Questions tagged [books]
Questions in which books play a key-role, such as questions on antique books, e-books, difference between various editions of a book, etc. For questions asking for recommendations of books on some subject the tag textbook-recommendation is often more suitable.
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Why do so many textbooks have so much technical detail and so little enlightenment? [closed]
I think/hope this is okay for MO.
I often find that textbooks provide very little in the way of motivation or context. As a simple example, consider group theory. Every textbook I have seen that ...
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Best algebraic geometry textbook? (other than Hartshorne)
I think (almost) everyone agrees that Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry is still the best.
Then what might be the 2nd best?
It can be a book, preprint, online lecture note, webpage, etc.
One suggestion ...
193
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Are there other nice math books close to the style of Tristan Needham?
I've been very positively impressed by Tristan Needham's book "Visual Complex Analysis", a very original and atypical mathematics book which is more oriented to helping intuition and insight than to ...
192
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Books you would like to read (if somebody would just write them…)
I think that the title is self-explanatory but I'm thinking about mathematical subjects that have not received a full treatment in book form or if they have, they could benefit from a different ...
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Old books you would like to have reprinted with high-quality typesetting
There are some questions on mathoverflow such as
What out-of-print books would you like to see re-printed?
Old books still used
with answers that tell us things such as:
Mathematicians prefer to use ...
148
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26
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Good "casual" advanced math books
I'm curious if there are any good math books out there that take a "casual approach" to higher level topics. I'm very interested in advanced math, but have lost the time as of late to study textbooks ...
147
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43
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Where does a math person go to learn quantum mechanics?
My undergraduate advisor said something very interesting to me the other day; it was something like "not knowing quantum mechanics is like never having heard a symphony." I've been meaning to learn ...
136
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15
answers
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Statistics for mathematicians
I'm looking for an overview of statistics suitable for the mathematically mature reader: someone familiar with measure theoretic probability at say Billingsley level, but almost completely ignorant of ...
117
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29
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Where does a math person go to learn statistical mechanics?
The more math I read, the more I see concepts from statistical mechanics popping up -- all over the place in combinatorics and dynamical systems, but also in geometric situations. So naturally I've ...
91
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Old books still used
It's a commonplace to state that while other sciences (like biology) may always need the newest books, we mathematicians also use to use older books. While this is a qualitative remark, I would like ...
90
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Books on music theory intended for mathematicians
Some time ago I attended a colloquium given by Princeton music theorist Dmitri Tymoczko, where he gave a fascinating talk on the connection between music composition and certain geometric objects (as ...
86
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61
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Favorite popular math book [closed]
Christmas is almost here, so imagine you want to buy a good popular math book for your aunt (or whoever you want). Which book would you buy or recommend?
It would be nice if you could answer in the ...
86
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38
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Books about history of recent mathematics
I draw on this question to ask something that has always been a pet peeve of mine. It is very easy to find books about the history of mathematics, much less so if one wants books about the recent (say ...
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Books you would like to see translated into English
I have recently been told of a proposal to produce an English translation
of Landau's Handbuch der Lehre von der Verteilung der Primzahlen, and
this prompts me to ask a more general question:
...
75
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53
answers
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Free, high quality mathematical writing online? [closed]
I often use the internet to find resources for learning new mathematics and due to an explosion in online activity, there is always plenty to find. Many of these turn out to be somewhat unreadable ...
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Errata to "Principles of Algebraic Geometry" by Griffiths and Harris
Griffiths' and Harris' book Principles of Algebraic Geometry is a great book with, IMHO, many typos and mistakes. Why don't we collaborate to write a full list of all of its typos, mistakes etc? My ...
68
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30
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A book you would like to write
Writing a book from the beginning to the end is (so I heard) a very hard process. Planning a book is easier. This question is dual in a sense to the question "Books you would like to read (if somebody ...
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Suggestions for a good Measure Theory book
I have taken analysis and have looked at different measures, but I am currently looking at realizing a certain problem in a different light and feel that I need a better background in various measures ...
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25
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Linear Algebra Texts?
Can anyone suggest a relatively gentle linear algebra text that integrates vector spaces and matrix algebra right from the start? I've found in the past that students react in very negative ways to ...
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Are there any books that take a 'theorems as problems' approach?
Are there any books that present theorems as problems? To be more specific, a book on elementary group theory might have written: "Theorem: Each group has exactly one identity" and then show a proof ...
57
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What are examples of books which teach the practice of mathematics?
One may classify the types of mathematics books written for students into two groups: books which merely teach mathematics (i.e., they present theorems and proofs, ready-made, as it were) and those ...
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Homological Algebra texts
I would like to hear the communities' ideas on good Homological Algebra textbooks / references. The standard example is of course Weibel (which I'll leave for someone else to describe).
As usual, ...
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Computer science for mathematicians
This is a big-list community question, so I'm sorry in advance if it is deemed too soft but I haven't seen anything similar yet.
I've seen computer scientists post questions looking to learn things ...
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Erratum for Cassels-Froehlich
Edit 25 April 2010: I have a physical copy of the new printing of the book. I can only assume the LMS is now selling it (but have no details).
IMPORTANT EDIT: THE RESULTS ARE IN! Ok, the deadline has ...
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Undergraduate Level Math Books [closed]
What are some good undergraduate level books, particularly good introductions to (Real and Complex) Analysis, Linear Algebra, Algebra or Differential/Integral Equations (but books in any undergraduate ...
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Classification of (compact) Lie groups
I would like to study/understand the (complete) classification of compact lie groups. I know there are a lot of books on this subject, but I'd like to hear what's the best route I can follow (in your ...
45
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39
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What out-of-print books would you like to see re-printed?
It's excellent news that the LMS are to re-publish Cassels & Fröhlich. There are many other excellent mathematics books which are just about impossible (or at least very expensive) to get hold of,...
45
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17
answers
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Good algebraic number theory books
I have just finished a master's degree in mathematics and want to learn everything possible about algebraic number fields and especially applications to the generalized Pell equation (my thesis topic),...
42
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6
answers
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What are good articles/books on the psychology of mathematical research?
I am thinking about advanced texts similar to Polya's 'How to solve it?'. Quite a few good articles of such a kind are published under Philosophy of Mathematics, but that dwells on a very different ...
41
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4
answers
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Elementary number theory text from a categorical perspective
My question is somewhat similar to this previous question, but from a slightly different perspective. Is there any textbook on elementary number theory that develops the properties of $\mathbb{Z}$ as, ...
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41
votes
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Undergraduate roadmap to algebraic geometry?
Hello,
I'm sorry if this question isn't posted correctly. I hope that it is (since other questions regarding roadmaps have been allowed). Now to my question:
From what I've heard from professors and ...
38
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26
answers
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Text for an introductory Real Analysis course.
Any suggestions on a good text to use for teaching an introductory Real Analysis course? Specifically what have you found to be useful about the approach taken in specific texts?
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Insightful books about elementary mathematics
What are some books that discuss elementary mathematical topics ('school mathematics'), like arithmetic, basic non-abstract algebra, plane & solid geometry, trigonometry, etc, in an insightful way?...
38
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13
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Exposition of Grothendieck's mathematics
As Wikipedia says:
In Grothendieck's retrospective Récoltes et Semailles, he identified twelve of his contributions which he believed qualified as "great ideas". In chronological order, ...
37
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15
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Essential reads in the philosophy of mathematics and set theory
I am graduate student and have a decent understanding of logic and set theory.
Recently I have got interested in the philosophy of mathematics and set theory. I have read a number of papers by ...
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Fiction books about mathematicians? [closed]
What are some fiction books about mathematicians?
It seems to me rather difficult for writers to create good books on this subject.
Some years ago I thought there were no such books at all.
There ...
36
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2
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A book about mathematical drawing on the blackboard
Several years ago, when I was just starting undergrad, I ran across an instructional text on chalking beautiful mathematical diagrams while killing time in the college library. In my infinite wisdom, ...
34
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1
answer
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Matsumura: "Commutative Algebra" versus "Commutative Ring Theory"
There are two books by Matsumura on commutative algebra. The earlier one is called Commutative Algebra and is frequently cited in Hartshorne. The more recent version is called Commutative Ring ...
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Learning LaTeX properly [closed]
I have never learned how to use Latex properly. Whenever writing a paper, I use hacks to override behavior of the underlying template. What would be an intermediate to advanced book on learning how to ...
31
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1
answer
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Is an English translation of Grothendieck's EGA available?
I have always wondered whether there is an English translation of Grothendieck's EGA (Elements de Geometrie Algebrique) available. Does anyone know whether there is and if so where I can find it? If ...
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2
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Number theory textbook based on the absolute Galois group?
I've just finished reading Ash and Gross's Fearless Symmetry, a wonderful little pop mathematics book on, among other things, Galois representations. The book made clear a very interesting ...
30
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14
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Research-level mathematical bookstores
I'm interested in compiling a list of bookstores around the world that stock a good selection of high-level mathematical books. The aim is so that a mathematician travelling, or on holiday, can easily ...
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0
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Greatly expanded new edition of a Bourbaki chapter on algebra?
Recently I discovered by accident that Bourbaki issued in 2012 a radically expanded version of their 1958 Chapter 8 Modules et anneaux semi-simples (like other chapters, initially in French) within ...
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What to do with a collection of theoretical math books?
My father had a Ph.D. in mathematics. He was a consummate mathematician and enjoyed reading about all topics related to math. He passed away a couple of years ago. I have yet to find a suitable place ...
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Alternative undergraduate analysis texts
Other than the standard baby Rudin, Spivak, and Stein-Shakarchi, are there other alternative and comprehensive analysis texts at the undergraduate level? For example something that has general results ...
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Good combinatorics textbooks for teaching undergraduates?
Hello, can anyone recommend good combinatorics textbooks for undergraduates? I will be teaching a 10-week course on the subject at Stanford, and I assume that the students will be strong and motivated ...
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"Pick up a homological algebra book and prove all of the theorems yourself" (exercise from Lang's Algebra)
There's a famous story about an exercise from Lang's Algebra that says something along the lines of "pick up a homological algebra book and prove all of the theorems yourself". I cannot find it in ...
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Is “problem solving” a subject to be taught?
I am witnessing a new curriculum change in my country (Iran). It includes the change of all the mathematics textbooks at all grades. The peoples involved has sent me the textbook for seven graders (13 ...
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What is the point of reading classics over modern treatments?
There seems to be a good number of mathematicians who recommend reading "classic" works in a given field (where the term "classic" is in the sense defined below). Indeed, there are ...
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Papers better than books?
Not so long ago I took a class called "Discrete analysis". I remember that I couldn't find any "novice" level material on Mobius functions in combinatorics. So then I went to the roots and read Rota's ...