Bøger i Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics serien

This introduction to first-order logic clearly works out the role of first-order logic in the foundations of mathematics, particularly the two basic questions of the range of the axiomatic method and of theorem-proving by machines.

It is Pure Mathematics, and it is sure to appeal to the budding pure mathematician. In this new introduction to undergraduate real analysis the author takes a different approach from past studies of the subject, by stressing the importance of pictures in mathematics and hard problems.

Offering a unified exposition of calculus and classical real analysis, this textbook presents a meticulous introduction to single¿variable calculus. Throughout, the exposition makes a distinction between the intrinsic geometric definition of a notion and its analytic characterization, establishing firm foundations for topics often encountered earlier without proof. Each chapter contains numerous examples and a large selection of exercises, as well as a ¿Notes and Comments¿ section, which highlights distinctive features of the exposition and provides additional references to relevant literature.This second edition contains substantial revisions and additions, including several simplified proofs, new sections, and new and revised figures and exercises. A new chapter discusses sequences and series of real¿valued functions of a real variable, and their continuous counterpart: improper integrals depending on a parameter. Two new appendices cover a construction of the real numbers using Cauchy sequences, and a self¿contained proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra.In addition to the usual prerequisites for a first course in single¿variable calculus, the reader should possess some mathematical maturity and an ability to understand and appreciate proofs. This textbook can be used for a rigorous undergraduate course in calculus, or as a supplement to a later course in real analysis. The authors¿ A Course in Multivariable Calculus is an ideal companion volume, offering a natural extension of the approach developed here to the multivariable setting.From reviews:[The first edition is] a rigorous, well-presented and original introduction to the core of undergraduate mathematics ¿ first-year calculus. It develops this subject carefully from a foundation of high-school algebra, with interesting improvements and insights rarely found in other books. [¿] This book is a tour de force, and a necessary addition to the library of anyone involved in teaching calculus, or studying it seriously. N.J. Wildberger, Aust. Math. Soc. Gaz.

Many people think there is only one ¿right¿ way to teach geometry. For two millennia, the ¿right¿ way was Euclid¿s way, and it is still good in many respects. But in the 1950s the cry ¿Down with triangles!¿ was heard in France and new geometry books appeared, packed with linear algebra but with no diagrams. Was this the new ¿right¿ way, or was the ¿right¿ way something else again, perhaps transformation groups? In this book, I wish to show that geometry can be developed in four fundamentally different ways, and that all should be used if the subject is to be shown in all its splendor. Euclid-style construction and axiomatics seem the best way to start, but linear algebra smooths the later stages by replacing some tortuous arguments by simple calculations. And how can one avoid projective geometry? It not only explains why objects look the way they do; it also explains why geometry is entangled with algebra. Finally, one needs to know that there is not one geometry, but many, and transformation groups are the best way to distinguish between them. Two chapters are devoted to each approach: The ?rst is concrete and introductory, whereas the second is more abstract. Thus, the ?rst chapter on Euclid is about straightedge and compass constructions; the second is about axioms and theorems. The ?rst chapter on linear algebra is about coordinates; the second is about vector spaces and the inner product.

The famous problems of squaring the circle, doubling the cube and trisecting an angle captured the imagination of both professional and amateur mathematicians for over two thousand years. Despite the enormous effort and ingenious attempts by these men and women, the problems would not yield to purely geometrical methods. It was only the development. of abstract algebra in the nineteenth century which enabled mathematicians to arrive at the surprising conclusion that these constructions are not possible. In this book we develop enough abstract algebra to prove that these constructions are impossible. Our approach introduces all the relevant concepts about fields in a way which is more concrete than usual and which avoids the use of quotient structures (and even of the Euclidean algorithm for finding the greatest common divisor of two polynomials). Having the geometrical questions as a specific goal provides motivation for the introduction of the algebraic concepts and we have found that students respond very favourably. We have used this text to teach second-year students at La Trobe University over a period of many years, each time refining the material in the light of student performance.