Extended , Fundamentals of Physics, 6th Edition
by DavidHalliday, RobertResnick, JearlWalker
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (30 June, 2000)
list price: $145.95 -- our price: $145.95
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Reviews (56)

What a Struggle
I'm using this book for a distance learning course in physics. I suspect it was not written for distance learning. I often find it hard to relate the answers to chapter problems to the explanations in the text. I also have a copy of Cutnell & Johnson's Physics 6th edition. The thinking in the latter is a lot easier to follow.

pretty good, beginners may need extra help with it
i'm using this book as a main source for preparing for the physics GRE exam, and i'm finding that it is getting me up to speed for the exam. my previous academic background is actually math/german/finance, but i can tell you that the math background is what makes working with this book fairly successful. i'm pretty much a sucker for big, pretty books anyway, but i really can tell that this one is definitely helping me learn basic physics- fairly good examples, lots of problems, and interesting introductions to each chapter to captivate your attention and motivate you to continue studying. if you're a freshman taking using this book for a course, i would suggest you consult your professor regularly and get help whenever something is not quite clear- it's probably a royal pain in the neck to take physics I/II and calc concurrently, so i can totally understand those of you without the complete math background having trouble with this material- i know i did 20 years ago as an undergrad, and it made me really dislike physics at that time. i don't know what calc classes are like these days, but i would strongly recommend at least 3 semesters of calculus before embarking on a course that uses this book- it'll make your learning experience much more intense, and you'll get a lot more from the book and will be able to appreciate it much more. Oh, and you may just want to try and order the international edition from abroad (Europe, for example)- it's about $100 less than the U.S. price and still has the same content!

Highly overrated
Alright, so of course this is the book required by just about every college in the country these days in their introductory physics courses---well, it shouldn't be.The authors certainly provide mathematical motivation for the concepts they cover, but certainly don't give adequate real-world motivation for concepts.Oh yeah, so, as one idiot reviewer who thinks he's some kind of precocious student said, this book helped him and his high school buddies get fives on the AP Test---WELL BIG DEAL IDIOT!!! GOOD FOR YOU!! I only managed to do that in my freshman year of highschool so I guess it must be really hard or something--*cough*Well, in the real world of people who actually know anything about physics or math or any field, getting a five on the AP exam in highschool isn't anything special.Basically, this book will prepare you to pass exams and standardized tests--it won't give you understanding.For that, go somewhere worthwhile---for example, the Feynman Lectures on Physics, all three volumes of which cost about half as much as Halliday and Resnick's book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471332364
Sales Rank: 19909
Subjects:  1. Physics    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Science / Physics   

Pascal Plus Data Structures
by Nell Dale
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 January, 1995)
list price: $62.95
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Reviews (3)

If you are studying Pascal buy this book also.
If you're planning to learn c, don't get confused by learning Pascal first.However if you are learning Pascal as part of introduction to programming, this book makes a good supplement to whichever book wasrecommended for your course.I found the diagrams and descriptions to bemuch clearer than most contemporary Pascal training books.

A Good Book, despite choice of language
I've taken several classes in data structures, and of the various textbooks I've used, this is the one I continue to reference.The code is in Pascal, but that hardly detracts from the usefulness of the book.Thecode is fairly well-written, well-documented, and the text is easy tofollow and understand.All the major data structures are covered well,including trees, heaps, and graphs.Several sorting and searchingalgorithms, including QuickSort and HeapSort, are also covered.

Very good for beginners
This is an excellent introduction toData Structures. The fact that all the code is in Pascal doesn't take away from it in any way. ... Read more

Isbn: 0669347205
Sales Rank: 2202710
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Programming Languages - General   

Introductory Probability and Statistic Edition
by Paul L Meyer
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (January, 1970)
list price: $38.73
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Reviews (1)

Excellent tutorial-like introduction to modern probability
This book is the best textbook for introduction to probability. Forget Chung, forget Ross, forget Feller. All these books assume that you know probability and that you are either revising or looking for advanced concepts. But the book in question assumes only some knowledge in calculus. The chapters are easy-paced and there are nemerous exercises to help you understand the concepts. Another factor that adds to the utility of the book, is the thoughtful addition of answers to most of the exercises. This makes the book suitable for self-study. I would heartily recommend the book to any person new to probability. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201047101
Sales Rank: 200315
Subjects:  1. General    2. Science   

C Programming Language (2nd Edition)
by Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie, Dennis M. Ritchie
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (22 March, 1988)
list price: $42.00 -- our price: $42.00
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Editorial Review

Just about every C programmer I respect learned C from this book. Unlike many of the 1,000 page doorstops stuffed with CD-ROMs that have become popular, this volume is concise and powerful (if somewhat dangerous) -- like C itself. And it was written by Kernighan himself. Need we say more? ... Read more

Reviews (211)

The So Called "ANSI C "
After I observed Appendix A in the reference section, I could only dissolve this information with a grain of salt. The authors only convey definitions and refinements to the language, which is not the standard. Some of the glaring errors in the book come as a shock. These are the two fellows that co-founded the language at Bell Laborites back in the late 60's. The main concern that surrounds me about ANSI C is that the institute only contributes to the development of an operating system, and any further implementation which falls outside the limited scope of system development is deemed void. For this reason, I still rely on Old Testament of "Microsoft C" which allows the user to enable or disable the ANSI C support. Other oberservations I discovered from the book, tell me that K&R had a hard time keeping up with all revisions the institute made back in 1983. I would only recommend this book to advanced users of C, because some the code examples are hard to follow, and many have syntax errors.

Simple, concise and Excellent
A MUST for beginners in programming. For those coming from C++ background and want to learn low level concepts in C, I recommend quick visit to Chapter 7-8 and Appendix. This is not a book for data structures or algorithms. So you will not find much on those topics though you will see simple concepts here and there. For people exposed to programming this is a simple one day reading material to revisit basic C.

Chapter 1 (Tutorial Introduction) - Get started approach for beginners!

Chapter 2 (Types, Operators and Expressions) - Bitwise operators in 2.9 are good to visit.

Chapter 3 (Control Flow) - Very simple chapter.

Chapter 4 (Functions and Program Structure) - Good information here. C preprocessor details in 4.11 are good.

Chapter 5 (Pointers and Arrays) - Especially good for pointers and address arithmetic.

Chapter 6 (Structures) - Good exposure to basic C structures. Limitations of C compared to object oriented approach from C++ become obvious in this chapter.

Chapter 7 and 8 (I/O and UNIX Sytem Interface) - Those who do not have an OS background should read this chapter. You could see how concepts like system calls are abstracted and exposed through standard C functions. Simple and elegant starting point for any low level programming.

Appendix A and B - Good details on C standards. Also lot of standard C library functions are explained in good detail here. Very good comprehensive reference point.

C is K&R!
When I started studying C programming this little book (compared to other "bibles") was the only reference I had. Well, if you really want to know how to program in C this IS the BOOK.
No "super-duper ANSI-POSIX-ISO standard lists of functions" (you can simply find them with the man pages or on the net, and believe me, it's a snap), just pure C programming problems and techniques: types, casting, pointers, memory management, character management, binary operators, macros, etc... just the real basics of what makes a good programmer. Later, if you're interested, you'll have the opportunity to use advanced super-ISO functions that do everything. But then, you'll know what you're doing and why.
The key point is: with K&R you are given the knowledge of C programming, not the recipe for doing some C programming. ... Read more

Isbn: 0131103628
Subjects:  1. C (Computer program language)    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books: Languages    4. Programming (Computers)    5. Programming Languages - C    6. Computers / Programming Languages / C   

Computer Organization and Design Second Edition : The Hardware/Software Interface
by David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessy
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 August, 1997)
list price: $89.95 -- our price: $89.95
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Editorial Review

This textbook provides a basic introduction to the fundamentals of current computer designs. As the title suggests, the text skirts the border between hardware and software. After an overview of the subject and a discussion of performance, the book launches into technical matter such as instruction sets, how they are constrained by the underlying processor hardware, the constraints on their design, and more. An excellent critique of computer arithmetic methods leads to a high-level discussion on processor design. Following is a great introduction to pipelining, nice coverage of memory issues, and solid attention to peripherals. The book concludes with a brief discussion of the additional issues inherent in multiprocessing machines. The extremely lucid description is grounded in real-world examples. Interesting exercises help reinforce the material, and each section contains a write-up of the historical background of each idea. Computer Organization and Design is accessible to the beginner, but also offers plenty of valuable knowledge for experienced engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Verbose, boring, disorganized and skips important concepts.
This book starts off nicely and explains some of the basics of assembly programming (empasis on MIPS). Some of the arithematic stuff is a little out of its place and the authors skip important concepts (which I had to learn online). It has a fairly decent introduction to MIPS architecture. But right after the first few chapters - starting from caches, virtual memory and I/O this books starts to get really really disorganized and confusing. The chapter or caches and virtual memory will bore you and you'll end up spending 3-4 hours reading and giving yourself a big headache. I think topics like caches and vm need more diagrams for better understanding. Since lot of stuff happens in parallel in caches and vm's, its actually hard to understand what the authors are trying to convey from those chapters. I totally skipped those topics and studied them from elsewhere. I wouldn't want to recommend this book for students intending to go for into to computer architecture, but since this is the only book which covers all the topics, we don't have a much of a choice.

One of the better texts on hardware
If you have to use this book in a college course and you are not directed to do so, download the SPIM simulator (MIPS spelled backwards) the author mentions in the book. This can help you understand some of the more complex topics.

The reason I gave the book four stars is because the topic of pipelining as introduced in the book is confusing and may require most readers to go back over the topic several times before it clicks.

I also think that having a course in digital fundamentals prior to taking a course that requires this book would help, too. It used to be that colleges would require undergrad computer science students to take a digital fundamentals course (or equivalent) before taking and organization class. It seems now that many schools have dropped the digital requirement and have students take one computer organization class. If you fit in this boat, maybe thing about picking up a Schaum's outline on digital design concepts to go along with this book.

Very boring and tedious to read!!
This book has a good potential in teaching students about computer organization. Unfortunately, the authors spend too much time explaining simple concepts which makes the book very boring and tedious to read. For example: the authors spend 335 pages just to explain basic MIPS assembly languages and computer performance. Those concepts could have been explained in 50 pages at most. Giving too much unnecessary detail won't help me to get a better understanding of computer organization. In fact, I get lost because the main topic was buried inside all the unimportant unnecessary details. This book could have been written in 300 pages, which is about a third of the length of the book, and still gives a clear, to the point, concise explanation of computer organization. ... Read more

Isbn: 1558604286
Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture    2. Computer Architecture - General    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Design    6. Computer Engineering    7. Computer interfaces    8. Computer organization    9. Computers    10. Reference - General    11. Computers / Computer Architecture   

Concepts of Programming Languages (5th Edition)
by Robert W. Sebesta
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (31 July, 2001)
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Reviews (17)

Comprehensive Book
I just finished using this book for the Programming Language course.Although the examples used in the book are written in Ada, Pascal, C++, Java, and C#, you won't learn to program in any of these languages just from reading this book alone.This book mostly focuses on the topic of languages design and theory.

Chapter 2 also contain some interesting history of programming languages.The book is also sparsed with interviews of famous people, e.g. James Gosling, Bjarne Stroustrup.Quote from Bjarne Stroustrup, "I consider programming of any nontrival program a job for professionals with a solid and broad education, rather than for people with a hurried and narrow training."If you want such solid and broad education on various programming language, this book is a good starting point.

the author has no idea
It appears the author has no idea what is going on with concepts of PLs. For example, he doesn't even touch on the ideas of follow sets and predictive parsing. His coverage of BNF and EBNF is light, at best, and it seems this topical coverage permiates the whole book.

As any CS student or educator knows, "Concepts of" books tend to be dense and difficult to read. This author attempts to make the material more readable at the cost of detail. Unfortunatley, the detail he leaves out is necessary.

I would also argue that the author doesn't have a strong understanding of PLs. The concepts he presents toward the begining on PL evaluation are incomplete. He doesn't fully express all of the important criteria in language evaluation.

Overall, if you are looking for a brief, topical INTRODUCTION to programming languages, this may be the book for you. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

Good book
This is very interesting book in which you can find interesting information about history of programming languages, as well as most relevant consepts used for building language compilers.

The problem of this book is not in the matter that is presented in the book, but in the way it is presented. The biggest problem is in the typos and mistakes made in the text. It is strange that this 6th edition of the book contains so many typos and mistakes.

Regardless the drawbacks that are said before, I recomand this book for buying. Anyone who is interested in programmming and programming languages will surely find interesting information in this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201752956
Sales Rank: 96098
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computers    5. Programming - General    6. Programming Languages - General    7. Programming languages (Electro    8. Programming languages (Electronic computers)   

Operating System Concepts, 6th Edition
by AbrahamSilberschatz, Peter BaerGalvin, GregGagne, A Silberschatz
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (26 June, 2001)
list price: $104.95
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Editorial Review

Operating systems are large and complex, and yet must functionwith near-absolute reliability--that's why they're a class untothemselves in the field of software development. Since its firstrelease 20 years ago, "the dinosaur book"--Operating SystemConcepts by Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, and GregGagne--has been a valuable reference for designers and implementers ofoperating systems. The newly released sixth edition of this bookmaintains the volume's authority with new sections on threadmanagement, distributed processes, and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).There's also information on the workings of the latest crop ofoperating systems, including Microsoft Windows 2000, Linux, FreeBSD,and compact operating systems for handheld devices.

This book isconcerned with the design of operating systems, which is to say itenumerates the problems that pop up in the creation of efficientsystems and explores alternative ways of dealing with them, detailingthe advantages and shortcomings of each. For example, in their chapteron scheduling CPU activity, the authors explain several algorithms(first-come, first-served, and round-robin scheduling, among others)for allocating the capacity of single and multiple processors amongjobs. They highlight the relative advantages of each, and explain howseveral real-life operating systems solve the problem. They thenpresent the reader with exercises (this book is essentially auniversity textbook) that inspire thought and discussion. --DavidWall

Topics covered: The problems faced by designers of systemsoftware for electronic computers, and strategies that have beendeveloped over the past 20 years to address (and, in some cases, solve)them. Problems of CPU scheduling, memory allocation, paging, processesand threads, storage management, distributed processes and storagemechanisms, and security are all discussed thoroughly and with manyauthoritative references. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Accessible treatment of complex topics
This book does a great job of presenting all details of operating system design and operation. When appropriate, the authors point out how Linux, Solaris or Windows implements a given topic. This is valuable for software developers who work on these platform and need to understand how the scheduler is going to react if you spawn new threads/processes.

The one bad thing I can say is that some examples are too general and do not convey the proper detail. This is just a minor distraction and does not take away from the book's overall effectiveness.

Great Fundamentals of OS Book
Good book for learning OS principles for undergrad and lower grad students. I recommend this for hose wanting an introduction to OS Internals.

I prefer this to Modern OS by Tanenbaum.

Mediocre to poor OS book
It's been around 13 years since I took a course on OSes. I decided to purchase this book as a reference and to review some of the material that I have not had to deal with for a long time (e.g. synchronization primitives). I found the book to be a poor reference and found the chapters that I read to have poor or lacking exposition of the principles, data structures, and algorithms involved. e.g. there were sections where he lists pseudocode and says "see fig 2.13 for the algorithm" with no discussion of the reasoning behind the algorithm. The book also did not take any time to discuss practical considerations, e.g. implementing synchronization primitives with modern optimizing compilers and on modern out-of-order memory systems.

I am looking for a better substitute, and for now would suggest passing on this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471417432
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Operating Systems    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Operating Systems    4. Computers    5. Operating Systems - General    6. Operating systems (Computers)    7. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    8. Programming Languages - General    9. Computers / Operating Systems / General    10. Operating systems & graphical user interfaces (GUIs)   

Discrete-Event System Simulation (3rd Edition)
by Jerry Banks, John S. Carson, Barry L. Nelson, David M. Nicol
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 August, 2000)
list price: $118.00
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Reviews (4)

Gives a well-written and complete introduction
This book provides a very good introduction to discrete-event simulation. The authors start out by providing several simple examples in areas such as queueing and inventory systems, as well as reliability. After the first few chapters the reader gets a sense of what simulation represents and why it is done. In later chapters they score high marks in introducing more advanced issues, such as probability models, random number and random variate generators, queueing theory, and input modeling.

In closing, the book makes for a very good junior or senior-level introduction to simulation, and I especially am thankful that the presentation was made independent of any simulation package. Instead it focuses on those things that any good simulation package/language should have (e.g. random-number generators, built-in objects for customers and servers, statistical support for evaluating hypotheses about collected data, etc.).

statictical simulation
This book contains very well topics as input and output analysis, verification and validation, random number generation etc. I strongly recommend this book as an introduction oftheoric simulation.

Comprehensive, updated, great book of simulation systems
Banks revised his great book with updated simulation package and information. Several new issues, such as, tools/softwares, random-variable generation, simulation termination, how to use Simulation to analysis and design computer system, many downloadable examples. Sufficient theories, to understand Simulation, are given, for instance, the Statistics and Queueing theories. Two chapters are dedicated for random-number generation. One chapter is dedicated for verification and validation of simulation models.Although it's only one chapter, several references are given for further study. IE or logistic practioner will enjoy since one chapter is for manufacturing and material handling system (wow!). Very good reference and practice. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130887021
Sales Rank: 143916
Subjects:  1. Engineering - Industrial    2. General    3. Operations Research    4. Operations Research (Engineering)    5. Operations Research (Management)    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Simulation methods    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Technology / Engineering / Industrial   

Computer Networks
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (06 March, 1996)
list price: $89.93
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Editorial Review

This is the long-awaited 3rd Edition of Tanenbaum's classic book on computer networking. The finest network engineer I know (who was stolen from my previous employer by developers of IPv6)swears by this book, and it is arguably the best single resource for gaining a good technical understanding of modern networking in the mid 1990s. Very Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

Move around sections con
This is the usual con the student effort.

With the excuse of adding some new material, some sections and the assignments are moved around to make it difficult for the student to use the previous edition.

It is more than overpriced when one considers that it is just a summarization of well documented standards.

Shame on the publisher, shame on the author!!

The most complete reference
On my shelf right now I have exactly 25 books on networking and network programming, covering topics from basic sockets to routing to wireless to hacking to IDS. However, I find myself going back to the Tanenbaum book time and time again, because I *know* it will have the answer I'm looking for.

Rarely will you find a book that covers a topic with such authority and breadth. As compared to the other leading texts (by Comer, Perlman, etc), it's relatively up-to-date, even with a good introduction to wireless (802.11 and other variants).

Note that you won't find any code in this book; for that you'll need a Stevens text.

Summary: If you're looking for a book with a solid discussion of the theory of networking, this is absolutely the book you want to buy.

Computer Networks Critique...
"Computer Networks" by A. S. Tanenbaum is a good primary text for entry to mid-level students of Information Technology or Business Telecommunications. The text is structured in a logical manner with the intention of guiding the reader through successive levels of understanding. The material is presented in a succinct manner, with sufficient depth to provide good comprehension.

The Fourth Edition (reprinted in 2003) presents contemporary relevance in a field that is fluid and evolving. Attention is paid to foundational items salient to the topic of computer networks, with a measure of historical reference to the telecommunications industry in general. Tanenbaum is not cursory in his treatment of history, but he is not pedantic either. There is good balance here. This serves to provide important information concerning the nucleus from which the communications industry began, but not so much information as to cause the reader to lose interest.

The technical aspect of computer networks is quite complex and contains its own unique set of acronyms and techno-jargon. Tanenbaum gives a superlative effort in maintaining the vernacular wherever possible, with concomitant supportive graphics to further enhance delivery and understanding. This is crucial to the learning experience. It is essential that a text form a bridge of facile communication through the use of common language and graphics.

Those who have purchased this text outside of the traditional academic environment as an adjunct reference will be pleased with its logical, organized design. The chapters and sub-divisions facilitate rapid scanning for material of specific interest. The suggested reading list and bibliography satisfies those with a thirst for more, and the index is helpful and thorough.
... Read more

Isbn: 0133499456
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Internet - General    6. Networking - General   

An Introduction to Database Systems (Introduction to Database Systems)
by C. J. Date
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1999)
list price: $95.00
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Editorial Review

The newest edition of the classic An Introduction to Database Systems incorporates the latest developments in relational databases, including semantic modeling, decision support, and temporal modeling. There's better information on distributed databases, security, and the mathematics of relational databases too. With the same strong coverage of fundamental theory that made its predecessors stand out, this book ranks as the definitive textbook for those studying database systems.

This is an extraordinarily academic book. In his preface, C.J. Date goes so far as to lament having to use Structured Query Language (SQL) in some of his examples because it's "so far from being a true embodiment of relational principles." What's more, he writes in a very academic style, peppering his heavily footnoted prose with mathematical expressions and words like relevar and tuple. The academic style and highbrow language isn't a bad thing, since this book deals with complicated, largely abstract phenomena in depth.

Be aware that An Introduction to Database Systems is a far cry from the highly graphical, problem-focused books that target the community of commercial database developers, and as such requires more careful study. This book is about theories, concepts, and ideals rather than problems, solutions, and specific implementations. Per se, it will enable you to become a better database programmer--but only if you supplement it with practical guides and hands-on experience. --David Wall ... Read more

Reviews (51)

One of the best books out there
If you are into DB theory, and you want to gain a strong understanding of it, this is one of the best avenues to get you there.There's not one single thing about this book that isn't totally great.Everything, everything about it is first rate.

Amazing for Engineering Students
Of the several books i have refered to on DBMS (including the one by Silbershatz), I found C J Date's book most helpful. It starts right from the basic and touches the core of any topic. This book is all about precise and minute detail (Which actually makes the small topics look really BIG).

In the context of exams this will always be my first recommendation to all computer and IT students. In fact class mates often asked me how I had that EXTRA peice of information at all the times. I topped the DBMS exams this year (and; Yes sir, full credit to C J Date) thanks to the reference of this really wonderful book.

This is a best buy for both Graduate + Under Graduate students. In fact learners can also get a great deal of insight into this really interestiing subject. It is important to get a good start into DBMS; because this is a very boring and dry subject "At First Sight". Others authors had made this subject eeven more dry and uninteresting.

OVERALL:
1) Every students MUST have.
2) Every learners MUST have.
ALSO
3) Good reference for teachers and lecturers.

A relvar by any other name.
This book introduces the fundamentals of database systems by emphasizing the relational data model, and that a database is really "a collection of true .. propositions".Although his use of Tutorial-D (rather than SQL) may seem odd, Date emphasizes thinking about data rather than an implementation.This book provides great fundamental thinking about relational variables (relvars), domains, relational algebra, and data normalization.

The further topic of missing information contrasts to Codd's four-valued logic, and even if your particular database system supports different Nulls the chapter helps when thinking about your own data.Whether or not you agree with his thinking about object-oriented databases, his "Two great blunders" are a challenge to any software vendor.His chapter on decision support does not provide much of an introduction to such broad topics as warehousing, OLAP, and data mining, but there are other sources. This is not an easy read, but working through it will pay off when coupled with product training. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201385902
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Data Base Management    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Database Engineering    5. Database Management - General    6. Database management   

Introduction to Algorithms, Second Edition
by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 2001)
list price: $80.00 -- our price: $80.00
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Editorial Review

Aimed at any serious programmer or computer science student,the new second edition of Introduction to Algorithms builds onthe tradition of the original with a truly magisterial guide to theworld of algorithms. Clearly presented, mathematically rigorous, andyet approachable even for the math-averse, this title sets a highstandard for a textbook and reference to the best algorithms forsolving a wide range of computing problems.

With sample problems andmathematical proofs demonstrating the correctness of each algorithm,this book is ideal as a textbook for classroom study, but its reachdoesn't end there. The authors do a fine job of explaining eachalgorithm. (Reference sections on basic mathematical notation will helpreaders bridge the gap, but it will help to have some math backgroundto appreciate the full achievement of this handsome hardcover volume.)Every algorithm is presented in pseudo-code, which can be implementedin any computer language, including C/C++ and Java. This ecumenicalapproach is one of the book's strengths. When it comes to sorting andcommon data structures, from basic linked lists to trees (includingbinary trees, red-black, and B-trees), this title really shines, withclear diagrams that show algorithms in operation. Even if you justglance over the mathematical notation here, you can definitely benefitfrom this text in other ways.

The book moves forward with moreadvanced algorithms that implement strategies for solving morecomplicated problems (including dynamic programming techniques, greedyalgorithms, and amortized analysis). Algorithms for graphing problems(used in such real-world business problems as optimizing flightschedules or flow through pipelines) come next. In each case, theauthors provide the best from current research in each topic, alongwith sample solutions.

This text closes with a grab bag of usefulalgorithms including matrix operations and linear programming,evaluating polynomials, and the well-known Fast Fourier Transformation(FFT) (useful in signal processing and engineering). Final sections on"NP-complete" problems, like the well-known traveling salesman problem,show off that while not all problems have a demonstrably final and bestanswer, algorithms that generate acceptable approximate solutions canstill be used to generate useful, real-world answers.

Throughout thistext, the authors anchor their discussion of algorithms with currentexamples drawn from molecular biology (like the Human Genome Project),business, and engineering. Each section ends with short discussions ofrelated historical material, often discussing original research in eacharea of algorithms. On the whole, they argue successfully thatalgorithms are a "technology" just like hardware and software that canbe used to write better software that does more, with betterperformance. Along with classic books on algorithms (like DonaldKnuth's three-volume set, The Art of ComputerProgramming), this title sets a new standard for compiling thebest research in algorithms. For any experienced developer, regardlessof their chosen language, this text deserves a close look for extendingthe range and performance of real-world software. --RichardDragan

Topics covered: Overview of algorithms (including algorithms asa technology); designing and analyzing algorithms; asymptotic notation;recurrences and recursion; probabilistic analysis and randomizedalgorithms; heapsort algorithms; priority queues; quicksort algorithms;linear time sorting (including radix and bucket sort); medians andorder statistics (including minimum and maximum); introduction to datastructures (stacks, queues, linked lists, and rooted trees); hashtables (including hash functions); binary search trees; red-blacktrees; augmenting data structures for custom applications; dynamicprogramming explained (including assembly-line scheduling, matrix-chainmultiplication, and optimal binary search trees); greedy algorithms(including Huffman codes and task-scheduling problems); amortizedanalysis (the accounting and potential methods); advanced datastructures (including B-trees, binomial and Fibonacci heaps,representing disjoint sets in data structures); graph algorithms(representing graphs, minimum spanning trees, single-source shortestpaths, all-pairs shortest paths, and maximum flow algorithms); sortingnetworks; matrix operations; linear programming (standard and slackforms); polynomials and the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT); numbertheoretic algorithms (including greatest common divisor, modulararithmetic, the Chinese remainder theorem, RSA public-key encryption,primality testing, integer factorization); string matching;computational geometry (including finding the convex hull);NP-completeness (including sample real-world NP-complete problems andtheir insolvability); approximation algorithms for NP-complete problems(including the traveling salesman problem); reference sections forsummations and other mathematical notation, sets, relations, functions,graphs and trees, as well as counting and probability backgrounder(plus geometric and binomial distributions). ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Too much coverage and few examples
I am a MS student, we used this book as Text Guide. Thank God I pass although I just got a B in part due to the poor coverage of exercises of this book. Despite of my willingness to try the examples and exercises it was really frustating not be able to check any of my answers.
First of all the book tries to cover all the possible topics related to Algorithms from sortingto NP-completeness problems. My recommendation, focus on what you know well and cover it thouroughly or at least split this book in 2 volumes.
Second, the anoying way to explain things by leaving them as exercises.
Third, the exercises were not in any way helpful to reinforce the material covered in the chapter, on the contrary are just the introduction of new concepts; and on top of that no answers available. In some cases the answers are not even related to the chapter you are reviewing, just an example, the solution for some of the problems in NP chapter are the application of Dynamic Programming which is a different chapter in the book.

If you have the unfortune of using this book, search on the net for answers that may guide you on your homework assignments.

Best of the luck.

Comprehensive and (almost) complete.
I am an EE PhD student in Princeton, with basic CS background. I bought this book about a week ago, and I just finished reading more than half of it. I am impressed by the organisation and dedication of the authors to write something understandable to a wide audience, without sacrificing in depth analysis. If you need a good and complete introductory book,that summarizes also the latest research in the field, I would recommend this one.

Drawbacks...Minor (+ I am a weird guy) and hardly mentionable, but I have the feeling that some proofs may have been presented more rigorously. I would also like to see more examples or SOLUTIONS to some of the problems.

Lots of stuff, but a little verbose
A good introductory text but that's about it. Any CS major worth his salt should chew his way through this level material pretty quickly, and there's the only rub... at points this could be a little bit more concise because it actually can aid understanding in an exact field. Sometimes less is more. The spared pages could be used to cover more material or to raise the bar a little. ... Read more

Isbn: 0262032937
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer Science    4. Computer algorithms    5. Computer programming    6. Computers    7. Programming - Algorithms    8. Computers / Computer Science   

The Java(TM) Programming Language (3rd Edition)
by Ken Arnold, James Gosling, David Holmes
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 June, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Written by several of Java's inventors, The Java ProgrammingLanguage, Third Edition provides a nearly indispensable guide to basic andadvanced features in today's hottest programming language. Perfect for theintermediate or advanced developer, this book delivers a wealth of informationon how to do more with Java. The first sections provide a nicely compact tour ofJava basics. If you're a beginner, you'll get a glimpse of the fundamentals ofJava quickly. (Most of this new edition has the more experienced reader inmind.) Subsequent chapters delve into basic and advanced language features ofwhat can be done with classes, interfaces, and other design features in Java.The authors' explanations are notably clear and never pedantic. Many examplesare illustrated by using simple mathematical problems, and the class-designsamples for inheritance and interfaces all use comprehensible class names andconcepts.

This title is outstanding when it comes to class design. It will definitely letany reader do more with classes, whether you want to make use of such featuresas "anonymous inner classes" and reflection (for loading classes dynamically),or do more with interfaces (including extending interfaces and tricks onchanging data members in interfaces).

Prominent sections here include a complete guide to Java language statements,including keywords, literals, and support for Unicode. Later sections feature anice, clear explanation of Java's complicated I/O classes, a fine tutorial onthreading, and a solid introduction to using Java's collection classes. The bookcloses with a tour of some additional "core" Java packages that are available inthe language.

In all, this up-to-the-minute guide to some of the more complex features intoday's Java fills a valuable niche for any Java developer. Besides providing aglimpse into what the Java team at Sun is up to, this authoritative resource canhelp you master the finer points of class design, as well as make the most outof newly added features in the new JDK 1.3 standard. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: QuickStart overview of Java, class and object design inJava, access control, construction and initialization, static methods, methodoverloading, class inheritance, redefining members, the protectedkeyword, the strictfp keyword and floating-point processing, cloningobjects, interfaces (constants, methods, and modifiers), extending interfaces,marker interfaces, nested classes and interfaces (including static nested types,inner classes, and anonymous inner classes), tokens, operators, and expressionsin Java, literals, keywords, operator precedence, control flow, Java exceptionhandling, exception classes, the String and StringBuffer classes,threads, synchronization APIs and techniques (scheduling, thread groups, andthread local storage), the wrapper classes for Number types, Java reflection,loading classes, garbage collection (GC algorithms, finalization andreachability states), packages, JavaDoc documentation tags, tour of Java I/Ostream classes, serialization techniques, new and legacy Java collections,miscellaneous utility classes, system programming with properties, processes andJVM shutdown; internationalization and localization techniques, and tour ofadditional Java "core" packages. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

The final word on java
This book, together with The Java Language Specification 2nd Edition (and the upcoming 3rd Edition) are the core books for your reference library as far as Java is concerned. This book would be terrible if it were misused as a text to learn Java from. Do not try to learn Java from this book. The code snippets here are for illustrative purposes only and are given without any real explanation. Instead you should use this book with your college-level Java books - by Walter Savitch, Cay Horstmann, Lewis & Loftus, and so on. This book (together with The Java Language Specification and Core Java Vol I and Vol II ) provides all the technical details that textbooks often leave out. They are all published by Sun Microsystems and hence are the authoritative and last word on any Java issue. The real beauty in using this book comes when you attempt to understand some technical concept by writing your own code - and perhaps using your textbooks to help you along the way. Furthermore, you should not even attempt to study for Sun's Java certifications without this book.

better books are out there (much better)
Core Java 2, volumes I and II, by Cay Horstmann and Gary Cornell, are much, much better in my opinion.Almost a joy to read in comparison to this book, which is painfully dry and boring.I had to use this book for a Java class and afterwards read the Horstmann and Cornell books and was amazed at how much better they are.

I also recommend getting Design Patterns Explained by Shalloway and Trott.They use java but don't assume that you're already an OO expert.And, as they say, learning design patterns early on is a good thing.

poorly written, lots of info
I admit that this book has much information about Java. How could it not, it is almost 600 pages long!

If you've read K&R, you'll know what a well-written reference manual looks like.If you've read K&R, you'll know that this book is not a well-written reference manual.

The authors oscillate between different examples quickly, making me think that they can't focus well.The examples they provide are not focused on the lesson at hand.They are repetitious - instead of explaining their point once clearly, they explain in twice unclearly.Their code is not self-contained - they give snipets of code, instead of an entire program (which would not have been too much longer).

You could learn a lot from this book, but if you're expecting something similar to K&R in terms of writing ability and clarity, try another book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201704331
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Java (Computer language)    6. Java (Computer program languag    7. Java (Computer program language)    8. Object-Oriented Programming    9. Programming - General    10. Programming Languages - Java    11. Computers / Programming Languages / Java   

Discrete Mathematics and its Applications
by Kenneth H. Rosen, Wcb, McGraw-Hill
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (11 December, 1998)
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Reviews (69)

Just plain confusing...
This book is pretty useless when it comes to explaining concepts that it attempts to teach. It skips steps and fails to explain how to solve a lot of problems. I usually have to have a math tutor, or the teacher explain the lessons to me, because the 15-page sectionsin the book seem to get me nowhere. I wouldn't have a problem with discrete math if we had a different textbook.

Reasonably good text, very poor student/instructor guides.
The text itself is brief, but still a good overview of discrete mathematics.The main problem is the student and instructor guides.The answers frequently have errors and problems are not reiterated in the text, so a student or a grader has to flip back and forth between at least two books to make sense of the solutions.Even more frustrating for students is the fact that some problems do not have good answers: the author admits that he cannot solve the problem and refers to answers from other problems instead.This is simply not fair to students who may be struggling with the material.

As a teaching assistant, it is not up to me to select the text books.If it were, I would look for a replacement.

Horrid, Painful, and Savage
This is perhaps the worst book possible for a math class as difficult as this one.The examples assume you know a lot about Discrete Math so the author leaves out required information that you have to deduce. It should be titled "Discrete Math II: Buy The Book, Give Me Your Money, Foreward My Career." He has made mathematics painfully difficult.The solutions manual increases what the textbook has in the answer section by about 5%. All in all, it leaves you with more questions and more confusion. And then this jerk hits you with a ridiculously high price tag. This guy is a criminal, his bowls should be cut out and burned and then fed to him. ... Read more

Isbn: 0072899050
Sales Rank: 215149
Subjects:  1. Computer Science    2. Discrete Mathematics    3. Discrete Mathematics (Computer Science)    4. General    5. Mathematics    6. Mathematics (General)    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Applied mathematics   

Introduction to Linear Algebra, Second Edition
by Gilbert Strang
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 June, 1993)
list price: $72.50 -- our price: $72.50
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Reviews (21)

A great book for self-study
I used the book for self-study in combination with Strang's freely available video lectures. The book's emphasis is on understanding and appreciating concepts, rather than on formal proofs. As I have experienced him, Strang is very good at explaining things. He uses lots of examples, and, the textbook as well as the video lectures are very easy to comprehend. His informal writing helps to make the book an interesting read. For me, having had some linear algebra in high school, most ideas were familiar. However, it was always delightful for me to look at Strang's perspective on things. One clearly sees that Strang has a lot of experience in teaching linear algebra. He introduces new ideas in a very natural way, emphasizing what they are good for beforehand. I particularly liked the chapter on determinants.

The book doesn't require any prior knowledge besides very basic high school math. I used it in my year of civilian national service, before starting to go to college. Compared to other college level books for math majors I have looked at, this book works great for self-study. The level of difficulty seems to be something inbetween high school and university level (math major).

Borrowed 4 times from library; time to buy.
This engineer is interested in the insight that maths can provide, not the proofs that can be written. This book aims for insight.

If you want to put the students to sleep, if you don't want your class to see past the proof then this is not the book for you.

Teach the subject to the non-math students
Gilbert Strang is a very experienced teacher of Linear Algebra, and this book is written as a text based on his MIT linear algebra class. Math majors will not find the 'definition-proposition-lemma-theorem-proof-corollary' treatment here. Instead Strang, aware of the need to teach non-math majors the subject, explains linear algebra in a simple but effective way --examples, diagrams, motivations. This book is one of those with which you can skip class the whole semester and get good grades (but don't do it! get your education in the classroom). ... Read more

Isbn: 0961408855
Sales Rank: 238687
Subjects:  1. Algebra - Linear    2. Algebras, Linear    3. Linear Algebra    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics   

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Edition)
by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner, John F. Hughes
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 August, 1995)
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Editorial Review

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice is the most exhaustive overview of computer graphics techniques available. This textbook's 21 chapters cover graphics hardware, user interface software, rendering, and a host of other subjects. Assuming a solid background in computer science or a related field, Computer Graphicsgives example programs in C and provides exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge of the material. The guide has over 100 beautiful, four-color photographs that illustrate important topics and algorithms, such as ray tracing and bump maps, and also inspire you to acquire the skills necessary to produce them. Encyclopedic in its coverage, the book has a good table of contents so that you can immediately turn to information on the z-Buffer algorithm or the chapter on animation. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

An out-dated clasic.
I see that this book is getting a 4.5 average star rating.I really think many of these ratings are based largely on nostalgia.I bought this book 7 years ago or so.I definitely can say that I learned a great deal from this book, and it is a classic.

However, it hasn't been updated since then, and I think that, considering the price tag, it really doesn't make sense for most modern readers to buy it.(Especially if they don't have Real-Time Rendering, which is my recommendation.)

Let's scan through the table of contents and see which chapters might be worth reading:

1.) Introduction
2.) SRGP - if you don't know what this means, it's because it stands for a graphics system that nobody uses anymore.
3.) Basic raster graphics algorithms for drawing 2d primitives - this is a good reference for this stuff.Of course, a lot fewer people need to know how to do software rasterization nowadays
4.) Graphics Hardware - circa 1996
5.) geometrical transforms - standard material as covered elsewhere, though more difficult to understand
6.) viewing in 3D - This is actually a pretty unique chapter and worth reading once you've read other books (which will be easier to learn from).There's some unique information about different types of projections, and some alternative ways of looking at the problem.
7.) Object heirarchy and SPHIGS.Another graphics programming system nobody uses anymore.
8.) input devices, interaction techniques, and interaction tasks - I never read these chapters because they were about UI design.Maybe you'll find them useful - but they aren't really about "graphics"
9.) dialogue design - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
10.) user interface software - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
11.) Representing curves and surfaces - there's some good meat here, most of it pretty timeless.But again, I think the information is contained in plenty of other books, as well.
12.) solid modeling - some interesting material here that isn't the same old stuff found in every other graphics book.
13.) achromatic and colored light - gets into the theory of color and different color models.Interesting and useful.
14.) the quest for visual realism - largely out of date, but some decent information
15.) visible surface determination - covers a wide variety of algorthims, many of which are more interesting than useful.
16.) illumination and shading - gives the standard local lighting model.Mostly this is standard information you can get elsewhere.
17.) image manipulation and storage - discusses filtering techniques, etc.
18.) Advanced Raster Graphics Architecture - out of date
19.) Advanced Geometric and Raster Algorithms - Mostly out of date, but with some standard information you can get elsewhere
20.) Advanced Modeling techniques - fractals, particle systems, etc - doesn't cover much in detail
21.) Animation - not much can be covered in 23 pages...

For most people, I would suggest "Real-Time Rendering" as a more modern "survey of computer graphics".

This is not a book for beginners - there's so much information in this book that none of it is covered with any sort of decent explanation.

And the code is all really old-school K&R C style with the type of the function arguments declared in between the closing paren and the opening brace.

The reasons to get this book are:

1.) To "complete your bookshelf" with a book that all good programmers are "supposed to have"
2.) As an interesting (but expensive) read on algorithms and ideas that you probably won't use directly, but you may find interesting and learn altative ways of looking at problems.

A thorough coverage of the Computer Graphics world.
I have found this book to be _the_ most useful book in my line of work yet. I have been involved in computer graphics and software development for about 10 years, and this stands out as the ideal reference book.

Dont bother with this book if you just want source code. This book is all about explanation of the fundamentals of computer graphics. It is excellent in helping with design descisions and implementation strategies. Dont overlook this book if you are in anyway involved with the creation of a computer graphics application. The theory and algorithms described are old, but these are still used today - interestingly other reviewers seem to think this is bad, its not. It saves you spending months researching a method only to find it was already mentioned in this book, and the benefits and disadvantages are often written well with solid references.

In my opinion, in Computer Graphics, this is the Bible. The theories and algorithms assist in solving any problem you will find in the computer graphics world. It wont give you the code, but it will give you a solution.

Good book for 3D graphics
It is a book for the ones who like math, not for general programmers. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201848406
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics: An Applied Introduction (4th Edition)
by Ralph P. Grimaldi
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1998)
list price: $112.33 -- our price: $112.33
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Reviews (23)

Maybe it's just me
I find this book lacks explanation at many points, to where I couldn't understand thw way the author presented a problem, a subject, etc... I almost feel like the target audience is to other college professors, and not students of the subject.I also don't like that a lot of the harder problems at the end of the sections are even numbered, so that you don't have a way to see how they are worked.I don't really feel the book warrants just one star, but since most people in my class don't care much for the book, I am confused to all of the great reviews on this web site and felt I needed to show the contrast that my class experienced with it.I think the book requires a good instructor to help you get through it, in contrast to the comments to others who have said it's good for a self learner.I am also enrolled in Calculus 2 and Linear Algebra, and the books I am using for those courses are FAR superior to this one. and I have missed a few class sessions in those two courses and am still running a high B and a mid A in those courses.I wouldn't dream of missing a class in the Discrete Math class because I feel too dependant on the instructor's explanations.

great book on discrete math
This is an excellent book for self study. However, there are parts in this book that must be rearranged or deleted. For example, I think Catalan numbers should be deleted. This might be useful for the matrix chaining problem, but that's in the realms of algorithm design (specifically in dynamic programming). Also, I do not understand why Grimaldi sandwiched in a chapter on Finite State Machines between two chapters on Functions and Relations. Maybe he should make a section on languages for FSMs, but I recommend Sipser's

It is possible to study on your own
It is common to feel you need someone to explain what you are reading while studying from a book and even more if the subject is mathematics. That is what surprises readers while starting to explore this interesting book.

At the beginning it is hard to believe how simple it becomes to understand the different topics. That is a consequence of the easy way readers assimilate what is learnt by analyzing general and particular examples. That is the way in which the book presents the different units: the usual incomprehensible explanations are replaced by a lot of short examples which are easily understandable. Students not only feel they understand what they read but also enjoy and are attracted by a subject that is nice when comprehended.

Even if it seems to be too long, its more than eight-hundred pages do not reflect the period of time which takes to learn each unit. They are considerably short and are also divided in sections that reduce the difficulty of continuous reading, especially after having stopped for a wile, leaving aside the need to go over the last pages.

I consider this is a recommendable book for those students who are studying all the mathematic points which are analyzed in the volume. I believe it is the best complement for daily classes or a good option to study on your own.
... Read more

Isbn: 0201199122
Sales Rank: 80796
Subjects:  1. Combinatorial Analysis    2. Combinatorics    3. Computer Science    4. Discrete Mathematics    5. Discrete Mathematics (Computer Science)    6. Mathematics    7. Science/Mathematics   

Elementary Differential Equations
by William E.Boyce, Richard C.DiPrima
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (21 July, 2000)
list price: $104.95 -- our price: $104.95
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Reviews (14)

Without a doubt, the worst book I have ever read
This book is absymal.There is no other way to put it.It boggles the mind to think that this text ever made it print.The concepts in DiffEq are really not that hard, but this book cannot even explain simple concepts elequently -- and I am a Math major.
If you are Math faculty member that has any decision making powers, I strongly urge you to choose ANY other book.Choosing this book for your DiffEq class will devalue the quality of education provided by your University.IT IS THAT BAD.

Very poorly written
I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said, but I felt it important enough to pipe in and agree with most of the negative comments. The book is unnecessarily complicated, skips non-obvious steps in the examples, provides no review for material that justifiably should be reviewed, and has a very poor approach to explanation of concepts. Contrasted to James Stewart's Calculus book that I've used for the past year, this book almost makes me want to cry and turn into an English major. The key to surviving a class that requires this book is to get another book. I'm a Berkeley student, for whatever that's worth.

Elementary Diffential Equations by Boyce and DiPrima
This book is excellent for math majors or engineers who have had
a strong background in higher mathematics. The work provides
a step-by-step analysis of the classic problem areasi.e.
initial value problems, solution boundaries, homogeneous and
non-homogeneous solutions, the exponential form, higher order
differential equations, variation of parameters, LaPlace
transformation and other more exotic applications too numerous
to list here. For non-math majors, the book may become difficult

to follow. Therefore; it may help to consult with the Schaum's
Outline in order to supplement this text.Boyce and DiPrima
is more than enough to get you through the Fundamentals of
Engineering Examination.Differential Equations is a subject
which requires students to take copious notes. It pays to
struggle through the homeworks and to plan daily study sessions
of 15 minutes to 1 hour depending upon where you are in the
course.It is well worth the effort to master this course

because the applications to engineering are numerous and profound. Mastery of this subject will provide you with a
life-long skill. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471319988
Sales Rank: 325903
Subjects:  1. Boundary Value Problems    2. Differential Equations    3. Functional Analysis    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Applied mathematics    7. Mathematics / Differential Equations   

Operations Research: An Introduction (7th Edition)
by Hamdy A. Taha
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (10 July, 2002)
list price: $122.00 -- our price: $122.00
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Reviews (14)

Good book for introductory course
This is a good book for an Management Science course book which does not go deep into theory. Primarily its good for business majors, however there are better books for business majors who dont want to be involved with the math using Excel exclusively. Ragsdales book comes to mind.

However, there are plenty problems solved and so if you are one of those people who learn through solving problems this is a decent book.

For theory and math pick Bazraas book on LP and NLP or Model Building by Paul Williams which I think is an excellent book.

Avoid this one...
I'm a student at a CS school in Denmark, doing a course in OR, and this book served as my first introduction to the subject. The book has several flaws making it virtually useless as teaching material. From the very start, he stumbles, as he tries to explain the simplex algorithm, yet he doesn't even give a single mathematical explanation of the process. There are two whole chapsters, devoted to simplex, yet there is no single "algorithmic" presentation in pseudo-code, of the algorithm. Other books (such as Introduction to Algorithms, 2nd ed, managers this fine.)

Many of the more subtle points of OR are badly explained. How duality relates the primal is explained theoretically in virtually a single five centimeter space, far from sufficient to explain the many aspects of duality (a key issue in OR). Further, one of the initially very confusing aspects of LP solving, is the signedness of variables. There are several approaches in the industry, and Taha follows one. This is all good and all, but that he fails to explain, how the algorithms change, depending on what signedness one uses, is totally unforgivable in an introductory text. It makes it very confusing initially (and still) to read other authors text, since it's not clear how procedures vary from one text to another.

The book's single saving grace, is that it has countless examples, but when you're looking for the mathematical reasoning behind a procedure, this book falls far short. A book that proudly proclaims on the backcover: "Complex mathematical concepts are explained by means of carefully designed numerical examples, essentially eliminating the need for [...] mathematical proofs." is not something you want. LP/IP programming IS math heavy, if you do not learn the theory, you will learn a very rigid and inflexible tool.

Further the CD comes with a Visual Basic program, the likes of which I have never seen, except perhaps ten years ago on download.com. It's Windows only, and it has the poorest interface ever (it's so obvious that this used to be a console program, quickly ported to Windows). And what's worse, is that it gives /incorrect/ solutions! Our school has an installation of CPLEX, an industrial strength program for solving LP problems. Of course, one doesn't expect TORA (the name for Tahas LP solver) to handle as big cases as CPLEX can, but it seems only fair to expect it to give the correct results.

operatiom research
i want a key of operation research by hamdy taha(sixth edition)
in which all odd and even no of question are solved.
i will be very thankfull to u
m2sajan@hotmail.com ... Read more

Isbn: 0130323748
Sales Rank: 219493
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Engineering - Industrial    3. Operations Research    4. Programming (Mathematics)    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technology    7. Technology / Operations Research