Reviews (21)

Great Book!
This book is great.I used it for a second course in linear algebra.I can really say that I understand the subject now, which I definitely couldn't before.The material is presented in a readable and yet rigorous and abstract fasion.My only problem with this book is that it leaves so many proofs to exercises and doesn't give the answers to most exercises.

blows you away
This book blew me away! it's just great, it really explains everything (also an axiomatic approach of determinants which is very important to gain a thorough understanding of what determinants actually mean and which will help you when you are going to study multilinear algebra, exterior algebras in abstract algebra etc), the book gives you a good insight in the stucture of linear operators on a finite-dimensional vector space and provides lots of examples and useful applications (e.g. in economics and physics). There was a comment of one customer which criticized the fact that the theory doesn't offer an explanation of quotient spaces, this is true but in fact this is not important in the area of linear algebra, quotient structures should be studied in abstract algebra, when more algebraic structure has been developed so that one can really understand what quotients of algebraic structures are about. So the book is great, but I would recommend some knowledge about polynomials, fields, algebraic closure, vector space before starting to read this one.

Excellent!
I am an undergraduate taking a linear algebra course. The course does not use this book, but my friends introduced this book to me and I simply love it.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra - Linear    2. Algebras, Linear    3. Linear Algebra    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (14)

Not every scholar should write for students.
I was a student of Mr. Ross's, taking Discrete Math, a few years ago.He's is a very intelligent man and seemed to enjoy teaching.Unfortunately, he was not very good at it.And same goes for this text book of his.His attitude and approach in the classroom and the book's alike might be helpful if the student has already mastered the majority of the covered topics, in which case, this book becomes useless.

I agree with what everyone else says....
This book will cost you much more than the principle "investment" of $100+, given the time required to interperet Ross's examples, and in many cases, un/re-learn the material.

terrible book
I keep thinking as I'm forced to use this book for a college course, that Discrete Math would not be so confusing to me if not for this textbook. With a good textbook, I believe the concepts would not be very difficult, but this book makes them so. True, they have many examples - very few of which cover the complex things you are then asked to do in the Exercises. If I could give it negative stars, I would, since it doesn't teach us but confuses us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer science    2. Discrete Mathematics    3. Discrete Mathematics (Computer Science)    4. Machine Theory    5. Mathematics    6. Mathematics (Specific Aspects)    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Mathematics / Advanced   

Reviews (2)

Solutions Manual only!
Be careful - this is only the student's solutions manual and NOT the textbook.

The total revision of chapter 5, improves the 4th Edition.
The complete revision of Chapter 5, Factoring Polynomials greatly enhancesthe students ability to understand factoring by grouping.It is a fareasier process than the trial and error in previous editions.The graphicsare also greatly improved, but the visibility of the check yourselfexercises, found in the chapters, has been absurdly diminished!-1 starfor that error in judgement! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Mathematics    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Algebra    5. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Editorial Review

"God created the integers," wrote mathematician Leopold Kronecker, "All the rest is the work of Man." In this collection of landmark mathematical works, editor Stephen Hawking has assembled the greatest feats humans have ever accomplished using just numbers and their brains. Each of the 17 sections opens with a historical introduction of the featured author, and proceeds to a faithful translation of their most famous work. While most mathematicians will already have complete editions of Isaac Newton's Read more

Reviews (15)

Stephen's talk of stars and the Universe
During his career as a cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking has proposed many ground-breaking theories. His theories on the origins and nature of the universe are quite complex, but Stephen believes it is important to communicate his ideas to the general public. He has written two books - A Brief History of Time, and The Universe in a Nutshell, to try to explain his ideas to everyone. Hawking is the leading scientist on Quantum Mechanics -- which he describes the behaviour of the smallest particles in the Universe. Unlike everyday objects which tend to obey predictable laws, tiny objects like atoms can behave in very unpredictable ways. Hawking's theories include -- Steady State vs the Big Bang. When Hawking was a student, most cosmologists believed in the steady state theory. The steady state theory says the universe had no beginning and will exist in the same state forever. In contrast, the Big Bang theory says that everything in our Universe (and therefore space, matter and time) began in an explosion about 15 billion years ago. This is the theory that most cosmologists agree on today. The theory of relativity was one of the most important ideas of the twentieth century. Albert Einstein realised that space and time were not independent concepts - how you measure time depends on how you are moving through space, and vice versa. He suggested that gravitational fields could bend what he called space-time. Relativity predicts that time slows down near very massive objects like Black Holes. Black Holes are large stars that have undergone total gravitational collapse and whose gravity is so great that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. The heart of a Black Hole is infinitely dense, and is an example of what mathematicians call a singularity. Singularities are points where space and time are warped so much that the laws of physics break down. Singularities occur at the heart of black holes. The Big Bang is also a singularity; before the Big Bang, time does not mathematically exist.
"The writing fingers having writ ...", In the Shoes of the "God"? - -From the Pen of Dr. Hawking .. ?!
It is no wonder that this great work has attracted so many diverse type of reviews from some of the very competent reviewers.The omissions of many good things bring to the mind the work of (Sir) Roger Penrose; really this great project pales in comparison.
Need an editor, couldn't agree more
I really want to give this book at least 4 stars as I love the idea of encapsulating those great mathematical breakthroughs in one book and giving each a proper account instead of over simplistic summaries like many other math readings do.
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Subjects:  1. History & Philosophy    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Science/Mathematics    5. History of mathematics    6. Popular science   

Reviews (1)

Excellent!
This is a useful book for anyone involved in mathematics.This book has many practice problems as well as solutions.It also contains many problems that pertain to everyday life at home or office.This book is amust for any high school student wanting to get a head start on the collegemathematics.This book reads very well, and contains excellent drawings toenhance the comprehension of the topics discussed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advanced    2. Calculus    3. General    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Calculus & mathematical analysis    7. Mathematics / General   

Reviews (5)

This is a _stellar_ text!
I've been swamped with homework in general, and have been behind in many classes.So, often times I won't have the foundations to understand the current concept my calc teacher is explaining in class.However, with this calc book, the explanations are so clear, and the in-text examples and practice problems so plentiful, that I can truly say I'm confident in my calculus skills, even without any teacher instruction.
Harvard Summer Textbook
I just took Calculus 1 and 2 this summer at Harvard. Reading the whole textbook was neccessary to caught up the materials. Although I don't know my final course grade yet, I think this textbook was the most important tool to learn introductory calculus. I think this textbook prepared me well to take Multivatiable Calculus as well. I really liked easy examples and simple explanations. However, the problems after each section in every chapter are somewhat very difficult. I recommend this book!

Wish i had the solutions manual
I have used this book for two semesters now andi wish i had hte solutions manual.I would buy it but i dont know which one it is there are so many and James stewart has written many calc books.Overall this book is ok, but i would recommend getting hte solutions manual, whichever it is.And if anyone knows which solutions manual to buy let me know pleasepenguinGamer@gmail.com .Thanks ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Calculus    2. Mathematics    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Calculus & mathematical analysis    5. Mathematics / Calculus   

Reviews (7)

Fantastic text
My son is currently at Harvard where he is taking Calculus II.He called home, requesting we forward his Larson textbook that he used for AP Calc in high school.It helped him tremendously with concepts he just wasn't getting at one of the top schools in the nation--and he has shared this textbook with his professor at Harvard!
Calculus Ain't Easy
First things first: If there was a ten star rating it would apply A great book!
The best book about Calculus I ever seen. Read it and you will know all about you need to love mathematics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Calculus    2. Geometry, Analytic    3. Mathematics    4. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (3)

Functional analysis
This is a very elegant text. The analysis theorems and proofs are well explained and connected with operator theory. The exercises are well chosen to further the reader's understanding of the subject.
Excellent
Peter D Lax is one of the great mathematicians of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Buy this book if only to have it on your bookshelf. After a long day of suffering fools and putting up with the latest insanities of your university administrators, leaf through Lax's book to recover. This is mathematics at its best. What better use can we put mathematics to, than to help us regain our sanity in a world that's gone mad.

Brings the subject to life!
The subject of functional analysis, while fundamental and central in the landscape of mathematics, really started with Read more

Subjects:  1. Functional Analysis    2. Mathematics    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Mathematics / Functional Analysis   

Reviews (16)

Great beginners book
My son is really getting a lot out of "How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra".He is understanding the material and applying it to his homework and tests.

Good book
I'm very happy with this book.It does just what it promises:teaches kids how to solve word problems in beginning-level algebra.I wish I'd had a book like this when I was in school.It gives detailed explanations which are easy to understand.

Good, until the last problems
If you are looking for help in understanding algebra problems then I definitely recommend this book.Inside you will find helpful hints and practice that will help you tackle a wide range of problems from distance, coins, finance, quadratics, work, numbers, etc.The Supplementary problems after each chapter are helpful, and are well explained.So if you make any mistakes in doing them you will be able to go through step by step and see where the mistake was.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebra - General    3. Mathematics    4. Problems, exercises, etc    5. Reference    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Word problems (Mathematics)    8. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (1)

A beautiful source of interesting problems
I deeply consider that this is a very stimulating problem book that contains a variety of problems and their solutions.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Geometry - General    3. Mathematics    4. Problems, exercises, etc    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Trigonometry    7. Elementary geometry & trigonometry    8. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book...
Lial and Hornsby have written a number of books on Algebra. Hence, their expertise in this field of Mathematics and ability to deliver in the form most suitable for the middle and high schoolers , in particular iswonderful. Review Exercises at the end of each majorsubdivisionprovide means for readers to practice. And also ensure that the readershave gained overall expertise in the particular subdivision. Also , anotheradvantage of this book , in contrast to many other available books, is thecumulative review exercises that engulf concepts from all the precedingchapters, which provides the means to show how these topics areinterrelated.Tests provided also aid in this process. The topics are wellorganized and explained.Very Good Book... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebra - Elementary    3. Algebra - General    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (7)

too vague
I was really disappointed by this book.It lacked in explanations and examples.Too short to be benefitual.

Great "Review" Book
This book is the 2nd Algebra book that I bought. I am the type of person who goes beyond what is given to me. This book is a great book for review purposes. I am over half way through the year in Algebra 1 and already know how to do everything that will be taught to me by the end of the year. I have really learned a lot from these books and I will say, that this is a great book for anyone that is studying Algebra.

It Really Helps!
I have only bought this book for learning and for studying before I am gonna go back to school, but I have learn a lot from it! I really explains clearly enough so you can understand what it is talking about or you can do it after its example. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebra - General    3. Book Notes    4. College Entrance    5. Study Aids    6. Study Guides    7. Mathematics / Algebra / General   

Reviews (12)

good as a supplement to the class
This is a book that is best for final preparation for the exam.Last year, in BC Calculus, I was absent for the series and sequences lessons due to an illness and I came back for a test studying through the Barron's books and I had trouble understanding it.The tests are definitely a lot harder than the real thing.I studied my [...] off and got a 5 on the actual exam as well as a 5 on the AB subscore.

A Fair Book
This book is very comprehensive, too many details at times.The practice test is a little bit more difficult than the actual test.It is not very well organized or appealing to look.There aren't enough diagrams and pictures for visual learners.

Very helpful
I had several sources to help me do well in AP Calculus AB. One of them was this book.
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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Advanced placement programs (Education)    3. Calculus    4. College entrance achievement tests    5. Examinations    6. Study Aids    7. Study Guides    8. Test Prep    9. Calculus & mathematical analysis    10. Study Aids / Advanced Placement    11. Study guides, home study & revision notes   

Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Arithmetic    3. General    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematical foundations    7. Mathematics / General   

Reviews (28)

Not for beginners
Examples are few and offer little explaination.
Very poor explanations
I dont think the other reviewers are quite accurate in their assessment of this text.The book does offer many examples, and the pseudocode is very helpful in implementing these methods.The real problem with this book is that many of the explanations of the methods are written in pseudocode.This makes learning the concepts extremely confusing and difficult, as they are written in code.The proofs are helpful, but with the confusing notation in iterative methods, there is no way near enough information to correctly learn what is going on.I took this class in graduate school and never used the book unless I wanted to see some code.My advice: Take notes from the professor, and if you need to code up a method, go to the library and copy down what you need.A VERY poor teaching aid!

VERY DRY
I normally do not review books, but I feel so strongly negative towards this one.
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Subjects:  1. Calculus    2. Mathematical Analysis    3. Mathematics    4. Numerical analysis    5. Probability & Statistics - General    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematics / General    8. Mathematics and Science    9. Probability & statistics   

Reviews (13)

Good portable reference for professionals or graduate students
This is a pretty helpful Schaum's outline, in that most of the mathematical tables and formulas that an undergraduate math student would need are included. Material from geometry, calculus, differential equations, numerical methods, special functions and transforms, and probability and statistics are included. Plus, there are some examples of how to perform some types of calculations. There is even a section on calculating compound interest and the value of an annuity for those students of financial mathematics. Also, it is much easier than lugging around the infamous 2600 page "CRC Handbook of Mathematics and Physics." Of course, there are tradeoffs. This book has mathematical tables and formulas only, there are no physics equations.
Schaum's Mathematical Handbook Review
The book has many differential and integrals that are not in my Calculus Textbook.Plus, it has formulas and equations from algebra, geometry, trignometry, and much more.I wish I had had this when I was in high school.

Invaluable Reference!
If you're as big a fan of the Schaum's "Outline Series" as I am, and are a science/math student (or a working professional), you REALLY need to add this one to your library! Just as one should have a good one-volume encyclopedia (hint: The New Columbia Encyclopedia), and a good dictionary that doesn't require a fork-lift (hint: Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary). All those arcane, mind-emulsifying formulas and identities and equalities from geometry, trigonometry, calculus, probability & statistics that your professors blithely expected you to memorize (and which you just-as-blithely FORGOT when the semester ended!) are ALL collected here. About a half-inch thick (278pp, including an index!), and VERY comprehensive. More than just a compendium of formulas and tables, it offers many terrific explanations and illustrations. No more digging through your old textbooks (you DID keep them, didn't you? Yeah, right). Quick! What's the Euler-Maclaurin Summation formula? How do you determine the area of an ellipse? You DO remember those special indefinite integrals involving a(x^2)+ bx + c, don't you?
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Subjects:  1. Engineering - General    2. Formulae    3. General    4. Mathematical Analysis    5. Mathematics    6. Mathematics (General)    7. Reference    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Study Guides    10. Tables    11. Calculus & mathematical analysis    12. Mathematics / Advanced    13. Numerical analysis   

Reviews (13)

Creates astrong foundation in math
Both of our kids used Saxon from 54 to Advanced Math and physics and they have done quite well with it.Although I am not a mathematician, my husband has a degree in mechanical engineering and highly approves of Saxon's format.
I would hate to have had to learn math from this book.
I am nearing the completion of my PhD in physics at a major research university, so I have studied a fair amount of math in my day. All the math I have studied is geared toward problem solving and understanding how we can describe the world around us using mathematics. This, it seems to me, should be what we are trying to communicate to high school students. I have spent the last two months regularly tutoring a poor girl who is trying her best to learn Algebra II from this book that was inflicted upon her, and I think the book is a disgrace.
Excellence in Mathematics
I have been using Saxon mathematics for 15 years, first as a 5th-12th grade student and more recently as a tutor. This program is excellent and like one of the other reviewers I can agree that even my "average" Saxon students have significantly better mathematics skills that those students using other programs.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Mathematics    3. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (4)

A delicious smorgasbord of inequalities
Professor Steele has done a wonderful job in developing the theory behind the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality.He starts off with the basic theory and then through the course of the book he teases out the limitless ways the inequality can be used. There is a breathtaking sweep of applications. What is interesting and valuable about his approach is that as he develops the building blocks he explains why or why not a particular approach might not work. I think there is quite a bit of Polya's inspiration in his approach.For instance, he gives Polya's proof of the Carleman inequality which, on it face, is almost outrageously unbelievable ( where does the "e" come from?) but by that stage you worked through the challenge problems and the other material and it is possible to see why the "e" makes sense.
at the core of mathematics
this book deals in a friendly fashion with inequalities (and therefore) with the elementary use of convexity and integrals.
Erudite and stimulating problem book in inequalities
The classic work in this field is Hardy, Littlewood, and Polya's "Inequalities", but as much as I admire these authors for their other works, I have never gotten much out of their inequality book. Steele's book is different: extremely clear, erudite, and thorough, it almost makes everything obvious. The subject of inequalities is something of a hodge-podge, and Steele isn't able to change that, but he helps tie it together with lots of forward and backward references and with returns to problems after we have learned new methods. A good example is Carleman's inequality (easily the most startling result in the book); Steele provides three different proofs spread out through the book, plus a continuous analog.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra - Elementary    2. Inequalities (Mathematics)    3. Mathematics    4. Probability & Statistics - General    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Calculus & mathematical analysis    7. Mathematics / Differential Equations   

Subjects:  1. Algebra - Elementary    2. Arithmetic    3. Algebra    4. Mathematics / General    5. Mathematics    6. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (2)

Very Helpful Book
This book is very helpful because when someone helps me in Algebra 2, they can read me the problem out of book then I can work it out and they can tell me whether my answer is right or not or else it would take a much longer period of time because they would have to work out the problem and then tell me the answer and it may be wrong. This is the perfect book for kids who want to learn Algebra 2.

Wow!
This book is the one book people who want to learn Algebra 2 need. It completely enhanced my knowledge on the subject, and took me to a higher level. It will truly make your mind capacious! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra    2. Algebra - General    3. Algebra - Intermediate    4. Children's All Ages - Mathematics    5. Children's Books/All Ages    6. Mathematics    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Juvenile Nonfiction / Mathematics / General