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Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

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Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#51

Post by romwell »

g9yuayon wrote: post #45
ltbarcly3 wrote: post #44

These sorts of books can be interesting as a sort of 'history of science', but I find they are very misleading, and can't help but end up as exaggerated dramatizations of a handful of the personalities involved with virtually no scientific or mathematical content. I understand that this is probably the best the authors can do, since actual content would require years of academic preparation and near full time study o…

Did you read the book What Is Mathematics? It is certainly not "an exaggerated biography for some of the scientists". And the mentioned books, at least some of them, serve different purposes: they aim to inspire, to motivate, and to offer historical context and intuition. The last is especially important, as they show people how abstract concepts emerged from historically concrete endeavors. When it comes to learning…

> I needed historical context and motivations to plow through those topics and to enjoy math.

Everyone really does! It's a travesty that most books just throw dry definition - theorem - proof at you, when in real world, the concepts were developed in the opposite order, and for a good reason.

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#52

Post by g9yuayon »

ltbarcly3 wrote: post #47
g9yuayon wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you read the book What Is Mathematics? It is certainly not "an exaggerated biography for some of the scientists". And the mentioned books, at least some of them, serve different purposes: they aim to inspire, to motivate, and to offer historical context and intuition. The last is especially important, as they show people how abstract concepts emerged from historically concrete endeavors. When it comes to learning…

I did a rough calculation, and far less than 1% of high school graduates in the US will be introduced to quotient groups at any point. While you might be in the middle majority of the people you interact with every day, you are quite elite compared to the general population, and in no way in any 'middle majority', and if anything you are doing what I was suggesting is necessary to appreciate these topics. If you enjo…

Middle majority among those who pursue STEM in college. Not everyone is or should be in STEM, after all.

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#53

Post by billfruit »

earthicus wrote: post #40
mymythisisthis wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any good recommendations on books that are more than pop-fluff but lighter than an academic text?

Warning: These books are kind of all over the place as far as technical prerequisites go, but they all satisify being heavier than pop-sci and lighter than a textbook. :) ------- Aleksandrov et al - Mathematics: Its content, Methods, ad Meaning. Overview of undergrad curriculum by a number of prominent russian mathematicians. Levi - The mathematical Mechanic. Uses various physical intuitions and scenarios to solve ma…

Regarding Principia, noted astronomer Subramanian Chandrashekhar, had written "Principia for the Common Reader", which has commentary in modern language, while yet using only the same geometric method that Newton used. While I have read only a small portion of it, it was very fascinating.

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#54

Post by amai »

I can recommend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Created_the_Integers

"God Created the Integers: The Mathematical Breakthroughs That Changed History is an anthology, edited by Stephen Hawking, of "excerpts from thirty-one of the most important works in the history of mathematics.""

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#55

Post by masonic »

billfruit wrote: post #3

Many of the list are pop-maths rather than fundamental texts. I do see many in software field recommend Chrystal:Algebra an Elementary Textbook. I also find Don Knuth, 'Concrete Mathematics' a interesting book for software people.

The author may have just chosen what's in stock at Amazon, given that all the links are Amazon affiliate links (tag=alikayaspor0b-20).

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#56

Post by yters »

p1esk wrote: post #39
yters wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There have of course been some blots on the record, but I don't see how it can be denied that net-net, white Europeans have made a better job of running fair and stable societies than has any other group. If colonialism, WW2 and USSR are 'blots' he might have to reexamine his definition of 'blot'. White supremacists hold themselves up as people willing to speak difficult truths. But their logic tends to be pretty q…

Which group did better than white Europeans?

The groups that didn't start global wars or genocidal regimes that wiped out hundreds of millions of people?

Another odd thing is that these white supremacists act like Judeo-Christian culture (which is what they are really praising) sprang fully formed from the Caucasian race. However, the white Europeans were just warring tribes until they were colonized by the Romans. And, Judeo-Christian culture was founded by Jews (Jesus was a Jew), whom the white supremacists tend to dislike. It'd be interesting if they could name some significant aspect of Judeo-Christian culture that came entirely from white Europeans. White supremacists come off as bumbling ethnocentric historical revisionists.

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#57

Post by OpenBSD-supreme »

mbrudd wrote: post #18

Before buying a copy of Prime Obsession , please learn more about the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Derbyshire I bought and read his book some time ago, and now I regret supporting him with my purchase.

His support for European pride makes me want to buy his book more. Pretty much every racial group has history of conquest and enslavement, but for some reason whites have to be the ones to bend the knee everytime it's brought up. It's OK to be white, and proud of it; sorry but not sorry! Whites/Europeans (ethnic, not "civil") could end up in bondage to another group and their oppression would still be crowed about! I firmly believe we must support our own in our homelands and conquered lands before we become minorities in both. On a world wide scale, white ethnic Euros are a minority of the major racial groups, and we're not-breeding and inviting our futures away to "immigrants! "

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#58

Post by OpenBSD-supreme »

yters wrote: post #56
p1esk wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which group did better than white Europeans?

The groups that didn't start global wars or genocidal regimes that wiped out hundreds of millions of people? Another odd thing is that these white supremacists act like Judeo-Christian culture (which is what they are really praising) sprang fully formed from the Caucasian race. However, the white Europeans were just warring tribes until they were colonized by the Romans. And, Judeo-Christian culture was founded by Je…

>white supremist this >white supremist that Why is no other racial pro-group labelled "supremist" while white/ethnic Euro interest groups are?

Also, Christianity has been an anchor around Europe's neck for millennia; it's about time a scientific secular system of thought puts it to bed permanently. One can be pro Euro and also be secular, we each evolved as separate groups with local adaptations. One isn't necessarily "supreme" anymore than a poodle is supreme over a chihuahua. It is also not illogical to have a preference for one's own over outsider groups, otherwise why is anti-racism drilled so hard in school and childrens' pop media?

(I can't think of a future more deprived of diversity than the "inevitable" mocha-colored masses of a millennia from now, all sharing the same global culture.)

Re: Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners

#59

Post by mymythisisthis »

ltbarcly3 wrote: post #44

These sorts of books can be interesting as a sort of 'history of science', but I find they are very misleading, and can't help but end up as exaggerated dramatizations of a handful of the personalities involved with virtually no scientific or mathematical content. I understand that this is probably the best the authors can do, since actual content would require years of academic preparation and near full time study o…

I've wonder if we've reached the limits of human knowledge. One has to become extremely specialized, very early on, to get to know anything of significance. Knowing more than one field is almost unheard of, more people probably win the lottery, twice, than can master two fields.
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