Product Description
The appearance of Gruenbaum's book Convex Polytopes in 1967 was a moment of grace to geometers and combinatorialists. The special spirit of the book is very much alive even in those chapters where the book's immense influence made them quickly obsolete. Some other chapters promise beautiful unexplored land for future research. The appearance of the new edition is going to be another moment of grace. Kaibel, Klee and Ziegler were able to update the convex polytope saga in a clear, accurate, lively, and inspired way. --Gil Kalai, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The original book of Gruenbaum has provided the central reference for work in this active area of mathematics for the past 35 years...I first consulted this book as a graduate student in 1967; yet, even today, I am surprised again and again by what I find there. It is an amazingly complete reference for work on this subject up to that time and continues to be a major influence on research to this day. --Louis J. Billera, Cornell University The original edition of Convex Polytopes inspired a whole generation of grateful workers in polytope theory. Without it, it is doubtful whether many of the subsequent advances in the subject would have been made. The many seeds it sowed have since grown into healthy trees, with vigorous branches and luxuriant foliage. It is good to see it in print once again. --Peter McMullen, University College London

The combinatorial study of convex polytopes is today an extremely active and healthy area of mathematical research, and the number and depth of its relationships to other parts of mathematics have grown astonishingly since Convex Polytopes was first published in 1966. The new edition contains the full text of the original and the addition of notes at the end of each chapter. The notes are intended to bridge the thirty five years of intensive research on polytopes that were to a large extent initiated, guided, motivated and fuelled by the first edition of Convex Polytopes. The new material provides a direct guide to more than 400 papers and books that have appeared since 1967. Branko Grünbaum is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington. ... Read more

Product Description

Suitable for a general studies course on mathematics, this textbook deals with the mathematics of the environment. It presents the mathematics by building patterns in numbers, arithmetic, and algebra and by using axioms as building blocks. A truly interdisciplinary study of mathematics, the text explores examples in population models, DNA computing, epidemics, financial mathematics, and more. It encourages students to use Excel spreadsheets to solve many of the open-ended problems. Along with numerous references, the book contains an appendix of solutions.

Product Description
The nineteen essays here illustrate many different aspects of mathematical thinking. The author is very well-known for his best-selling books of problems; in this volume he seeks to share his appreciation of the elegant and ingenious approaches used in thinking about even elementary mathematics. Standard high school courses in algebra and geometry furnish a sufficient basis for understanding each essay. Topics include number theory, geometry, combinatorics, logic and probability, and the methods used often involve an interaction between these disciplines. Some of the essays are easy to read, others more challenging; some of the exercises are routine, others lead the reader deeper into the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A delightful, accessible book
This is a marvellous volume for math enthusiasts of all ages and levels. It's accessible to an inquisitive high school student with little background in the subject; and it doesn't duplicate the sort of material found in high school and university courses, so it's still got plenty to offer the graduate student or math teacher. The author's enthusiasm for the subject leaps out from every paragraph, and it's contagious. Honsberger carefully and thoroughly explains the proofs he presents; very little of import is left to the reader. Among the results:

- If x and y are positive numbers less than 1, chosen at random, the probability that x, y, and 1 form the sides of an obtuse triangle is (pi-2)/4
- For any string of digits S=a_1a_2...a_m, and integer n not a power of 10, there is a power of n that begins with the string S
- On average, the probability that two randomly chosen integers are coprime is 6/pi^2.

At the end of each section are practice problems that make use of the material just presented, and these offer additional insight into the scope of the proofs.

In short, it's a great book, and it's particularly helpful for high school students looking for practice on contest-type problems, and for teachers looking for material for gifted students. ... Read more

Product Description
From Catastrophe to Chaos: A General Theory of EconomicDiscontinuities presents and unusual perspective on economicsand economic analysis. Current economic theory largely depends uponassuming that the world is fundamentally continuous. However, anincreasing amount of economic research has been done using approachesthat allow for discontinuities such as catastrophe theory, chaostheory, synergetics, and fractal geometry. The spread of suchapproaches across a variety of disciplines of thought has constituteda virtual intellectual revolution in recent years. This book reviewsthe applications of these approaches in various subdisciplines ofeconomics and draws upon past economic thinkers to develop anintegrated view of economics as a whole from the perspective ofinherent discontinuity. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides a world view of mathematics, balancing ancient, early modern and modern history. Problems are taken from their original sources, enabling students to understand how mathematicians in various times and places solved mathematical problems. In this new edition a more global perspective is taken, integrating more non-Western coverage including contributions from Chinese/Indian, and Islamic mathematics and mathematicians. An additional chapter covers mathematical techniques from other cultures.*Up to date, uses the results of very recent scholarship in the history ofmathematics.*Provides summaries of the arguments of all important ideas in thefield. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

(+_+)
Place my order on August 21, 2010 and receive @ Sept 2. the condition of my book fits the description you described.

I liked the history but not the math....
Ok, the title probably sounds pretty dumb so let me explain.Trying to read the first 6 or so chapters was a nightmare.Maybe I haven't taken the right classes yet?I don't know but I could hardly get through any of the actual math.This book made me scared of Euclid!All I can see when I think about this book are random circles and angles and how it's all supposed to mean something.I also remember trying to learn about the Chinese Remainder Theorem from this book.Result: I still don't even have a clue what it's about.

A History of Mathematics
It's a good comprehensive study of math's roots. My wife used it for her master's program.

reprehensibly bad
I'll try not say anything too disruptive. (Nevertheless, an official range of love it to hate it seems to say it's more than okay to just let the emotions rip.)This is just the sort of technical history that William Berkson would call out as "a pack of lies."For a much more historically accurate and far less shallow take on this topic, i highly recommend A History of Mathematics: From Mesopotamia to Modernity (Also why in the world would Mathematical Review ever publish a review of Hodgkin's book by Katz?!?!When I read Katz's review of Hodgkin, I felt immediatly uncomfortable since there is the very real possibility of Katz having the motivation to do all in his power to rid the marketplace of any competitor.)

clear and informative
While this subject may be very boring, this book is clear and concise and walks the reader through the development of modern mathematics.It isn't exactly chronological and instead chooses to follow a subject based time line.A solid purchase for those students who have utterly confusing professors. ... Read more

Product Description
This book deals with a number of mathematical topics that are of great importance in the study of classical econometrics.There is a lengthy chapter on matrix algebra, which introduces the reader from the most elementary aspects to partitioned inverses, characterisic roots and vectors, symmetric, orthogonal and positive (semi) definite matrices. The book also covers psuedo-inverses, solutions to systems of linear equations, solutions of vector difference equations with constant coefficients and random forcing functions, matrix differentiation, permutation matrices etc. Among its novel features is an introduction to asymptotic expansions, and examples of applications to the general linear model (regression) and the general linear structural econometric model (simultaneous equations).Professor Dhrymes is currently a Professor of Economics at Columbia University. Earlier he taught at Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Los Angeles, and Monash University in Australia.He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Statistical Association. He has been a managing editor and editor of the International Economic Review (itl), and one of the founding editors of the Journal of Econometrics (italicize). Professor Dhrymes serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of the Journal of Ecophometrics, and Econometric Theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Linear Algebra Review
Well, I was a student of Professor Dhrymes, so I am a bit biased as a reader. This book would be extremely helpful for a 1st year graduate course in Econometrics, as it contains many useful linear algebra results. I am glad it was reprinted, as we had had to use photocopies of the previous edition.

The Quality isn't a good explanatory variable for the price
Actually I do think that this book is too expensive, it is not worth to buy it. It spends five chapter (167 pages), more than 60% of the book, to teach matrix algebra, reader can easy read the detail matrix algebra review from many econometric texts such as Greene and Johnston. I don't think this part is helpful. For the last three chapters, it just discuss the material about OLS, all of these can be easy found in some introductory econometric text. I don't think it is very useful for anyone to read this book before studying other econometic text.

Best Book On Mathematical application in economics
I have done masters degree in MATHEMATICS and have done some management courses also. Here I am a PROFESSOR in a COLLEGE where students do B.SC. from LONDON university under EXTERNAL PROGRAM. One of the subjects I teach is "MATHEMATICS FOR ECONOMICS".This book has not only no alternate but also written in very simple way with technical examples and flow diagrams. My students last year got the DISTINCTION in this subject and this year I am also expecting DISTINCTION again from students. So I wanted to contact the auther and compliment the person. Finally as a teacher I would recommend strongly this book for the students of BSC. in Mathematics for economics as this book has a number of mathematical topics that are of great importance in the study of classical econometrics. And this is according to said syllabus. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Ideological
Goldfarb, "Poincaré against the Logicists." Poincaré complained that attempts to define arithmetic formally actually presupposed it, for example in using the concept "in no case" when defining zero. Goldfarb claims to "defeat" this objection as follows. "Poincaré is ... construing the project of the foundations of mathematics as being concerned with matters of the psychology of mathemtics and faulting logicism for getting it wrong." (p. 67). But "it is a central tenet on antipshychologism that such conditions are irrelevant to the rational grounds for a proposition. Thus the objection is defeated." (p. 70). But what about the question, central to Poincaré and many others, of whether it is possible to reduce arithmetic to logic? Goldfarb is apparently happy to dismiss this as an "irrelevant" matter of "pshychologism."

Dauben, "Abraham Robinson and Nonstandard Analysis." I have only read the incompetent section on Lakatos (section 2) of this chapter. Here Dauben offers a groundless and ideologically motivated attack on Lakatos' paper on Cauchy. First there is the nonsense about Robinson's non-standard analysis. Dauben writes correctly that: "There is nothing in the language or thought of Leibniz, Euler, or Cauchy (to whom Lakatos devotes most of his attention) that would make them early Robinsonians" (p. 180). This is all true, but it is also true that Lakatos never claimed otherwise, which is why Dauben must resort to underhand insinuations like this. Leaving this straw man aside, Lakatos wrote correctly that: "The downfall of Leibnizian theory was not due to the fact that it was inconsistent, but that it was capable only of limited growth. It was the heuristic potential of growth---and explanatory power---of Weierstrass's theory that brought about the downfall of infinitesimals" (p. 181). Dauben foolishly claims that "Lakatos apparently had not made up his mind" and "even contradicts himself" (p. 182) in acknowledging that Leibnizian calculus is inconsistent. This makes no sense. There is no contradiction. The inconsistency of Leibnizian calculus is even referred to as a fact in the first quotation. Dauben also claims that Lakatos is wrong because "the real stumbling block to infinitesimals was their acknowledged inconsistency" (p. 181). Why, then, did the calculus "stumble" only after two hundred years? If Dauben thinks that classical infinitesimal calculus "stumbled" before it had dried up, I suggest that he shows us what theorems it could have reached were it not for this obstacle.

Askey, "How can mathematicians and mathematical historians help each other?" Most of this article deals with haphazard and obscure notes regarding Askey's own historical research and does nothing to answer the title question. Askey's basic perspective is that mathematicians are well-meaning saints who do nothing wrong but that mathematical historians are incompetent and prejudiced in various ways. For example, Askey amuses himself with finding errors in Kline's history, and concludes that "it is clear that mathematical historians need all the help they can get" (p. 212). But it makes no sense to blame historians, for Kline was a mathematician. He obtained his Ph.D. in mathematics and was a professor of mathematics at a mathematics department all his career. Elsewhere Askey writes: "One cannot form an adequate picture of what is really important on the basis of current undergraduate curriculum and first-year graduate courses. In particular, I think there is far too much emphasis on the emergence of rigor and the foundations of the mathematics in much of what is published on the history of mathematics." (p. 203). The obvious lesson is for mathematicians to stop teaching lousy courses that trick students into thinking that rigour is a huge deal, etc. But no. That would entail admitting a flaw among the glorified mathematicians that Askey loves so much. So instead he nonsensically blames historians without further discussion. ... Read more

Product Description
An Easygoing, Highly Entertaining Refresher on all the Math You'll Ever Need.

What do two goats and a car have to do with making good decisions? Was the golden ratio used to build the Great Pyramid of Khufu? Can it be that some numbers are unmistakably "hot," while others are inherently "cool"? With his infectiously enthusiastic and engaging style, award-winning teacher and author Sherman K. Stein offers a new appreciation for mathematics, from the beauty of its logic ("as inevitable and memorable as a Mozart symphony") to its amazing power and pervasiveness in our lives. Requiring no math knowledge beyond basic arithmetic and high school geometry, Strength in Numbers is an enlightening introduction to all the math you'll ever need. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Examples of why math makes the world go round
Since it does provide much of the foundation for modern societies and the applications are commonly covered with very effective disguises, mathematics is both a pillar and a whipping post. More misunderstood and hence feared than any other subject, it is the only one where it is fashionable and acceptable to profess ignorance. The only solution to this problem is to gently explain how valuable it is and let the economic realities of mathematical knowledge take control. In this book, Stein puts forward many valuable points concerning how necessary mathematics is.
While I do endorse the book, there is one negative point that must be made. The title should be different. One of the points in the book is that mathematics is much more than just number manipulation. Although this is well-known to mathematicians, it is a very common misconception. Therefore, the emphasis on numbers present in the title is unfortunate, but probably necessary for marketing purposes.
Now that the ranting is complete, it is time to praise the interior of the book. All of the points are significant and well made. Stein writes very well, explaining topics in a manner that keeps understanding within the range of the target audience, which is the intelligent layperson. His multiple explanations as to why the product of two negative numbers is positive is excellent. In my career, I have encountered several very educated people in technical fields who really did not understand why this is so. They had simply accepted it because they knew it worked, but had always been afraid of raising the question for fear of embarrassment.
Another point that cannot be emphasized enough is the sudden appearance of a "miracle"(reviewer word) number. These are numbers that are put forward to justify a point and are not subject to critical review. After that, they are accepted at a level that makes the belief in them an act of faith. Honestly, is nature so inefficient in anything that humans really use only 10% of their brains?This is an absurd number that has been repeated so many times that it is accepted as gospel. Stein does his part to help clear up some of these problems. However, it would have been better if more time had been spent in this area.
While there is some strength in numbers, the real power lies in the effective use of them, which is the realm of the underlying mathematics. This book contains many valuable lessons on why mathematics, rather than money, makes the world go round.

Demystifying math...
Professor Stein's book is an amazing read. It's humorous, insightful, and educational. A couple of those "great mysteries" from our math classes in school are solved and you will slap your forehead and say,"Well, they could have taught me THAT years ago!"

I highly recommend this book to all levels of math students AND math teachers.

As Someone Who Has to Encourage Math. to Youngsters
I can use the book to indirectly persuade youngsters, who think Math. is nothing but number and boring, to take it more seriously.It's hard for me to come up with more logical and more convincing than what already there in the book.

Both Halves Are Good
As titled: Discover the joy and power of mathematics. I divide this book into two halves. The first half is about our relationship with mathematics. It leads you to think of those numbers around you, and eventually you start to think about what's going on. I especially like the chapter on statistical information. The second part is about mathematical knowledge. The eariler chapters are a bit too easy. Yet I like the proofs very much. The last chapter is so fascinating. And it's only 4 pages long! This is a mathematics book I really like.

A delight
Stein successfully convinces the lay readerthat math is an interesting and fascinating game. Right on! Such a book makes a positive contribution to education and hence to society.Keep up the good work.In particular, Stein'spersonal antecdotes demonstrate that math excellence can be integrated intoone's total humanity. ... Read more

Product Description
Professor H. S. Wall (1902-1971) developed Creative Mathematics over a period of many years of working with students at the University of Texas, Austin. His aim was to lead students to develop their mathematical abilities, to help them learn the art of mathematics, and to teach them to create mathematical ideas. This book, according to Wall, 'is not a compendium of mathematical facts and inventions to be read over as a connoisseur of art looks over paintings. It is, instead, a sketchbook in which readers try their hands at mathematical discovery.' In less than two hundred pages, he takes the reader on a stimulating tour starting with numbers, and then moving on to simple graphs, the integral, simple surfaces, successive approximations, linear spaces of simple graphs, and concluding with mechanical systems. The book is self contained, and assumes little formal mathematical background on the part of the reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extremely dense with unusual notation
There are two phrases that describe this book, gextremely denseh and gunusual notation.h An enormous amount of mathematics is covered, yet all is merely sketched rather than drawn in detail. In less than 200 pages of presentation, the topics are in order:

*) Basic graphs of functions
*) Trigonometry
*) Integrals and computations with integrals
*) Simple surfaces
*) Successive approximations
*) Linear spaces
*) Mechanical systems

and there is no index.
One of the best demonstrations of the unusual notation Wall employs appears in Chapter 6, gThe Simple Graphs of Trigonometry.h Nowhere do you see, sin, cos or tan used to represent the functions, instead it is S(x), C(x) and T(x). The trek to these functions is most unusual, for example the original definition of the C(x) function is

0, x = -Î/2

C(x)=1/K(x), -Î/2 < x < Î/2

0, x = Î/2

where K(x) = Q[1 + T2], where T is defined as gThe point set to which (x,y) belongs only if (y,x) belongs to A is a simple graph which we denote by T.h A is defined as
0
- ç ¶, if x < 0
x

A(x)= 0, if x = 0

x
ç ¶, if x > 0.
0

The definition of ¶ is

¶ = 1/ (1 + I2).

Finally, gThe simple graph I is the simple graph to which the point P belongs only if the ordinate of P is the abscissa of P, so I(x) = x for every number.h As you can see, this is not the way most of use learned about the trigonometric functions.
These are the reasons why I found the book very hard to read, there were many times when I had to stop and back up to several locations to refresh my memory as to what the symbols meant. I also had to really apply myself to reason things through and even when I reached the point where I understood them if I put the book down for any length of time and then went back I had lost a great deal of my understanding.
I readily admit that some of my difficulty in understanding the material was due to my having learned it in other ways. Others may not face that hurdle, although my mathematical training was fairly typical, so other readers will likely encounter the same problems in understanding that I did.

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

Product Description
Subdivision surfaces permit a designer to specify the approximate form of a surface defining an object and to refine and smooth the form to obtain a more useful or attractive version of the surface. A considerable amount of mathematical theory is required to understand the characteristics of the resulting surfaces, and this book provides a careful and rigorous presentation of the mathematics underlying subdivision surfaces as used in computer graphics and animation, explaining the concepts necessary to easily read the subdivision literature. It also organizes subdivision methods in a unique and unambiguous hierarchy in order to provide insight and understanding.

The material is not restricted to questions related to regularity of subdivision surfaces at so-called extraordinary points but instead gives a broad discussion of the various methods. It is excellent preparation for reading more advanced texts that delve more deeply into special questions of regularity. The authors provide exercises and projects at the end of each chapter. Course material, including solutions to the exercises, is available on an associated Web page.

Audience: This book is written for mathematically inclined Ph.D. students in computer science and researchers with advanced graduate-level expertise.

Contents: List of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; Notation, Conventions, Abbreviations; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: B-Spline Surfaces; Chapter 3: Box-Spline Surfaces; Chapter 4: Generalized-Spline Surfaces; Chapter 5: Convergence and Smoothness; Chapter 6: Evaluation and Estimation of Surfaces; Chapter 7: Shape Control; Appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great for home school
I home school and used this book to get ready for middle school math.It is pretty easy to understand the explanations.It also has many practice problems of all kinds.I recommend this book to any one who wants to learn math.

An excellent book of mathematics
I use this book in school for my G/T classes. I am saying four stars because it includes loads and loads of examples, and real life problems which is a highly helpful. The only promblem was it only attempted to explain some of the topics thouroughly. In short, it is an excellentt review of 7th grade math no matter what age level you are, and also an excellent study tool if you only understand it partially.

Exellent GT Math Book!
This book uses pratical applications and is mainly for middle school. I currently use it in 5th grade GT Math. I have used the course 1 book last year in GT. This book focuses on everything you are going to need to know for a couple years if in 5th grade. The book uses examples to explain. It also uses about 2 or 3 paragraphs of in depth writing explaining the chapter. Following that, it would guide you through the step by step process. This series is great for teachers and students alike. I could reccomend Mc-Graw Hill to anyone, especially this specific book even if you are falling behind and have to catch up. Overall for learning, chose Mc-Graw Hill. ... Read more

Product Description
Hailed by The New York Times Book Review as"...nothing less than a major contribution to the scientific culture of this world," this major survey features the work of 18 outstanding mathematicians. Primary subjects include analytic geometry, algebra, ordinary and partial differential equations, the calculus of variations, functions of a complex variable, prime numbers, and theories of probability and functions. Other topics include linear and non-Euclidean geometry, topology, functional analysis, more. 1963 ed.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Very good service. Cheap and quick.
The book arrived as soon as they said me. In very a good condition. A bargain.

Excellent
An excellent book covering a breadth of mathematical fields. The authors convey the general character of many areas of mathematics, without use excessive formality or pedantry. Highly recommended.

Outstanding overview of mathematics!
This book is one of my top-five favourites. It always stands on my desk, where I find myself opening it twice of thrice a week. The book was written in the 50's in the Soviet Union and is understandably contaminated with Marxist propaganda. Also for this reason some chapters are badly dated (those on calculating machines, for example). However, if you are able to see beyond these details, you will be carefully guided by the hand through beautiful and profound mathematics by some of the most accomplished mathematicians of the XXth century, and you will never regret buying this book. Buy the Dover edition (ISBN 0486409163) which has all three volumes in one single book (1120 pages!!!)

Great book indeed
I cannot recommend this book enough to all the math lovers who wants to get a broader view of math with limited background.

This is a great book for self study. Anyone with a high school math background can pick up this book and learn some college level math. This book is not detailed and rigorous as what you read in college textbooks but the intention of this three volume masterpiece is to lay foundations for math enthusiasts so that they can have a broad view of what is math (as the title suggests) and can pick up more advanced books in a more specialized area. And this book really does a great job on this.

Superb but BEWARE of what you buy
The Dover edition is 3 volumes in one. Many of the copies for sale here are just ONE of the 3 volumes. So be careful what you order!

This is a superb series of essays on major areas of math, by leading Russian mathematicians. They provide a splendid but SERIOUS introduction to each area. It is 50 years old but all this stuff is still central to any math related degree.

The book does a great job providing "motivation" and connecting the areas of math together. I wish I had had it when I did my degrees.

Suitable for those in math, physics, engineering. If you want a less ambitious, popular account of math then look for Ian Stewart's Concepts of Modern Mathematics, also from Dover.

Anf again, be careful about what you order. ... Read more

Product Description
This innovative text was written for the one or two-semester, sophomore/junior level advanced math course for engineers. It was built from the ground up using a Computer Algebra System, offering the student opportunities to visualize and experience the math at every turn. The text has been designed to accommodate a variety of teaching styles, and varying levels on technology integration. It has a logical arrangement with many short self-contained sections, and many real-world applications of interest to engineering students. Chapter Introductions and Chapter Summaries help to make the material more accessible, and Chapter Review Exercises provides constant checks along the way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best Way to Learn Maple Mathematics
Perhaps this is the most accessible Mathematics application text in existence. It is made so through the use of Maple worksheets which dissect each of the many topics. The contents include:
UNIT I. Ordinary Differential Equations-Part One
UNIT II. Infinite Series
UNIT III. Ordinary Differential Equations-Part Two
UNIT IV. Vector Calculus
UNIT V. Boundary Value Problems for PDEs
UNIT VI. Matrix Algebra
UNIT VII. Complex Variables
UNIT VIII. Numerical Methods
UNIT IX. Calculus of Variations
Each unit is broken down intofour to 10 sections. Maple worksheets (CD)parallel the book completely. Each Maple worksheet explains the topic, and then provides practice examples. The typical mathematical abstractions of a text are peeled away when you dissect the equivalent work in Maple. In the process, the learner develops a skill with Maple as an applications tool. For those like to look at more worked examples Maplesoft's "AEM Student Workbook" is very useful
In summary, I found Dr. Lopez' text & worksheets to be an accessible tutorial source of advanced engineering mathematics plus a modern tutorial on a useful mathematics program..

A Beautiful AEM Book
I give this book 5 stars. This is a beautiful AEM book that I own. The format is neat and explanation well-done by the authhor. After you have finished courses in Calculus and Linear Algebra, if you think of taking advanced science, applied math or engineering, this book suits you well. If your instructor doesn't adopt this as a class text, then buy this as an excellent reference. Its worth the price. I have read of teachers at many websites who highly recommend this AEM book.

A good approach to classic topics
A very well written text. A good integration of analytical and numerical methods. Each chapter is designed toward being able to understand a particular class of problems. This approach sets this book aside from the traditional "Advanced EGR Mathematics" texts. That is, if your looking for a book of examples ("long chapters") then buy one of the traditional texts. If your looking to learn mathematics, buy this one.

learning the easy way
Great book. It explains concepts from scratch and it is easy to read. The best part is the maple exercises. Without doubt, this is going to be the best way to learn math in the future. It makes everything look simple. If you like maple, you'll love this book. Also the book is huge (+1200 pages and 7000 exercises) and heavy. It is worth the money. The CD comes with 273 lessons for maple (they are excellent). ... Read more

Product Description
This text is an accessible, student-friendly introduction to the wide range of mathematical and statistical tools needed by the forensic scientist in the analysis, interpretation and presentation of experimental measurements.

From a basis of high school mathematics, the book develops essential quantitative analysis techniques within the context of a broad range of forensic applications. This clearly structured text focuses on developing core mathematical skills together with an understanding of the calculations associated with the analysis of experimental work, including an emphasis on the use of graphs and the evaluation of uncertainties. Through a broad study of probability and statistics, the reader is led ultimately to the use of Bayesian approaches to the evaluation of evidence within the court. In every section, forensic applications such as ballistics trajectories, post-mortem cooling, aspects of forensic pharmacokinetics, the matching of glass evidence, the formation of bloodstains and the interpretation of DNA profiles are discussed and examples of calculations are worked through. In every chapter there are numerous self-assessment problems to aid student learning.

Its broad scope and forensically focused coverage make this book an essential text for students embarking on any degree course in forensic science or forensic analysis, as well as an invaluable reference for post-graduate students and forensic professionals.

Key features:

• Offers a unique mix of mathematics and statistics topics, specifically tailored to a forensic science undergraduate degree.
• All topics illustrated with examples from the forensic science discipline.
• Written in an accessible, student-friendly way to engage interest and enhance learning and confidence.
• Assumes only a basic high-school level prior mathematical knowledge.

Product Description
Dispelling some of the subject's alarming aspects, this book provides, in a witty and engaging style, the fundamentals of mathematical operations. Topics include system of tens and other number systems, symbols and commands, first steps in algebra and algebraic notation, common fractions and equations, irrational numbers, the binomial theorem, and much more. By the book's conclusion, readers will appreciate the compelling magic behind a subject they may have previously dreaded.
... Read more

Product Description
The discipline of mathematics has not been spared the sweeping critique of postmodernism. Is mathematical theory true for all time, or are mathematical constructs in fact fallible? This fascinating book examines the tensions that have arisen between modern and postmodern views of mathematics, explores alternative theories of mathematical truth, explains why the issues are important, and shows how a Christian perspective makes a difference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

muddled
Axiomatics and superstition make a bilious mix.
The book has an extremely narrow ideological focus
pandering to the hardcore religious right.Another
sad attempt to set the clock back.

An Historic Look at Mathematics
This is a weighty volume and is not light reading; yet, it is worth forging through to see where mathematical perspective has been and where it is going in relationship to world views.Especially interesting are the essays on how the post-modern, relativistic world views mathematical truths.The collection of authors who contributed to the book is impressive, especially considering their diverse educational and theological backgrounds. ... Read more

Product Description
Can a Christian escape from a lion? How quickly can a rumor spread? Can you fool an airline into accepting oversize baggage? Recreational mathematics is full of frivolous questions where the mathematician's art can be brought to bear. But play often has a purpose. In mathematics, it can sharpen skills, provide amusement, or simply surprise, and books of problems have been the stock-in-trade of mathematicians for centuries. This collection is designed to be sipped from, rather than consumed in one sitting. The questions range in difficulty: the most challenging offer a glimpse of deep results that engage mathematicians today; even the easiest prompt readers to think about mathematics. All come with solutions, many with hints, and most with illustrations. Whether you are an expert, or a beginner or an amateur mathematician, this book will delight for a lifetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A set of problems perfect for the "Here's a cool problem" games between mathematicians
The 157 problems in this book are certainly challenging and it is clear to see how they can be characterized as problems one mathematician would pose to another over coffee. Nontrivial with unusual points of statement and solution, most have proofs that are short and direct. The coverage is broad; many areas of mathematics are represented in some form.
The first section of the book is the set of problems, followed by a list of very brief hints. Given that it takes 35 pages to list the problems and the hints only take up nine pages, the hints are often of dubious value. The last section is a set of complete solutions to the problems, if you cannot solve them; they are an opportunity to appreciate how well done the problems are and the educational value of the proofs.
"Here's a cool problem" is a game that mathematicians like to play with each other and those found in this book are definitely in that category.

interesting
many interesting problems... most of them are combinatorial and there are some analysis/topology as well. However, many topological problems can now be found in topological textbooks.

Insights
The book contains surprinsingly deep insights in very short proofs. Recommanded to anyone loving mathematics.

Nostalgia trip for a lapsed mathematician
Back in the days when I was a mathematician I remember taking part in many coffee room discussions with problems similar to the ones found in this book.Sometimes problems like these arise from a detail of a concrete problem that a mathematician is working on, and other times the coffee room problem comes first and turns into something much bigger and deeper than it first appeared.

A good coffee room problem is one whose statement can be understood by all present (from the lowliest honours student upwards) so that everyone can take part in thinking about the solution without needing specialised knowledge. The problem should also be hard enough to keep everyone occupied for a while and should be more profound than it looks.

This book is a collection of such problems. The book is divided into three sections: problems, hints and solutions.Even if you can't solve a given problem, just the act of working on it for a few minutes, hours or days (depending on your stamina) before checking the answer still gives you a lot of insight into the problem and a great deal of enjoyment.The solutions often go deeper than just the original problem.For example, the first problem of the book about a lion chasing a christian in a circular arena turns out to be quite a famous problem that has been generalised to higher dimensions, different types of arenas and greater numbers of lions!

So you won't be forced to give up on all of them, some of the problems are much easier than others, but all will get you thinking.Although many are even accessible to the advanced high school student, a fair bit more sophistication is often required, particularly to fully appreciate the solutions.I believe Bollobas intended his primary audience to be the type of people you might meet at a university mathematics department coffee room, but it is also perfect for lapsed mathematicians like me who still remember enough mathematics to tackle this book.In this sense I found it a real nostalgia trip. ... Read more

Product Description
How do you select a winner from a field of candidates? How do you rank a field of candidates? How do you share a divisible resource like a cake, or an indivisible one like a pet or a house? These are the questions addressed in this fun and accessible book that takes an entertaining look at the choices made by groups of people with different preferences, needs, and interests.

Divided into three parts, the text first examines voting methods for selecting or ranking candidates. A brief second part addresses compensation problems wherein an indivisible item must be assigned to one of several people who are equally entitled to ownership of the item, with monetary compensation paid to the others. The third part discusses the problem of sharing a divisible resource among several people.

Mathematics of Social Choice: Voting, Compensation, and Division can be used by mathematics majors as well as students whose only mathematical background is elementary algebra. Material geared toward more sophisticated readers can be skipped without any loss of continuity. The book includes many elementary and usually simple, but rigorous mathematical proofs appropriate for beginning mathematics majors. Students will also find appendices with background material on set notation, logic, and mathematical induction and solutions to many of the homework exercises.

Audience: This book is primarily addressed to readers without a high-level mathematical background, such as college students majoring in subjects other than mathematics and advanced high school students. However, some material appropriate for more sophisticated readers is included in small print, and makes the text appealing to undergraduate mathematics majors interested in learning about applications of mathematics in the social sciences. The book can also serve as an easy introduction to topics such as the Gibbard Satterthwaite theorem, Arrow's theorem, and fair division for readers with more mathematical background.

Contents: Preface; Part I: Voting: Chapter 1: Winner selection; Chapter 2: Rule of the majority; Chapter 3: Election spoilers; Chapter 4: The Smith set; Chapter 5: Smith-fairness and the no-weak-spoiler criterion; Chapter 6: Schulze s beatpath method; Chapter 7: Monotonicity; Chapter 8: Elections with many or few voters; Chapter 9: Irrelevant comparisons and the Muller Satterthwaite theorem; Chapter 10: Strategic voting and the Gibbard Satterthwaite theorem; Chapter 11: Winner selection versus ranking; Chapter 12: Irrelevant alternatives and Arrow s theorem; Part II: Compensation: Chapter 13: Fairness and envy-freeness; Chapter 14: Pareto-optimality and equitability; Chapter 15: Equality, equitability, and Knaster s procedure; Part III: Division: Chapter 16: Envy-free, Pareto-optimal, and equitable cake cutting; Chapter 17: I cut, you choose for three: Steinhaus s method; Chapter 18: Hall s marriage theorem; Chapter 19: I cut, you choose for more than three: Kuhn s methods; Chapter 20: The method of Selfridge and Conway; Chapter 21: The geometry of Pareto-optimal division between two people; Chapter 22: The adjusted winner method of Brams and Taylor; Chapter 23: Conflict resolution using the adjusted winner method; Chapter 24: The effect of dishonesty on the adjusted winner method; Chapter 25: Proportional allocation; Chapter 26: Dividing a piecewise homogeneous cake among more than 2 people; Part IV: Appendices: Appendix A: Sets; Appendix B: Logic; Appendix C: Mathematical induction; Appendix D: Solutions to selected exercises; Index. ... Read more