. There are undeniably some insightful examples. However, it is often hard to follow the sequence of topics in the book.

It is at least amusing that the integral is only developed a couple of chapters after expectation has been in use...

a very good text book
This book gives abundant examples and statements that help to deepen your understanding. It does not require much statistic background to follow the book, although sometimes the reasoning is not that obvious to me. But maybe because I am not a math student. I also feel that topics are a bit scattered in the book.

Standard text but ...
the main problem with Billingsley's book lies in its organization of topics and results.
Yes it has all the standard results that need to be covered in a first (rigorous) course on probability theory and the proofs and exercises are good (thats why the three stars) but it is incredibly hard to study them from this book because of poor organisation which makes for lack of continuity (thats why no more than three).
Stick to Chung (and move to something more specialized thereafter). Unfortunately, Parthasarathy's 1977 Macmillan book is now out of print and only available in libraries ... I find that to be the best book at this level.

Great text
I have found Billingsley's text to be the most understandable probability/measure theory text that I have encountered. It is not necessary, but a basic background in measure theory would be very helpful.

Probability Theory Bible
"Probability and Measure" by P. Billingsley covers a lot of topics in probability theory, and in this sense it is a standard reference, but what I did not like much is that the concepts are somewhat scattered around the book, so one has to jump back and forth all the time. (May be this is an artefact of my graduate course in probability theory that had topics in the syllabus ordered in a way different from Billingsley.) I found another book more useful and more clearly written -- see Borovkov et. al., "Probability theory". ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Mathematical Universe is a solid collection of short essays, with each addressing a particular mathematical topic. Titles range from "Isoperimetric Problem" to "Where Are the Women?" Author Dunham is unafraid to refer to diagrams, equations, and rigorous arguments throughout the book, yet he manages to maintain a conversational tone. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Delightful Journey
As the book's subtitle suggests, it is a journey through some of the world's greatest mathematical achievements. It is a collection of quasi-independent essays, loosely patterned after children's ABC picture books.

For me there were two things that made this book a joy to read. One was that, as the preface states, "each chapter provides a strong dose of history." This way each topic was considered in some human context that revealed just how remarkable its development was. The other trait I liked was that while each chapter followed the same basic formula, i.e., some history and then some math, no two chapters were presented in the same way. Thus, Dr. Dunham was able to avoid predictability.

Though the mathematics in this book was not terribly challenging, the reader should be fairly mathematically inclined. The historical periods covered were weighted in favor of the classical Greeks and the 17th century Europeans, and the corresponding developments paralleled current curricula through lower division college math courses.

On the minus side, I would like to have seen a bibliography in addition to the notes at the back of the book.

Not too technical, but not to elementary.
Absolutely wonderful. This book should be titled "Obscure Math For Dummies," as it is always written so that a reader with basic mathematical background can understand it. I have read quite a bit of similar titles, but this is the ONLY one I would reccommend! The Mathematical Universe patches up holes of concepts that you never quite understood as well as introduces plenty of new math and its history. Loved the coverage of number theory.

Excellent
Excellent book that gives us a synopsis of the history of maths from early days. The only criticism I found (and no doubt other readers and the author) is that by virtue of the title, we are limited to one piece as per each letter of the alphabet. I personally would have liked to see the Z chapter written on Zero.

That apart, quite an entertaining read and highly recommended. Dunham should write some more.

Very Entertaining and informative
This book is perhaps the most entertaining popularization I ever came across.The book uses a minimum of mathematical technics to explain a lot of interesting problems and the genius of the men who first solved them.
Although the mathematical required is minimun , this is not a book for the complete mathematical illiterated reader

A fun way to do ABCs
After reading this book, one wishes that the cardinality of the English alphabet was much larger. That way, there would have been more letters and hence more chapters. Each of the twenty-five chapters deals with a theme that begins with a letter of the alphabet (X- Y plane is one chapter). Some poetic license is taken here. For example, the K chapter has the title Knighted Newton, but that is just part of the fun.
The author takes an approach that differs from most popular expositions in that there is a good deal of emphasis on the personalities (sometimes cantankerous) of the characters. Mathematicians are often portrayed as brilliant air heads ignorant of the ways of humanity, but here they have all of the human foibles. It is sadly true that intellectual battles are among the most viscous of all. The cross-channel dispute over the origins of calculus lasted for decades and was extremely acrimonious. It took less time for nations to kiss and make up after wars that killed millions of people than it did for the mathematical communities of Britain and France to "resolve" the priority dispute between Newton and Liebniz.
Familial rivalry reached extreme heights (lows) in the Bernoulli family, as at times solving was placed in second position behind squabbling. However, many of the personalities were quite ordinary . Pierre Fermat was in many ways an ordinary member of the French bureaucracy whose life outside mathematics seems to have been quite dull. The most prolific mathematician of all time, Leonhard Euler, was a quite likable father of many children who managed to perform superb mathematics even after going blind.
There is a slithering humorous vein coursing throughout the book, occasionally good but most often a member of the groaner set. The author avoids using the title, "Here's Looking at Eu-Clid," but cannot resist mentioning it later. There is even speculation as to why 50 percent of male mathematicians have beards. Since this reviewer has one, he will offer his own solution. Shaving is boring!
A fascinating collection of essays that touch every facet of the history of mathematics, this is sure to be one of the largest of the crown jewels of popular mathematics.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission. ... Read more

Book Description

A perennial bestseller, the 30th edition of CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae was the first "modern" edition of the handbook - adapted to be useful in the era of personal computers and powerful handheld devices. Now this version will quickly establish itself as the "user-friendly" edition. With a detailed table of contents and an extensive index listing over 6,000 entries, the 31st edition of this hugely successful handbook makes information even easier to locate.New in the 31st edition:Game theory and voting powerHeuristic search techniquesQuadratic fieldsReliabilityRisk analysis and decision rulesA table of solutions to Pell's equationA table of irreducible polynomials in2[x]An interpretation of powers of 10A collection of "proofs without words"Representations of groups of small orderCounting principlesTesselations and tilings…and much more!An indispensable, up-to-date resource, CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae, 31st Edition makes it effortless to find the equations, tables, and formulae you need most often. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Best reference you could have
I am a graduate student in engineering, I did my undergraduate in physics and mathematics. This is by far the number one book that I would suggest to anyone in any science or math. I find the most useful sections are the table of integrals, derivatives, trig identities, geometric formulae, physical constants, and unit conversions (all lists are quite complete). I have a number of other references, including this book's big brother, the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, but I find this one easier to use for most applications. I actually have a much older edition that my dad gave me when he was studying engineering, but I've looked through the new one, and it looks as good as the old. I'm actually buying a second copy to have at the lab.

Good Reference for the abstract based mathmatican
The reference covers many topics covered in higher mathmatics. Extensive list of definitions, theorems, formulas for many topics in mathematics - algebra, discrete, analysis, geometry, continous mathematics, many classifications for functions, and statistics. Some of the higher advanced topics include graph theory, abstract mathematics and differential geometry. The material presented is geared towards the serious mathematican than an undergraduate student or basic math user (why 4 star rating). For an undergraduate student, buy Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science. If you are still interested in exploring mathematics, buy the book!!

Zwillinger's CRC Standard Math Tables & Formulae
Zwillinger is an incomparable genius at organizing data, information, theory. See my review of his Handbook of Differential Equations, which is the best thing in its field and which the reader should also purchase regardless of whether currently into differential equations. The other reviewers have done a gone job noting details of this book. Here I would like to answer why tables and formulas are needed in a day when hand computers are everywhere. The answer is that we have to learn to think in terms of tables and formulas to keep at the top of our fields (for example, how many of you know that general relativity is based on sets of tables called tensors?). Computers today are stil mostly not for thinking but for doing long calculations which involve repetition rather than innovative thinking. Make your hobby tables, formulas, equations, inequalities, and you might pass Life 101.

Great reference
Clearer, newly typeset, and better-indexed than previous editions. Still has the comprehensive integral tables and a good trig reference section. The D.E. reference is still a little obscure. Good series section, good statistics. A nifty, if hardly "standard" topology/ knot section. All in all, keeps most of the good stuff, reorganizes, and resets old versions - due to the ambition of the new sections and scope of the reorganzation, a little bit disorganized. But it'll certainly be taken care of in the next edition by CRC, which consisently produces high-quality handbooks.

Far superior to previous editions
The 30th edition is better organized than any previous editions. The print is much clearer and the scope of the reference has been greatly increased. If you own a previous edition of this text and depend on it as I do, the 30th is a must! ... Read more

Book Description

Students and research workers in mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences will find this compilation of more than 2000 mathematical formulas and tables invaluable. They will see quickly why half a million copies were sold of the first edition! All the information included is practical -- rarely used results are excluded. Topics range from elementary to advanced-from algebra, trigonometry and calculus to vector analysis, Bessel functions, Legendre polynomials and elliptic integrals. Great care has been taken to present all results concisely and clearly. Excellent to keep as a handy reference! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Indispensible for the physicist
A fantastic summation of neccesary mathematics for any engineer or physicist...the only reason for 4 stars is that it's integral table is a little short.

Not as much help as it should be
I bought this book as an aid to EM theory and Quantum Mechanics. I found little really useful stuff. The series expansion didn't have (1+u)^-3/2 for example, or the curl operator in cylindrical and spherical coordinates. The integral table is limited. The authors should look at books like Dwight, for example, and make sure their coverage is more complete. I am disapointed in it. For the money, it should be much better.

Inexpensive reference!
As an undergraduate physics major, it is necessary to have some sort of mathematical handbook containing tables of integrals, trig identities, differentiation rules, vector identities, etc. As such, I cannot give this book higher praise! While does not contain as many features as the CRC Handbook of Tables and Formulae, or many of the other big famous hardcovers, it makes up for this in many ways. It is compact, lightweight and fits in most bookbags. It contains the tables and rules which will be most used in undergraduate homework problems. Most importantly, it is affordable on a student budget! I carry this with me to study groups and tutoring sessions.

You are crazy if you don't have this book!
Great reference for formulas and identities that you have forgotten. Integral table is awsome. This book is week on more advanced stuff like bessel functions etc...This is some of the best money I have ever spent. Used it all the time in my physics classes and ALWAYS carry it with me. How did I ever get on without it?

Best money i've ever spent
This handbook was pretty much all I ever needed from college through my Ph.D. in physics. An extremely valuable resources. If the formula you need isn't in here, chances are you did the problem wrong ... Read more

Book Description

Mathematics is the science of patterns, and mathematicians attempt to understand these patterns and discover new ones using a variety of tools. In Proofs That Really Count, award-winning math professors Arthur Benjamin and Jennifer Quinn demonstrate that many number patterns, even very complex ones, can be understood by simple counting arguments. The book emphasizes numbers that are often not thought of as numbers that count: Fibonacci Numbers, Lucas Numbers, Continued Fractions, and Harmonic Numbers, to name a few. Numerous hints and references are given for all chapter exercises and many chapters end with a list of identities in need of combinatorial proof. The extensive appendix of identities will be a valuable resource. This book should appeal to readers of all levels, from high school math students to professional mathematicians. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

a really neat book
Everyone has that smart-alex relation who ruins Thanksgiving dinner by proving to every four year old in the room that they know more about math than they do. There are several ways to deal with such a pain in the posterior but the least likely to involve violence and police intervention is this book.

There are few 'wonderful' books ... you can count them with the fingers of one hand ... this is one.

The 'smart-alex' in the family would call this book: 'just a book on popular mathematics' thunder against it and not know 1/100 th of those facts within.

This is understandable number theory ... I guess you could call it that. It takes a number, some whole integers and some fractional or decimal parts and tells you about them. What they are made off, how to use the number, how it was used historically ... in other words it not dry like those awful wiggly things scraggy armed Mr. Enngenheimer [whomever] bored you with in high school

nice reference
A concise yet complete reference work on numbers. Starts with i and moves to very large numbers. Also, where relevant, integer sequences and relata are discussed, for instance, the fibonacci sequence with the number 5 and so on and so forth. Additionally, there are some nice appendices listing various integer sequences, factors and such.

No recreational mathematician should be without it
In the foreword to G.H. Hardy's book A Mathematician's Apology, C.P. Snow tells an anecdote about Hardy and his collaborator Srinavasa Ramanujan. Hardy, perhaps the greatest number theorist of 20th century, took a taxi from London to the hospital at Putney where Ramanujan was dying of tuberculosis, Hardy noticed its number, 1729. Always inept about introducing a conversation, he entered the room where Ramanujan was lying in bed and, with scarcely a hello, blurted out his opinion about the taxi-cab number. It was, he declared, "rather a dull number," adding that he hoped that wasn't a bad omen. "No, Hardy! No, Hardy," said Ramanujan, "it is a very interesting number. It is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways."

Usually it takes a great deal of insight as well as considerable mathematical training to discover a yet unknown properties of some number. Only recognizing the beauty of a number pattern is much easier, though, especially with a friendly book like this one on hand. Wells, a long-time mathematics popularizer, has collected over 1000 numbers he considers interesting. Each of them is given a short explanation, often accompanied with a bibliographic reference. Celebrities among the numbers, like i, e or Pi, are given a more comprehensive treatment. Included are also several sequences, like Fibonacci's, Mersenne's, Fermat's, Carmichael's or Kaprekar's, each accompanied with its explanation. So are cyclic, amicable, untouchable or lucky numbers, and many more sequences you probably didn't know about.

While Wells' dictionary certainly gives the impression of a well-researched work, the list of numbers is by no means exhaustive. Anyone familiar with chaos theory will notice the absence of Feigenbaum constant; prime hunters would probably be interested in discussion on Woodall primes, Sophie-Germain primes, or Proth primes. But they are better off with Paulo Ribenboim's book on primes, anyway, while Wells' book, with its easily understandable explanations and accessible price is probably more suited for the "recreational mathematics" audience.