Writing Mathematics Well [Paperback]

Leonard Gillman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Mathematical Assn of Amer (June 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883854430
• ISBN-13: 978-0883854433
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #993,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars The basics of writing mathematics well, June 28, 2011

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Writing Mathematics Well (Paperback)

As the classic work, "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White demonstrated, the best works explaining how to write well can be small. This short pamphlet, designed to explain to contributors of material to the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) publications how to format their submissions, demonstrates it again.
Symbols are essential to the expression of mathematics, yet it is easy to over or improperly use them, which is one of the key points in this book. That, more than anything is what determines whether a paper can be understood. Other points are the use of mathematical English, the order of presentation of results and their proofs, the extent to which items are revised and proofed and even down to when you should use pronouns such as "I", "we" and "us."
Books like this never really go out of style (pun intended) and can be the difference between writing something that makes the audience go, "Ooh" with understanding versus having them go blank.