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Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction
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$11.95
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| Part No: | 0192853619 |
| Manufacturer: | Oxford University Press, USA |
| MFG Part: | |
| Customer Rating: | 5.0 / 5.0 |
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- ISBN13: 9780192853615
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics, and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and readers of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary numbers. The first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought. These are followed by discussions of more specific topics, and the book closes with a chapter answering common sociological questions about the mathematical community (such as "Is it true that mathematicians burn out at the age of 25?") It is the ideal introduction for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of mathematics.
| Concise, not Simple - Elegant like a simple black dress | 2010-03-02 | 5 / 5 |
| Professor Timothy Gowers starts with the need for models and ends with the usefulness and necessity of estimation. The body of the book gives the flavor, the value and the connectedness of Proofs, the calm resolutions of infinity and the impact of changes in dimension and Geometry.
No. Not a problem-based course. Not a history lesson. No sexy examples. Little mention of the titans. Yet the point of doing math, its constraints and pathways, would strike anyone who reads the book. Whether high school students would get it. I'm not sure. The maturity in the words and the totality of the immersion within its few pages is sublime. In knowing that exact answers are rarely found, but knowing the boundaries of the answers and their closeness to actual mimics our own lives.
This would be a must read in a non-ADHD world.
Gowers also wrote the Princeton book on Math. The professor is a Fields medal winner. |
| Great Insights to Math | 2009-12-17 | 5 / 5 |
| | I've always loved math, but I've always had difficulties explaining to people why they should care about math. While this is by no means a complete overview of the basics of the subject since there is far too much to cover, it does provide a lot of meaningful insights as to why Mathematics is interesting. It's a very pragmatic approach that does away with romanticism while not condensing the material to something overly dense. This book is a great little book on the wonders of math. |
| nice introduction | 2009-11-01 | 5 / 5 |
| | it helps me to link some topics together and understand some points from a wider perspective. the size of the book is excelent you can take it with you anywhere. |
| This book gives hints of what advanced maths is about | 2009-08-15 | 5 / 5 |
| When I started reading this book I kept putting it down to extend the pleasure of reading it. It makes sense of why some things don't matter in maths. It even seems to confirm that infinity does not exist, while still being a powerful tool. Any person who wants to gain an insight of mathematical knowledge could not do better than read this book. They will gain an appreciation of advanced maths without having to believe or understand it. I don't think the concepts could be expressed more clearly or more simply. However even the unquestionable ability of Timothy Gowers could present hyperbolic geometry in a form that gives credibility to the topic. Of course he is only telling us, he didn't invent it.
I have found if a student can understand fractions, they can understand geometry,trigonometry, algebra and calculus. I don't think any one knows how people lift their skills from tangible to abstract mathematics but this book makes ordinary people aware of the vast challenges and beautiful fields. But beauty is like the numbers, they are both abstract adjectives and can not exist by them selves. This book shows us that that doesn't matter.
After this the next step to enlightenment is The Princeton Companion to Mathematics which was edited by Timothy and displays the same simple clarity. It has also been reduced from $142 to $66 |
| The best introduction to math out there | 2009-06-29 | 5 / 5 |
| The world of mathematics elicits many different emotions, from fear to reverence, from apprehension to fascination. On a surface this may seem surprising, since mathematics is supposed to deal rational thought, and should be as removed from emotional considerations as it gets. And yet, it is precisely this dispassionate rationality that makes those unaccustomed to mathematical thinking recoil, and those with a mathematical bend of mind rub their hands in glee. For the truth is, mathematical thought relies heavily on emotions, and mathematicians are fascinated with beauty and elegance of mathematical creations.
In the book "Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction" the author Timothy Gowers tries to convey some of this beauty. This is a very readable and intelligent short introduction, and probably the best short introduction to mathematics out there. It takes reader through some basic mathematical problems, and showcases the methods and procedures that mathematicians use in their work. If you are math-phobic, you will not have to deal with any complicated mathematical equations, and all of the problems and proofs that are offered in the book are straightforward and intuitive, and require a very minimal level of mathematical knowledge. The fact that the book attempts to "do" mathematics, as opposed to just tell about it, is one of its more rewarding aspects. It makes this an intelligent read, and rewarding no matter whether you are a complete mathematical "outsider" or someone with an advanced degree in a math-intensive field.
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