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| by: David W. Farmer |
Groups and Symmetry: A Guide to Discovering Mathematics (Mathematical World, Vol. 5) (Mathematical World)
By David W. Farmer
* Publisher: American Mathematical Society
* Number Of Pages: 102
* Publication Date: 1995-11
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0821804502
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780821804506
* Binding: Paperback
Book Description:
In most mathematics textbooks, the most exciting part of mathematics--the process of invention and discovery--is completely hidden from the reader. The aim of Groups and Symmetry is to change all that. By means of a series of carefully selected tasks, this book leads readers to discover some real mathematics. There are no formulas to memorize; no procedures to follow. The book is a guide: Its job is to start you in the right direction and to bring you back if you stray too far. Discovery is left to you.
Suitable for a one-semester course at the beginning undergraduate level, there are no prerequisites for understanding the text. Any college student interested in discovering the beauty of mathematics will enjoy a course taught from this book. The book has also been used successfully with nonscience students who want to fulfill a science requirement.
Summary: the best math textbook I've ever had
Rating: 5
This book was the foundational textbook for a 100-level class in symmetry at my university. I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to get a better feel for what mathematicians actually do and think about and work with. Folks who never got into the higher math classes often have a different idea of what mathematics is all about than mathematicians. At the level of introductory algebra and geometry and even some calculus, math education often seems to be mainly about memorizing formulas and recognizing in which situations to apply them. That's an important thing to learn, but it is not useful for imparting an idea and a feel of the field of mathematics as a whole. Farmer's book brings home the understanding that mathematics is, at its heart, about patterns and that mathematics is not so much about memorization and application as it is about discovery.
The level of mathematical understanding required to get something useful out of this book is low. I believe the professor required beginning algebra as the prerequisite. If you can count to six, recognize the difference between a square and a pentagon, and understand that variables like n, m, or x can be used as substitutes for numbers then you probably have enough mathematical sophistication to work your way through this book and gain insights into the beauty of higher math.
http://rapidshare.com/files/128144371/GrouSym.rar
