Recent years have seen a number of introductory texts which focus on
the applications of modern stochastic calculus to the theory of
finance, and on the pricing models for derivative securities in
particular. Some of these books develop the mathematics very quickly,
making substantial demands on the readerÕs background in advanced
probability theory.
Concrete Mathematics
This book introduces the mathematics that supports advanced computer
programming and the analysis of algorithms. The primary aim of its
well-known authors is to provide a solid and relevant base of
mathematical skills - the skills needed to solve complex problems, to
evaluate horrendous sums, and to discover subtle patterns in data. It
is an indispensable text and reference not only for computer scientists
- the authors themselves rely heavily on it! - but for serious users of
mathematics in virtually every discipline.
Mathematical concepts are explained in this illustrated set, along with a fascinating historical overview of the field. It explores the uses and effects of math in daily life, and provides information on different career choices in this field. Each volume includes sidebars, bibliographies, timelines, charts, a glossary, a guide to resources on the Web, and individual and cumulative indexes.
Because this encyclopedia takes a refreshing, cross-disciplinary approach, it is hard to compare it to existing standard mathematics encyclopedias such as The Prentice-Hall Encyclopedia of Mathematics (Prentice-Hall, 1982) or The VNR Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics (2d ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989), where most pages are full of "pure" mathematical explanation and symbols. Here, articles are arranged alphabetically, and headings, subheadings, and nicely spaced text make the reader more comfortable than seeing a mass of symbols and very little text. Terms are defined in the margins, and in many cases, the bibliography at the end of an article contains Internet resources as well as books.
The Art of the Infinite: The Pleasures of Mathematics
Robert Kaplan, writing together with his
wife Ellen Kaplan, once again takes us on a witty, literate, and
accessible tour of the world of mathematics. Where The Nothing That Is
looked at math through the lens of zero, The Art of the Infinite
takes infinity, in its countless guises, as a touchstone for
understanding mathematical thinking. Tracing a path from Pythagoras,
whose great Theorem led inexorably to a discovery that his followers
tried in vain to keep secret (the existence of irrational numbers);
through Descartes and Leibniz; to the brilliant, haunted Georg Cantor,
who proved that infinity can come in different sizes, the Kaplans show
how the attempt to grasp the ungraspable embodies the essence of
mathematics ...
A Passion for Mathematics: Numbers, Puzzles, Madness, Religion, and the Quest for Reality A singular collection of fascinating information for those who share a love of all things mathematical A Passion for Mathematics is a delightful, dizzying, and entertaining trip that includes an eclectic mix of history, biography, definitions, number theory, and mind-bending problems. Readers will encounter mad mathematicians, religious mathematicians, strange number sequences, obstinate numbers, curious constants, zany math problems, classic recreational puzzles, magic squares, fractal geese, monkeys typing Hamlet, infinity, and much, much more! 411 pages.
