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Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

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Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#41
https://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Circles-Dmitry-Fomin/dp/...

It is a book produced by a remarkable cultural circumstance in the former Soviet Union which fostered the creation of groups of students, teachers, and mathematicians called "Mathematical Circles". The work is predicated on the idea that studying mathematics can generate the same enthusiasm as playing a team sport-without necessarily being competitive. This book is intended for both students and teachers who love mathematics and want to study its various branches beyond the limits of the school curriculum. It is also a book of mathematical recreations and, at the same time, a book containing vast theoretical and problem material in main areas of what authors consider to be "extracurricular mathematics".

Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#42
"Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture" by Apostolos Doxiadis.

Not a math book, but a really well written, full with math history novel about the value of mathematics in a human's life. It gives you the reason, why you should know (higher) maths, even if you will won't become a mathematician.

Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#46
Probably not anyone's first choice, completely unknown in the US and not truly a maths book, so much as a physics book.

Problems in general physics by IE Irodov [1] was one of those "bang your head on the wall, but when you get it it's ecstasy" kind of books for me.

I am not even sure if I would recommend it to every one. Maybe masochists. But, looking back on it, I have some really fond memories of locking myself in a room for 2 days to get a problem that I felt oh-so-close to solving. Eventually getting it is intensely rewarding.

It it right at the grade 10-12 level.

https://smile.amazon.com/Problems-General-Physics-I-Irodov/d...

Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#47
I'm neither bright nor a teenager but I have been enjoying working through Spivak's Calculus. I picked it up because it was recommended as a good intro to pure mathematical thinking for someone who knows calculus. I've found it challenging but it has delivered on that promise.

There are many good recommendations here but I do think it will be good for them to gain some exposure to pure mathematics. It's different than what's typically taught in high school so they can start to get an idea whether they actually want to be a mathematician or instead focus on applied math in an engineering discipline.

Also you're probably going to get a computing bias here. I found the threads on physicsforums.com helpful so you might ask there as well if you want a different bias. (https://www.physicsforums.com/forums/science-and-math-textbo...)

Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#48
post #37

During the first year of my undergrad someone introduced me to Gödel, Escher, Bach. I thought it was mind blowing at the time and still find it to be an incredible introduction to formal systems, thinking mathematically and understanding the concept of proofs. All these concepts are central to higher level mathematics, and are not covered in high school (at least not the Danish one). I'm was very thankful for that in…

I have to disagree with you here, and strongly. I don't think Gödel, Escher, Bach is a good book. Hofstaeder is clearly very smart, curious, and open-minded, and I love all those things, but the book itself is just so pretentious and sort of pointless. It's precisely the wrong kind of book you want to give a bright teenager, because it will only encourage them to get a head-start inserting their head up their own arsehole, metaphorically speaking.

Re: Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?

#50

I'm going to go a completely different direction from other recommendations and say Concrete Mathematics by Knuth and Patashnik. They will definitely be able to use skills from analysis and calculus here, but there are so many additional tools in this book that it's very much a worthwhile digression. The marginal notes are great, as well! I own this book, and it's a favorite of mine. https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-M…

When I saw the title, this was the first book that came to my mind. Very nicely written, possibly the best math book I've read (as a Computer Science MSc)
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