Concepts of Modern Mathematics
by Ian Stewart
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Description
Some years ago, "new math" took the country's classrooms by storm. Based on the abstract, general style of mathematical exposition favored by research mathematicians, its goal was to teach students not just to manipulate numbers and formulas, but to grasp the underlying mathematical concepts. The result, at least at first, was a great deal of confusion among teachers, students, and parents. Since then, the negative aspects of "new math" have been eliminated and its positive elements show more assimilated into classroom instruction. In this charming volume, a noted English mathematician uses humor and anecdote to illuminate the concepts underlying "new math": groups, sets, subsets, topology, Boolean algebra, and more. According to Professor Stewart, an understanding of these concepts offers the best route to grasping the true nature of mathematics, in particular the power, beauty, and utility of pure mathematics. No advanced mathematical background is needed (a smattering of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry is helpful) to follow the author's lucid and thought-provoking discussions of such topics as functions, symmetry, axiomatics, counting, topology, hyperspace, linear algebra, real analysis, probability, computers, applications of modern mathematics, and much more. By the time readers have finished this book, they'll have a much clearer grasp of how modern mathematicians look at figures, functions, and formulas and how a firm grasp of the ideas underlying "new math" leads toward a genuine comprehension of the nature of mathematics itself. show lessTags
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The book is well written and the explanations are well crafted. I found the beginning to be a little slow, and by the end it peters out as he attempts to cover more material than he really has space for. It is a good read, and it really does give a nice overview of mathematics beyond the high school level that most people would be familiar with.
On the whole quite readable and not too difficult to follow. I really felt I had been given a respectable and well-rounded overview of modern mathematics, with few really tricky sections. However, the book does feel a little dated now, and I wished at times for more depth, perhaps in the notes sections at the end.
Una espléndida introducción a la matemática moderna. Ofrece un pie y un impulso para interesarse por multitud de campos con mayor profundidad. Expone atractivamente la matemática y en en todos los capítulos te deja con ganas de ¡más! Creo que esto es lo mejor que se puede decir de una introducción a una materia y de un divulgador de gran talla.
May 18, 2016Spanish
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Ian Stewart is a professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Warwick. The author of numerous books on math, he has written for New Scientist, Discover, and Scientific American, among other publications in the United Kingdom and the United States. He lives in Coventry, England.
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