Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821804502 ISBN 13: 9780821804506

Publisher: American Mathematical Society, 1995

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.

Review:

"Nicely produced and concentrates on the informal analysis of geometrical patterns with the emphasis on informality ... could serve as a useful collection of activities to precede a formal course and would provide a range of intuitive experiences to which the more formal treatment could refer." ---- The Mathematical Gazette

"On the basis of this book it is possible to tailor a good course for high school students to really discover mathematics ... for anyone who is working with high school students in an advanced level the book is really recommended." ---- Zentralblatt MATH

"Written in a lively conversational style ... entertaining, and sometimes provoking, and will doubtlessly prove useful to its intended audience." ---- Mathematical Reviews