This little book is especially concerned with those portions of ”advanced calculus” in which the subtlety of the concepts and methods makes rigor difficult to attain at an elementary level. The approach taken here uses elementary versions of modern methods found in sophisticated mathematics. The formal prerequisites include only a term of linear algebra, a nodding acquaintance with the notation of set theory, and a respectable first-year calculus course (one which at least mentions the least upper bound (sup) and greatest lower bound (inf) of a set of real numbers). Beyond this a certain (perhaps latent) rapport with abstract mathematics will be found almost essential.
Calculus On Manifolds
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
109 of 113 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When you are in college, the standard calculus 1,2, (maybe 3) courses will teach you the material useful to engineers. If you want to become a mathematician (pure or applied), you must pretty much forget the material in these courses and start over. That's where you need Spivak's "Calculus on Manifolds". Spivak knows you learned calculus the wrong way and devotes the first three chapters in setting things right. Along the way he clears all the confusion arising from inconsistent notation between partial derivatives, total derivatives, Laplacians, and the like.
Chapter four contains the main objective of the book: Stokes Theorem. I think Spivak does a great job in minimizing the pain students feel when faced with tensor algebra for the first time, by carefully developing only what is essential. By first developing the notions of vector fields and forms on Euclidean spaces rather than manifolds, he eases the assimilation of these concepts. There is a slight price to pay by not developing the notion of tangent spaces in terms of germs and derivations (the modern approach), but this is quite justified for the level of the book. The student who completes chapter four (including the exercises) is well-equipped to study differential geometry.
Chapter five is a brief introduction to differential geometry, a teaser if you will, for the amazing ramifications of the tools developed in the book.
As Spivak remarks in the introduction, the exercises are the most important part of the book. Spivak rewards the students in the exercises by leaving many interesting developments to them like the indefinite integral of a Gaussian and Cauchy's integral formula.
This book is a gem for the student of mathematics.
Chapter four contains the main objective of the book: Stokes Theorem. I think Spivak does a great job in minimizing the pain students feel when faced with tensor algebra for the first time, by carefully developing only what is essential. By first developing the notions of vector fields and forms on Euclidean spaces rather than manifolds, he eases the assimilation of these concepts. There is a slight price to pay by not developing the notion of tangent spaces in terms of germs and derivations (the modern approach), but this is quite justified for the level of the book. The student who completes chapter four (including the exercises) is well-equipped to study differential geometry.
Chapter five is a brief introduction to differential geometry, a teaser if you will, for the amazing ramifications of the tools developed in the book.
As Spivak remarks in the introduction, the exercises are the most important part of the book. Spivak rewards the students in the exercises by leaving many interesting developments to them like the indefinite integral of a Gaussian and Cauchy's integral formula.
This book is a gem for the student of mathematics.
38 of 41 people found the following review helpful
One reviewer said :"by carefully developing only what is essential." which is best thing to say about this book
January 19, 2006
Format:Paperback
So far Im at chapter 2 (just finished it). So Im going to update this once im done with the book.
Let me say first this is not a book to read while you are lying on bed, You absolutely need a pen, a paper, and write down the theorems, and then rewrite all the proofs, and write on your own the skipped steps. Note the author says more than one time "clearly", and those "clearly" are kinda clear, however proving them will take space, and I think they need to be proven anyway, to get a better grasp on material.! (sometimes if you think the clearly is not near clear, then maybe your thinking wrong, rethink about the problem).
Anyway, whats BEST about this book, is that it "is carefully developing only what is essential" to get to manifolds (which I never studied b4). But comparing this book to other books, Other books introduce LOTS and LOTS of material, that you really might not need to know ALL of it to get to manifolds. I am not saying all those extra material are not important, but to simply study the subject of manifolds, you really do not "need" them.
this book is five chapters:
1)Functions on Euclidean Spaces
2) differentiation
3) Integration
4) Integration on chains
5) Integration on Manifolds
IT might sound trivial for grad math books, but this book does NOT have solution to the exercices at end of book, however, some of the excerices have hints just right after the statement of the problem, and I think they are kinda solvable.
True, not so many examples provided in the book, however, if you sit and write and prove theorems, then you should be able to create your own example, and more like discover things!
Simply, if you love studying Math, (some say torture urself with Math), then that's the right book for you.
I can not but give 5 stars for this book. Overpriced, not many examples, WHATEVER, The name of the book is calculus on Manifolds (not advanced calc 2 or real analysis 2), and thats what you will absolutely find in the book.
*** Update ***
now that I'm done with the book. It has been a great experience, especially it's my first exposure to manifolds (also differentials). However, I think this book really lacks examples. If I was not studying this book as independent study with a professor, I would have learned some wrong concepts on my own (especially in the section about n-cubes, examples by the author were REALLY needed there to clear any confusion). The way I studied this book is that I read it, try to rewrite all the proofs on my own rigorously including all the left-out details, then go to my professor, he will give more intuition, and I try to come up with examples in his office. It's been great, I learned a lot. I still think lack of examples is a problem. Though wud not want to change my 5 stars.
Now I think studying this book as second (at least not first) exposure to the material would be a lot better, That's if you are studying it on your own! However, IF you have extra time and IF you can discuss the material with a professor everytime you read a section, and He can direct you to develop the right examples, then this book is GREAT (and I think can be covered in one semester)!
Let me say first this is not a book to read while you are lying on bed, You absolutely need a pen, a paper, and write down the theorems, and then rewrite all the proofs, and write on your own the skipped steps. Note the author says more than one time "clearly", and those "clearly" are kinda clear, however proving them will take space, and I think they need to be proven anyway, to get a better grasp on material.! (sometimes if you think the clearly is not near clear, then maybe your thinking wrong, rethink about the problem).
Anyway, whats BEST about this book, is that it "is carefully developing only what is essential" to get to manifolds (which I never studied b4). But comparing this book to other books, Other books introduce LOTS and LOTS of material, that you really might not need to know ALL of it to get to manifolds. I am not saying all those extra material are not important, but to simply study the subject of manifolds, you really do not "need" them.
this book is five chapters:
1)Functions on Euclidean Spaces
2) differentiation
3) Integration
4) Integration on chains
5) Integration on Manifolds
IT might sound trivial for grad math books, but this book does NOT have solution to the exercices at end of book, however, some of the excerices have hints just right after the statement of the problem, and I think they are kinda solvable.
True, not so many examples provided in the book, however, if you sit and write and prove theorems, then you should be able to create your own example, and more like discover things!
Simply, if you love studying Math, (some say torture urself with Math), then that's the right book for you.
I can not but give 5 stars for this book. Overpriced, not many examples, WHATEVER, The name of the book is calculus on Manifolds (not advanced calc 2 or real analysis 2), and thats what you will absolutely find in the book.
*** Update ***
now that I'm done with the book. It has been a great experience, especially it's my first exposure to manifolds (also differentials). However, I think this book really lacks examples. If I was not studying this book as independent study with a professor, I would have learned some wrong concepts on my own (especially in the section about n-cubes, examples by the author were REALLY needed there to clear any confusion). The way I studied this book is that I read it, try to rewrite all the proofs on my own rigorously including all the left-out details, then go to my professor, he will give more intuition, and I try to come up with examples in his office. It's been great, I learned a lot. I still think lack of examples is a problem. Though wud not want to change my 5 stars.
Now I think studying this book as second (at least not first) exposure to the material would be a lot better, That's if you are studying it on your own! However, IF you have extra time and IF you can discuss the material with a professor everytime you read a section, and He can direct you to develop the right examples, then this book is GREAT (and I think can be covered in one semester)!
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very thin book, especially with paper cover. The content, though, is not thin at all. As creamy as one could wish for. Don't let the size fool you.
Before buying this book, I suggest you try reading one or two pages (excluding Chapter 1) on the stuff that you think you are best familiar with. If you can understand every paragraph within 30 minutes without having to go back and forth, you must have been a grad student in math for 3 years and about to get a Ph.D. in analysis. I'm not kidding!
Having said the above, I think this is a wonderful little book. Its notations are the best I have seen. No confusions at all, at least not for me. People also do refer to this book a lot.
One thing I find quite bothersome is the treatment of measure zero. I think Spivak spent too few pages on it. Well, speaking about spending too few pages, if you see a proof going for more than two pages in this book, be prepared. Take a bath, eat a good dinner and sit tight before going through it. :) Almost forgot: you ABSOLUTELY need to do the exercises.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Text
This isn't the greatest book ever, but when used in the right course it can be wonderful. It is also a great book when you go back for a refresher, also.
Published 3 months ago by Rob S
Not a great book
I used it for my undergrad 2nd year analysis course and felt it's not suitable for being a textbook at all. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Xuan Zheng
Awesome content, horrible production.
Everything good to say about the content of this book is referred to those with positive reviews. I, however, would like to comment on the production quality of this book. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Black Milk
The best we have right now, but don't blink
Let me start by saying that I think this book is the best for an advanced undergraduate or graduate student who wants to learn multivariable analysis and get an introduction to... Read more
Published 11 months ago by U of M Math Student
Good, over-rated, but good
This is a good book if you want to learn the basics of Stokes' theorem on manifolds (in euclidean R^d) space. Read more
Published 15 months ago by LB
newspaper quality
I'm giving this review not so much to discuss the contents of the book, which I think is very good and would give *****, but the production quality of this edition which is truly... Read more
Published 22 months ago by The Rizzler
Great book. If you're prepared that is.
In the preface Spivak says that this book is accessible to anyone that has had good courses in calculus and linear algebra. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Fluffy, Destroyer of Men
More Advanced Than It Claims
Be warned: Spivak is speaking a different language from any I was taught. I have spent hundreds of hours on this book, and have filled three binders with notes on the first three... Read more
Published on May 4, 2010 by Robert S. Cruikshank Jr.
disappointing
What a bunch of hype on this book. It's format is so concise as to be practically useless. It seems to be a bunch of class notes cobbled together. Read more
Published on January 21, 2009 by doodler
Tip of the iceberg...
This book would serve well as a self-study introduction to smooth manifolds for a student just finishing a high school calculus course. Read more
Published on September 27, 2008 by Simplicio
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