Customer Reviews

Handbook of Mathematics

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Bronstein's "Taschenbuch der Mathematik" is a longtime favorite among german science and engineering students. English language readers should be aware however, that there are numerous different editions of this book. Not only were the german editions constantly enlarged and reworked, but there were also two publishers of the same book, one in East Germany (Teubner Verlag), one in West Germany (Harri Deutsch Verlag). Today both of these publishers sell a "Taschenbuch der Mathematik" based on the original Bronstein, yet they are completely different books. The english edition by Springer Verlag advertised above is based on the current Harri Deutsch edition. An english translation of the Teubner edition is now available as the "Oxford Users' Guide to Mathematics" from Oxford University Press. It is mostly considered to be the better 'Bronstein' (even though Teubner and OUP have dropped his name because the new edition was completely rewritten by E. Zeidler).

This book is exactly what the title says it is; a handbook of mathematical techniques and formulas for scientists and engineers. It is more a handbook than a book on mathematics and assumes a prior knowledge on the subjects covered. Readers of this english version of the Bronshtein should take note that it is a "raw" translation of the german version and so some discussion may not do justice to the theory. This in no way takes away from the fact it is an exceptional book and you'd be hard pressed to find any other book with more mathematical content.

The original title of this book was "The Mathematical Handbook for Engineers and Technical Colleges' Students". This reflects the essence of what it is about: well rounded Math coverage for those who did not earn Ph.D. in Math yet.
For each of the topics covered the book gives you not only theoretical explanations, but plenty of examples as well. This feature allows anyone to get good understanding of the specific subject, and in most cases this knowledge is more than adequate for the problem solving.
The countless editions of this gemstone had been used by the generations of Russian students and engineers since, I believe 1940s. In my family alone it was the most used reference book for more than 50 years.

Well, except for the fact that the German version of the book spells the first auther BRONSTEIN, this book is well known and considert the "Bible" in the department of Physics in every single university in Germany for probably 30 years now. The concession by Springer and the english translation is apparently new (3. ed.) but the concession by Teubner and and Harri Deutsch is now in the 26th or 27th edition so it doesn't surprises me at all, that the first reviewer didn't find any mistakes. The freshmen at my university in Stuttgart, Germany is frequently told, that they could borrow any book they need in the library....only "the Bronstein" they would have to own! I personally don't agree with the first part, but that every student in physics should own the book is certainly true.

It is the most complete book about mathematics I know. I never ever found any mistake in any formula. It is recommendable to every scientist.

This book is at least fantastic.... Concise, easy to read , it's like a jewel

This handbook contains more material than I find in any other single source that I happen to have. But I don't use it as frequently as I use the analogous CRC handbook, or MathWorld and Wikipedia on the Web, or the ancient NBS handbook. Why not? Because one uses a handbook, not as a textbook, but as a source for things one should know, but don't (or perhaps once knew but have forgotten). So one wants to find the thing one is looking for, refresh or extend one's memory, and then put the handbook aside and go back to the problem one is trying to solve. I have trouble locating what I'm looking for in Bronshtein and Semendayev, and when I find it, I often find that I have to look up things elsewhere in the volume to get all of whatever it is I was looking for. So I try my other sources first, and if they don't answer my question, I pick up this book, resignedly, and expect to spend hours rather than minutes getting whatever it is I want to know. There is nothing wrong with that; indeed, this book often supplies me with answers to questions I can't find answered elsewhere.

In case the reader of this review attributes my difficulties with this book to a lack of mathematical background, I'll remark that my academic training, very many years ago, was in math, so I find that I can follow the discussion in this book of any particular thing I look up; it's just a slow process for me. I'm not surprised that it's a favorite in Germany (and in Europe more generally); Europeans in their mathematical training are expected to deal with tough subjects by dogged persistence, and probably feel more comfortable with this style than I do, given my US background. So, overall, it's a book I couldn't do without, but hate having to spend time in.

Perfect for anyone who needs a strong mathematics handbook - physicists, engineers, or CS people, this means you. There are no (or few) derivations, but all the techniques you need are here.

Picking up this book gives you a great feeling. The density of the material, the finish of the cover, the slickness of the pages, and the crisp font can't help but make you feel like you made the right purchase. Delving into the content doesn't dissatisfy either. This is one of the most comprehensive math books I've ever found, and will be used for my personal and professional studies for years to come.

Best handbook on mathematics. Both concise and comprehensive. Yet, there are some mistakes on basic physical examples such as classifying power as a vector quantity.