Author: Keith Pledger et al
By Heinemann

Author: Ian Stewart
By OUP Oxford

Why to buy Math hysteria, 2004-07-03
Math Hysteria is a book eith lots of subjects in. It is not a book which should be read like it explains the whole topic because it is like an introduction to lots of topics. It is very useful because it has a further reading page which tells you what to read if you have enjoyed one of the chapters, and want to find out more.

Author: Keith Pledger et al
By Heinemann Educational Publishers

Author: Oxford Oxford
By OUP Oxford

Author: Deborah Rumsey
By John Wiley & Sons

Actually this is a serious math book., 2007-04-05
Don't be fooled by the Dummies moniker. This book is an excellent introduction to Probability full of common sense intuitive explanation. Perfect for a first course on the subject. You'll need to have exercises to practise on though.

Author: John Derbyshire
By Atlantic Books

A Rollercoaster ride through the history of algebra... Hold on tight!, 2006-07-05
I've long been interested in the history of science and mathematics and have to say that this book is an absolute treat to read.

I read John Derbyshire's other historical mathematics book - "Prime Obsession" - about a year ago and was mightly impressed. His ability to weave historical facts with some of the more complicated mathematics is something that a lesser author would stumble with. Not Derbyshire. "Unknown Quantity" takes "Prime Obsession" further - as it were - leaving behind one specific area of mathematical intregue (the Reimann Hypothesis) and covering this time the entire field of the history and development of algebra. Its a interesting feat to attempt given the huge subject base and the literally hundreds (if not few thousands) of years of history that have to be covered, but he does it well. Along the way we encounter ALL of the big names in maths: Galois, Lagrange, Euler (to name but a few) and some others that you may not have heard of, all of them though have their own backstories that make the characters come alive on the page (it is amazing how often some form of tragedy befalls a member of the mathematical elite of the 18th and 19th centuries).

But it's not all history. Derbyshire deftly takes us through some simple examples - how to solve the general cubic equation (and extend this to the general quartic) in a detailed yet unpatronising way - and goes further into some of the more abstract areas of modern mathematics (fields, algebras and manifolds).

This is a fabulous book that takes us from ancient civilisations in the middle-east through europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and out to the present day, and leaves you with a sense of awe at what was achieved and what could yet be discovered in this most intreguing of mathematical fields.

Author: A. J. Sadler, D. W. S. Thorning
By OUP Oxford

pure delight for pure mathematicians, 2008-08-01
I have recently used this book largely as a revision tool having completed A level Maths some two years before and must praise the succinct nature of the text. An early introductory chapter dealing with pre-A level material is essentially a condensed run through of the GCSE concepts most students will be comforatble with. The usual algebra, trig, series, geometry topics are presented establishing a firm basis for furhter study. The Calculus material is first class, encompassing 4 sections devoted to traditonal calculus moving on to intergration by parts and methods for the solution of differential equations. Finishing with a topic on Numerical methods, a must for those on further maths courses.

It is essntially a whole pure maths course in one volume, however due to the terseness of the material, using it as a tutorial will bring about frustration and some confusion. As a tool for revision and consolodation, it's first class and long may it reign as the king of my bookshelf.

Author: David Wade
By Wooden Books

By Cambridge University Press

The nature of time and space, explained, 2008-10-25
The nature of space and time is not a problem that puzzles
physicists, mathematicians and philosophers only. For historians,
time and space are two of the three most important categories we need
to consider in our analyses. This volume helps put the debate on time
and space into a wider context, making a cross disciplinary
discussion about the elements that are at the very heart of modern
science available to non experts whilst, at the same time, offering
cutting-edge research on the enigma of time and space. This book was
an eye-opener for me as I had no idea that so much on this topic was
still such a mystery even to physicists. There are chapters on dark
matter and energy, on quantum symmetry, on Penrose's pre- Big Bang
theory, on particle physics, and on philosophical and theological
implications of space and time. It is a book of different levels and
in my case the technical aspects were always going to be challenging,
but its nice to know that the arguments are there for readers who
want to work through them. The chapters covering philosophy and
theology would be a good place to start. This volume is a must-read
for those wishing to understand when did "time" begin, and where is
that thing which some call "space"? And it also looks really good on
my coffee table right next to The Brief History of Time and my
battered copy of The End of History.

Author: Professor H R Neave
By Routledge

A good standard set of stats tables for undergraduate use, 2001-06-19
A pretty good book - covering almost all the stats tables you'll need to do a degree in maths/stats/engineering etc. Also includes a description of how the tables were calculated, and some of the key formulae. Perhaps the best bit is the preface - which can provide a good distraction in a tricky exam!