The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences [Hardcover]

N. J.A. Sloane (Author), Simon Plouffe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0125586302 | ISBN-13: 978-0125586306 | Publication Date: April 11, 1995 | Edition: 1

This encyclopedia contains more than 5000 integer sequences, over half of which have never before been catalogued. Because the sequences are presented in the most natural form, and arranged for easy reference, this book is easier to use than the authors earlier classic A Handbook of Integer Sequences<$>. The Encyclopedia<$> gives the name, mathematical description, and citations to literature for each sequence. Following sequences of particular interest, thereare essays on their origins, uses, and connections to related sequences (all cross-referenced). A valuable new feature to this text is the inclusion of a number of interesting diagrams and illustrations related to selected sequences.

The initial chapters are both amusing and enlightening. They serve as a delightful introduction to the subject and a short course on how to identify and work with integer sequences. This encyclopedia brings Sloanes ground-breaking Handbook<$> up to date, more than doubling its size, and linking both the old and the new material to an extensive bibliography (over 25 pages long), of current and classic references. An index to all the sequences in the book is also available separately on disk in Macintosh and IBM formats.

Key Features
* Contains more than 5000 integer sequences
* Gives the name and mathematical description of each sequence
* Provides citations to literature for each sequence
* Extensively cross-referenced
* Lists a bibliography of more than 25 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

In spite of the large number of published mathematical tables, until the appearance of the first authors A Handbook of Integer Sequences<$> in 1974 there was no table of sequences of integers. The 1974 book remedied this situation to a certain extent, and the present work is a greatly expanded version of that book. The main table contains 5488 sequences of integers (compared with 2372 in the first book), collected from all branches of mathematics and science. The sequences arearranged in numerical order, and for each one a brief description and a reference is given.
An invaluable tool. I shall say no more about this marvelous reference except that every recreational mathematician should buy a copy forthwith.
--MARTIN GARDNER in Scientific American<$>
There are twice as many sequences as there were in Sloanes Handbook<$> and those who have the Handbook<$> will want The Encyclopedia<$>....Many people who have searched in vain for some of the sequences missing from the Handbook<$> will be quick to get copies of this new and expanded version to track down these missing sequences.
--RICHARD K. GUY, University of Calgary
What's the next whole number in this sequence: 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, 22, 29? The answer can be found in one of more than 5,000 entries in The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences.<$>
--SCIENCE NEWS
The number of sequences cataloged here is more than double the tally of the previous incarnation....If libraries shelve this book in the reference section, they should consider aquiring a second copy for circulation. The book will likely be in high demand, not just by researchers, but by browsers at all levels who will especially appreciate the entertaining commentaries interspersed every few pages throughout the encyclopedia. Highly recommended for all academic libraries.
--CHOICE
"Incomparable, eccentric, yet very useful. Contains thousands of 'well-defined and interesting' infinite integer sequences together with references for each. Sequences are arranged lexicographically and (to minimize errors) typeset from computer tape. If you ever wondered what comes after 1,2,4,8,18,71...this is the place to look it up."
--American Mathematical Monthly

From the Back Cover

The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences contains more than 5000 integer sequences, arranged for easy reference, with more than half never before catalogued. In addition to having more than double the material of Sloane's A Handbook of Integer Sequences (Academic Press, 1973), this encyclopedia gives the name, mathematical description, and citations to the literature for each sequence. It includes essays on origins, uses, and connections, with interesting diagrams or illustrations. More than a table, this is an introduction to the field, showing readers how to identify and work with sequences. It includes an extensive bibliography of current and classic references. An index to all the sequences in the book is also available separately in Macintosh and IBM formats.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 587 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (April 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0125586302
• ISBN-13: 978-0125586306
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,976,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My God!, December 12, 1999

By 

Sen Peng Eu "ESP=Math+Music+Literature" (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (Hardcover)

Since combinatorics is my major, this book fulfills my dream. It contains over 5000 sequences, from famous Fibonacci to notorious 1,3,6,11,17,25,... (Perfect ruler,general term still unknown ), to nonsense 1,11,21,1211,111221,..(every term describe the former term). Nearly every important integer sequence in mathematics get a line here, with references. This is a dream book for combinatorics specialists, a must for high-school teachers while doing some short essays with gifted students, a fun book for mathematics fans, especially those like mathematical games.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is a compilation of all important sequences in math, April 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (Hardcover)

This is a compilation of 5488 sequences in more than 8000 references. Each sequence comes with a description, formula, generating function (if known). It is an essential reference book for all researchers in mathematics in general. There are 2 parts, the first part consist of 3 chapters that explain how to 'crack' a sequence and what are the main methods for doing so. The second part is the huge list of all the sequences. The book comes with a diskette and an comprehensive index + complete bibliography. An enthusiastic reader once said that : 'There is the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences.'

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Searching for the book vs. the disk?, January 7, 2004

By 

Hagatha (California, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (Hardcover)

The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences is available in three formats. Sellers often incorrectly match the ISBN to the format. It may be helpful to know the ISBN, rather than to rely on the results of a search by Title/Author.

Hardcover Book: ISBN 0125586302
Macintosh Disk: ISBN 0125586310
MSDOS/IBM Disk: ISBN 0125586329

Also, use the price as a clue to which item you will be receiving - the book sells for $70+, the disk for under $20.