Customer Reviews

Excursions into Mathematics: The Millennium Edition

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Now fully updated and expanded, this New Millennium edition of Excursions Into Mathematics takes the reader on short "excursions" into several specific disciplines in the field of mathematics and explains mathematical concepts in such an easy, "user friendly" manner as to make them interesting and accessible to the non-specialist general reader. Anatole Beck, Michael N. Bleicher, and Donald W. Crowe have collaborated in this exciting revision to include new research and solutions to outstanding problems that have been solved since the previous edition published in 1969. Excursions Into Mathematics is a highly recommended introduction for any reader with an interest in mathematics, and has a great deal to recommend it to anyone wanting a refresher on mathematics and the progress made over the past three decades.

A well written explanation of the why the binary analysis of the game of Nim works as well as clear and concise explanations/proofs of theorems about perfect numbers, the game of Hex, finite geometries, game theory, and much more.

Now fully updated and expanded, this New Millennium edition of Excursions Into Mathematics takes the reader on short "excursions" into several specific disciplines in the field of mathematics and explains mathematical concepts in such an easy, "user friendly" manner as to make them interesting and accessible to the non-specialist general reader. Anatole Beck, Michael N. Bleicher, and Donald W. Crowe have collaborated in this exciting revision to include new research and solutions to outstanding problems that have been solved since the previous edition published in 1969. Excursions Into Mathematics is a highly recommended introduction for any reader with an interest in mathematics, and has a great deal to recommend it to anyone wanting a refresher on mathematics and the progress made over the past three decades.

This book is ageless, because the topics it deals with
are timeless. Re-issued and annotated in year 2000
from its original 1969 edition, it gives the same
fascinating and elementary introduction to many
important topics in mathematics. My favorite chapter
is one written by co-author Michael N. Bleicher, in
which very readable discussions are made of (1) natural
numbers and the base in the place notation; (2) Farey
numbers; (3) Egyptian fractions; and (4) the Euclidean
algorithm. Wow, what a fine taste in selections! The
other chapters contributed by co-authors Anatole Beck
and Donald W. Crowe on elementary aspects of geometry,
topology, number theory, etc., are no less fascinating,
riveting, and compelling. I wonder what Martin Gardner
may think of this volume. I think he would welcome
having it placed on our book shelves alongside the many
splendid volumes he himself has penned -- and just as
avidly read. Stanley Liu November 2003