An Invitation to Abstract Mathematics

2. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-3-030-56176-5
Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buch, Englisch, 442 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 692 g

Reihe: Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics

This undergraduate textbook is intended primarily for a transition course into higher mathematics, although it is written with a broader audience in mind.  The heart and soul of this book is problem solving, where each problem is carefully chosen to clarify a concept, demonstrate a technique, or to enthuse.  The exercises require relatively extensive arguments, creative approaches, or both, thus providing motivation for the reader.  With a unified approach to a diverse collection of topics, this text points out connections, similarities, and differences among subjects whenever possible.  This book shows students that mathematics is a vibrant and dynamic human enterprise by including historical perspectives and notes on the giants of mathematics, by mentioning current activity in the mathematical community, and by discussing many famous and less well-known questions that remain open for future mathematicians.

Ideally, this text should be used for a two semester course, where the first course has no prerequisites and the second is a more challenging course for math majors; yet, the flexible structure of the book allows it to be used in a variety of settings, including as a source of various independent-study and research projects.

Zielgruppe

Upper undergraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bajnok, Béla

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Mathematik Allgemein Geschichte der Mathematik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface to Instructors.- Preface to Students.- Acknowledgments.- I What's Mathematics.- 1 Let's Play a Game!.- 2 What's the Name of the Game?.- 3 How to Make a Statement.- 4 What's True in Mathematics?.- A Ten Famous Conjectures.-B Ten Famous Theorems.- II The Foundations of Mathematics.- 5 Let's Be Logical!.- 6 Setting Examples.- 7 Quantifier Mechanics.- 8 Let's Be Functional!.- C The Foundations of Set Theory.- III How to Prove It.- 9 Universal Proofs.- 10 The Domino Theory.- 11 More Domino Games.- 12 Existential Proofs.- D Ten Famous Problems.- IV Advanced Math for Beginners.- 13 Mathematical Structures.- 14 Working in the Fields (and Other Structures).- 15 Group Work.- 16 Good Relations.- 17 Order, Please!.- 18 Now That's the Limit!.- 19 Sizing It Up.- 20 Infinite Delights.- 21 Number Systems Systematically.- 22 Games Are Valuable!.- E Graphic Content.- F All Games Considered.- G A Top Forty List of Math Theorems.

Über Autor(innen)

Béla Bajnok is a Professor of Mathematics at Gettysburg College, where he received the Excellence in Teaching Award; he is also the recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s Crawford Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching. He is a native of Hungary, and he remains greatly influenced by the approach to mathematics instilled during his education there. He is on the Board of the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics, and is the Director of the American Mathematics Competitions program of the MAA.