Publisher Description

This introductory treatment of theory, proof techniques, and related concepts is designed for undergraduate courses. Topics include propositional logic, quantifiers, sets, functions, relations, mathematical induction, and combinatorics. The emphasis throughout is on proof and learning how to write mathematical proofs, and the book includes many proof exercises. No knowledge of calculus is assumed, making it a useful text for students at many levels. AUTHORS: Novelist and mathematician Amy Babich resides in Austin, Texas. Laura Person is a Professor of Mathematics at SUNY Potsdam, a liberal arts university in northern New York.

Table of Contents

Foreword A--This Book and How to Use It. Foreword B--Words and Numbers: Mathematics, Writing, and the Two Cultures Foreword C--Mathematical Proof as a Form of Writing Foreword D--Amazing Secrets of Professional Mathematicians Revealed! 1. Basic Logic 2. Proving Theorems About Sets 3. Cartesian Products and Relations 4. Functions 5. Induction, Power Sets, and Cardinality 6. Introduction to Combinatorics 7. Derangements and Other Entertainments Afterword A--A Few Words on the History of Set Theory Afterword B--A Little Bit About Limits Afterword C--Why No Answers in the Back of this Book Afterword D--What Next? Concise Synopses of Selected College Mathematics Courses Dr. Spencer's Mantra for the Relief of Anxiety that Accompanies Attempts to Create and Write Proofs Bibliography Index List of Symbols

Long Description

"This introductory treatment of theory, proof techniques, and related concepts is designed for undergraduate courses. Topics include propositional logic, quantifiers, sets, functions, relations, mathematical induction, and combinatorics. The emphasis throughout is on proof and learning how to write mathematical proofs, and the book includes many proof exercises. No knowledge of calculus is assumed, making it a useful text for students at many levels. 2005 edition."

Details