"What is Mathematics" by Courant and Robbins is quite good and respected, but it will challenge you: http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-... It may be more advanced then what you're looking for though.
Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
21–30 of 56 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#22Some years ago I took the same approach to start again from ground zero.
I found Polya to be good, but a Mathematician's Delight is better and more accessible: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0486462404?ie=UTF8&ta...
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#23What kind of math do you want to learn? There's a lot of great resources out there, but you need to be more specific. For example: I really enjoyed Gilbert Strang's course on Linear Algebra, available as a series of video lectures on MIT OCW ( http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Mathematics/18-06Spring-2005/Cours... ). If you are interested in Discrete mathematics, Knuth's "Concrete Mathematics" is a great book--but it might n…
Those Strang videos demonstrate that there are benefits to lecturing in front of an empty chalkboard (or several, in his case), chalk in hand, vs. displaying slides from a computer. Watching how he steps back and thinks out loud about what he just wrote and what to do next, double checking his work, making and correcting the occasional error, all greatly enhance the pedagogic impact.
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#24I know this doesn't answer your question since you asked about math in general, but in case anyone ever starts a "Best Physics books for complete noobie?" thread I'd like to go ahead and suggest Brian Greene's "Fabric of the Cosmos": http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Cosmos-Space-Texture-Reality/dp...
Maybe more on topic than you suggest, as some Physics books double as pretty good books about math.
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Reality-Complete-Guide-Universe/d...
OK, I haven't actually read it, but it looked like a really good book for learning a lot of interesting math when I thumbed through its contents at the library. :)
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#25I haven't picked it up yet, but I remember reading about "The Princeton Companion to Mathematics" on here a while ago. It looks like a pretty complete guide to all of modern mathematics and sounded like it was easy enough for a beginner to get through while still being able to teach math experts some new things. Thanks for reminding me about it - I think I'm going to order my self a copy!
My own math background is through Calculus II right now, so I'm a beginner, but I can't say the Companion (though it is excellent) is something I could 'get through' in the sense that people usually mean it. By necessity it is terse, despite its massive size. I personally find it useful as a survey on the field, but I wouldn't recommend it as a teaching guide in and of itself for people who happen to be as dumb as me.
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#26Concepts of Modern Mathematics
http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Modern-Mathematics-Ian-Stewar...
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#27There are a few math books in the "Head First" series (which I always love). Those might serve more as refreshers for most people, but for a true math noob (like me), they have really helped.
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#28I know this doesn't answer your question since you asked about math in general, but in case anyone ever starts a "Best Physics books for complete noobie?" thread I'd like to go ahead and suggest Brian Greene's "Fabric of the Cosmos": http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Cosmos-Space-Texture-Reality/dp...
Maybe more on topic than you suggest, as some Physics books double as pretty good books about math. http://www.amazon.com/Road-Reality-Complete-Guide-Universe/d... OK, I haven't actually read it, but it looked like a really good book for learning a lot of interesting math when I thumbed through its contents at the library. :)
This is not a good book for someone who doesn't know math. He's on to hyperbolic geometry by ch 2. (unsuccessfully) reading this book was one of the things that convinced me to back to school to study more math :-)
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#29I heartily endorse reading the classic works of geometry as a way to both the subject as well as a way of thinking about math, proof, and argumentation. Start with Euclid's _Elements_, and then move onto Archimedes' short books on levers and floating bodies, Apollonius's wonderful treatise on conic sections, and Ptolemy's _Almagest_. They are excellent for self-education, providing both geometrical knowledge in itsel…
I completely disagree. Do not rely on ancient texts to give you understanding of what mathematics is about. They're very difficult to read, they do not teach well, and you'll know next to nothing about even basic notions of mathematics, as understood now, after you're through with them.
Do read the classical texts for pleasure, to round out your education, or to understand the history of mathematics. But don't study math from them, that'd be a terrible mistake.
Re: Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?
#30Have you seen this thread? http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=665029
That thread recommends many very few good books, but probably mostly books too hard at first for the participant who has posted this new thread.
I'll recommend a couple of books from that thread:
http://www.springer.com/physics/book/978-0-306-45036-5
http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Short-Introduction-Timothy...
I agree with the recommendation of An Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning in this thread.
Another participant has already recommended my favorite for background reading, Concepts of Modern Mathematics by Ian Stewart.
http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Modern-Mathematics-Ian-Stewar...
Get that right away.
Sawyer's A Mathematician's Delight is surely also good (I've read other books by Sawyer).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0486462404/
Read those for background as you get my favorite overviews of mathematics: Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang and Numbers and Geometry by Joseph Stillwell.
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Mathematics-Serge-Lang/dp/038796...
(Basic Mathematics is mostly high school level math, with a minimum of fuss and bother, and good exercises.)
http://www.amazon.com/Numbers-Geometry-John-Stillwell/dp/038...
(Numbers and Geometry is mostly undergraduate level math, with very good explanations and excellent exercises.)