These vignettes serve as springboards to many telling perspectives: simple arithmetic puts life-long habits in a dubious new light; higher dimensional geometry helps us see that we're all rather peculiar; nonlinear dynamics explains the narcissism of small differences cascading into very different siblings; logarithms and exponentials yield insight on why we tend to become bored and jaded as we age; and there are tricks and jokes, probability and coincidences, and much more.For fans of Paulos or newcomers to his work, this witty commentary on his life--and yours--is fascinating reading.From the Trade Paperback edition.

    Focused on helping students understand and construct proofs and expanding their mathematical maturity, this best-selling text is an accessible introduction to discrete mathematics. Johnsonbaugh's algorithmic approach emphasizes problem-solving techniques. The Seventh Edition reflects user and reviewer feedback on both content and organization.

    Imagine that you face three doors, behind one of which is a prize. You choose one but do not open it. The host--call him Monty Hall--opens a different door, alwayschoosing one he knows to be empty. Left with two doors, will you do better by sticking with your first choice, or by switching to the other remaining door? In this light-hearted yet ultimately serious book, Jason Rosenhouse explores the history of this fascinating puzzle. Using a minimum ofmathematics (and none at all for much of the book), he shows how the problem has fascinated philosophers, psychologists, and many others, and examines the many variations that have appeared over the years. As Rosenhouse demonstrates, the Monty Hall Problem illuminates fundamental mathematical issuesand has abiding philosophical implications. Perhaps most important, he writes, the problem opens a window on our cognitive difficulties in reasoning about uncertainty.

    Describes how fractals were discovered, explains their unique properties, and discusses the mathematical foundation of fractals.

    Discovered by an 18th century mathematician and preacher, Bayes' rule is a cornerstone of modern probability theory. In this richly illustrated book, intuitive visual representations of real-world examples are used to show how Bayes' rule is actually a form of commonsense reasoning. The tutorial style of writing, combined with a comprehensive glossary, makes this an ideal primer for novices who wish to gain an intuitive understanding of Bayesian analysis. As an aid to understanding, online computer code (in MatLab, Python and R) reproduces key numerical results and diagrams.Stone's book is renowned for its visually engaging style of presentation, which stems from teaching Bayes' rule to psychology students for over 10 years as a university lecturer.

    It moves beyond a mere study of algorithms without sacrificing the rigor that faculty desire. As in every edition, Winston reinforces the book's successful features and coverage with the most recent developments in the field. The Student Suite CD-ROM, which now accompanies every new copy of the text, contains the latest versions of commercial software for optimization, simulation, and decision analysis.

    Contains complete worked solutions to all regular exercises and computer exercises in the text; additional test questions and their solutions; an online laboratory manual for the computer algebra system GAP, with exercises tied to the book and an instructor answer key; and links on the author's website to true/false questions, flash cards, essays, software downloads, and other abstract algebra-related materials.

    Students know that Schaum's delivers the goods—in faster learning curves,better test scores,and higher grades!If you don't have a lot of time but want to excel in class,this book helps you: Brush up before tests; Find answers fast; Study quickly and more effectively; Get the big picture without spending hours poring over dull texts Schaum's Outlines give you the information teachers expect you to know in a handy and succinct format—without overwhelming you with unnecessary details. You get a complete overview of the subject—and no distracting minutiae. Plus,you get plenty of practice exercises to test your skill. Compatible with any classroom text,Schaum's lets you study at your own pace and reminds you of all the important facts you need to remember—fast! And Schaum's is so complete it's the perfect tool for preparing for graduate or professional exams! Students of mathematical economics apply complex formulas—a challenging task that even the best students find daunting. But this Schaum's guide demystifies tough problems and gives you plenty of fully worked examples! Chapters include: Review. Economic Applications of Graphs and Equations. The Derivative and the Rules of Differentiation. Uses of the Derivative in Mathematics and Economics. Calculus of Multivariable Functions. Calculus of Multivariable Functions in Economics. Exponential and LogarithmicFunctions. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions in Economics. Differentiation of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions. The Fundamentals of Linear (or Matrix) Algebra. Matrix Inversion. Special Determinants and Matrices and Their Use in Economics. Linear Programming: A Graphic Approach. Linear Programming: The Simplex Algorithm. Linear Programming: The Dual. Integral Calculus: The Indefinite Integral. Integral Calculus: The Definite Integral. Differential Equations. Difference Equations. Second-Order Differential Equations and Difference Equations. The Calculus of Variations

    Capturing the tone of students exchanging ideas among themselves, this unique guide also explains how calculus is taught, how to get the best teachers, what to study, and what is likely to be on exams—all the tricks of the trade that will make learning the material of first-semester calculus a piece of cake. Funny, irreverent, and flexible, How to Ace Calculus shows why learning calculus can be not only a mind-expanding experience but also fantastic fun.

    The work is predicated on the idea that studying mathematics can generate the same enthusiasm as playing a team sport - without necessarily being competitive.

    

    With problems and solutions. Includes 99 illustrations.

    For some of us, the word conjures up memories of ten-pound textbooks and visions of tedious abstract equations. And yet, in reality, calculus is fun, accessible, and surrounds us everywhere we go. In Everyday Calculus, Oscar Fernandez shows us how to see the math in our coffee, on the highway, and even in the night sky.Fernandez uses our everyday experiences to skillfully reveal the hidden calculus behind a typical day's events. He guides us through how math naturally emerges from simple observations-how hot coffee cools down, for example-and in discussions of over fifty familiar events and activities. Fernandez demonstrates that calculus can be used to explore practically any aspect of our lives, including the most effective number of hours to sleep and the fastest route to get to work. He also shows that calculus can be both useful-determining which seat at the theater leads to the best viewing experience, for instance-and fascinating-exploring topics such as time travel and the age of the universe. Throughout, Fernandez presents straightforward concepts, and no prior mathematical knowledge is required. For advanced math fans, the mathematical derivations are included in the appendixes.Whether you're new to mathematics or already a curious math enthusiast, Everyday Calculus invites you to spend a day discovering the calculus all around you. The book will convince even die-hard skeptics to view this area of math in a whole new way.

    It relates to the truth of numbers and magnitudes equally to all sciences and arts. The book brings to light how great and true knowledge is born of intuition, quite different from modern Western method. The ancient Indian method and its secret techniques are examined and shown to be capable of solving various problems of mathematics.

    Each chapter includes many illustrative examples to assist the reader. The book emphasizes methods for finding solutions to differential equations. It provides many abundant exercises, applications, and solved examples with careful attention given to readability. Elementary Differential Equations includes a thorough treatment of power series techniques. In addition, the book presents a classical treatment of several physical problems to show how Fourier series become involved in the solution of those problems. The eighth edition of Elementary Differential Equations has been revised to include a new supplement in many chapters that provides suggestions and exercises for using a computer to assist in the understanding of the material in the chapter. It also now provides an introduction to the phase plane and to different types of phase portraits. A valuable reference book for readers interested in exploring the technological and other applications of differential equations.