Journey into Mathematics: An Introduction to Proofs (Dover Books on Mathematics) - Softcover

Rotman, Joseph J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0486453065 ISBN 13: 9780486453064

Publisher: Dover Publications, 2006

Synopsis

Students learn how to read and write proofs by actually reading and writing them, asserts author Joseph J. Rotman, adding that merely reading about mathematics is no substitute for doing mathematics. In addition to teaching how to interpret and construct proofs, Professor Rotman's introductory text imparts other valuable mathematical tools and illustrates the intrinsic beauty and interest of mathematics.
Journey into Mathematics offers a coherent story, with intriguing historical and etymological asides. The three-part treatment begins with the mechanics of writing proofs, including some very elementary mathematics--induction, binomial coefficients, and polygonal areas--that allow students to focus on the proofs without the distraction of absorbing unfamiliar ideas at the same time. Once they have acquired some geometric experience with the simpler classical notion of limit, they proceed to considerations of the area and circumference of circles. The text concludes with examinations of complex numbers and their application, via De Moivre's theorem, to real numbers.

About this title

About the Author

Joseph Rotman is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Illinois.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0486453065
• ISBN 13: 9780486453064
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256