Matters Mathematical (AMS Chelsea Publishing) [Hardcover]

I. N. Herstein (Author), I. Kaplansky (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0828403007 | ISBN-13: 978-0828403009 | Publication Date: January 1, 1978 | Edition: 2

From the Preface: ``This book is based on notes prepared for a course at the University of Chicago. The course was intended for nonmajors whose mathematical training was somewhat limited ... Mastery of the material requires nothing beyond algebra and geometry normally covered in high school ... [I]t could be used in courses designed for students who intend to teach mathematics ... We want the reader to see mathematics as a living subject in which new results are constantly being obtained.''

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fascinating ... introduction to abstract mathematics. --American Mathematical Monthly

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: American Mathematical Society; 2 edition (January 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0828403007
• ISBN-13: 978-0828403009
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Intro to Modern Mathematics, November 24, 2006

By 

Steve (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matters Mathematical (AMS Chelsea Publishing) (Hardcover)

This is really a great introduction to many key fields in mathematics, e.g., number theory, permutations, group theory, finite geometry, game theory and infinite sets. The authors start from very basic concepts and do not assume very much mathematical background. This book also serves as an excellent first course on mathematical proofs. I particularly like the way the authors show how to explore and get insight into various proofs.

Just one caution: although the book starts from basic concepts and does not assume much prior knowledge, it does assume the ability to reason abstractly. In particular, many of the exercises (at the end of each section) are quite difficult. For example, the reader is asked to prove the general Chinese Remainder Theorem. The book does provide a proof for the case of two integers, but the general case requires a non-obvious trick. Some of the exercises would be hard to very difficult for junior or senior undergraduate math majors.