Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Abstract Algebra (De Gruyter Textbook)

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The first thing to not about this book is that it is dense. In my abstract algebra course we covered chapters 3-5 in an entire semester. However, it contained every proof we needed in class, and although it reads slowly, it was usually crystal-clear. Especially good is its treatment of group actions, which is sometimes lacking in introductory-level algebra books. There is a lot of additional material -- the author recommends covering chapters 1-7 in one semester, which may be feasible at institutions like MIT, but for the majority of students, the information contained in this book would be more than a year's worth. Chapter 8 contains almost a semester's worth of advanced linear algebra. Sometimes I wish there were a few more exercises in each chapter; especially in the beginning, because the proofs were relatively easy, it seemed like there wasn't a good enough selection of topics. The book is mercifully cheap, but even though it's paperback, it's very sturdy, and for such a low-cost choice, it has tons of content. Recommended.