Finite Mathematics (7th Edition) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Raymond N. Greenwell (Author), Nathan P. Ritchey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Finite Mathematics was written for the one-semester finite math course for students majoring in a variety of fields-business, economics, social science, and biological and physical science. Widely known for incorporating interesting, relevant, and realistic applications, this new edition now offers many more real applications citing current data sources. The new edition now offers more opportunities for use of technology, allowing for increased visualization and a better understanding of difficult concepts. A dedicated Web site rounds out the teaching and learning package, offering extended applications from the book, skill mastery quizzes, and graphing calculator programs tied to the text.

About the Author

Marge Lial was always interested in math; it was her favorite subject in the first grade! Marge's intense desire to educate both her students and herself has inspired the writing of numerous best-selling textbooks. Marge, who received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from California State University at Sacramento, is now affiliated with American River College.

Marge is an avid reader and traveler. Her travel experiences often find their way into her books as applications, exercise sets, and feature sets. She is particularly interested in archeology. Trips to various digs and ruin sites have produced some fascinating problems for her textbooks involving such topics as the building of Mayan pyramids and the acoustics of ancient ball courts in the Yucatan.

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Raymond N. Greenwell earned a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from the University of San Diego, and an M.S. in Statistics, an M.S. in AppliedMathematics, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Michigan State University, where he earned the graduate student teaching award in 1979. After teaching at Albion College in Michigan for four years, he moved to Hofstra University in1983, where he currently is Professor of Mathematics.

Raymond has published articles on fluid mechanics, mathematical biology, genetic algorithms, combinatorics, statistics, and undergraduate mathematics education. He is a member of MAA, AMS, SIAM, NCTM, and AMATYC. He is currently (2002-2005) governor of the Metropolitan New York Section of the MAA, as well as webmaster and liaison coordinator, and he received a distinguished service award from the Section in 2003. He is an outdoor enthusiast and leads trips in the Sierra Club¿s Inner City Outings program.

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Nathan P. Ritchey earned a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Music from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He earned a M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is currently a Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Youngstown State University. He has published articles in economics, honors education, medicine, mathematics, operations research, and student recruitment. Nate is a Consultant/Evaluator for the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission and regularly participates in program evaluations.

In recognition of his numerous activities, Nate has received the Distinguished Professor Award for University Service, the Youngstown Vindicator's "People Who Make a Difference Award," the Watson Merit Award for Department Chairs, the Spirit in Education Award from the SunTex corporation, and the Provost's Merit Award for significant contributions to the Honors Program.

A father of four children, Nate enthusiastically coaches soccer and softball. He also loves music, playing several instruments, and is a tenor in the Shenango Valley Chorale. More information about Nate Ritchey can be found at: http://www.as.ysu.edu/~nate/.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 648 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 7 edition (July 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321067142
• ISBN-13: 978-0321067142
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #791,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It passes the test for adoption consideration, December 30, 2004

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Finite Mathematics (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

As a reviewer and educator, I encounter many textbooks that can be used in the lower level classes such as basic statistics, algebra, precalculus and finite mathematics. Since the material to be covered in these classes has been established by consensus, it is a rare occasion when there is a significant difference in coverage. In addition, there is a natural order to many of the topics, so the differences in sequence also tend to be minimal. All of this leads to a routine sameness of the books, especially when examined by someone experienced in the topic.
Therefore, when examining a book for adoption consideration, my primary concern is how easy it will be for the students to read it. This requires that you intentionally dumb yourself down, reading the explanations in detail, looking for simplistic clarity. If a book has that feature, then it is most likely a good choice. With the exception of including solutions to a large percentage of the problems, all other aspects of the book are secondary. (I consider the lack of solutions to problems in a math book to be a fatal flaw.) In general, I consider the inclusion of more problems of the same type to be trivial padding; after all, the value added by including ten more routine matrix addition problems is minimal. In finite mathematics, it is possible to include problems based on circumstances that actually occur in the real world. The cost of manufacturing some items is in fact locally linear and the allocation of resources can be described by a matrix. Therefore, the realism of the applied problems must also be a consideration when examining a finite math text.
With these conditions of acceptance established, I can say that this book passes the test. The explanations have the simplistic clarity that students need and solutions to many of the problems are included. Many problems demonstrate reasonably practical conditions where finite mathematics is used in the world, and the appropriate background for the problems is given. While no decision has yet been made concerning what book to use next year, this one has been placed on my list of the top three finalists for further consideration.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Does NOT come with a Tutorial on CD, January 13, 2008

By	Arthur R. Locke III "ray" (virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Finite Mathematics (9th Edition) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book brand new and full priced because it is listed as havinga MathXL Tutorial on CD. I felt the aid of interactive instruction would be beneficial. Since having recieved this book and inquiring of Amazon, I find the book does NOT come with a CD but with an online address for a website with instruction which costs and ADDITIONAL $35.00 to access. The title is incorrect and misleading, and making this transaction with Amazon has been disappointing. I will think twice before I make another.Finite Mathematics (9th Edition) (MathXL Tutorials on CD Series)

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book, October 3, 2005

By	cs112 trm38 "Tammy Miller" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

I took an online class over the summer and used this book. Eventhough the teacher was not helpful, the book was. All the exercises were extremely helpful and the text was simple and easy to read. I would recommend this book for any who has to take this class.