What is mathematics?
by Richard Courant, Herbert Robbins · first published 1941
88% recommend10% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Broad survey of mathematics built from first principles, with chapters that start light and grow more rigorous. Suits curious laypeople and self-learners who want to practice real mathematical thinking and abstraction.
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…novices about the basics of healthy and tasty cooking. As a college student it is quite instructive in learning the ropes of becoming a functioning chef-for-one while juggling school and startups. 3) What Is Mathematics? - Richard Courant - A great introductory book for the laymen and mathematician alike, much like any good book written by an accomplished mind in a technical field it is both enlightening about the nuances…
on “Ask HN: Best books you've read in 2014” ↗I've Silvanus sitting in my shelf, but am yet to look into it yet. A couple of recommendations (not specific to just Calculus): - What is Mathematics? (Courant http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-...) - Calculus (Apostle http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-One-Variable-Introduction...). - Mathematics from the Birth of Numbers…
on “In Math You Have to Remember, In Other Subjects You Can Think About It” ↗Richard Courant said it nicely in "What is mathematics?", my all time favourite book: There seems to be a great danger in the prevailing overemphasis on the deductive-postulational character of mathematics. True, the element of constructive invention, of…
on “Intuition and Logic in Mathematics (1905)” ↗'What Is Mathematics?' Second Edition by Courant, Robbins & Stewart[0] is a great introduction to Mathematics in general (And covers most of the main fields), but also (iirc) is good at describing the notation used. As well…
on “Free Springer math books” ↗I suggest "What Is Mathematics?" by Richard Courant and Herbert Robbins. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_Mathematics%3F
on “Ask HN: Recommend a maths book for a teenager?” ↗The book What is Mathematics by Courant et. al. is a terrific, read, and highly recommended from generations of mathematicians. It's one of the few math books good enough to compel you to read through the whole thing. http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-...…
on “Learning Math” ↗"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.
on “Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie?” ↗…too much information would make them more confused. So, only two recommendations for you, one book, one website: 1) If I'm only allowed to recommend one math book to beginners, It'll definitely be: What is Mathematics - by Richard Courant and Herbert Robbins Take a look at the review by Albert Einstein. Yes, Albert Einstein! http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-... 2)BetterExplained This…
on “Ask HN: How Do I Get Math?” ↗…http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Short-Introduction-Timothy... The Language of Mathematics: Making the Invisible Visible (Keith Devlin): http://www.amazon.com/Language-Mathematics-Making-Invisible-... What is Mathematics?: An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods (Richard Courant): http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-... They give brief but interesting glimpses into several areas of higher…
on “Does one have to be a genius to do maths?” ↗It's your study that gives you new skills, not the books, having said this, the following guided the most valuable learning experiences in my life: "What is Mathematics?" by Richard Courant taught me to think at a higher level of abstraction. I read it after I realized the parts of SICP (which recommendation here I obviously second) I liked most were the math-related…
on “What one book could give me a new, useful superpower?” ↗…the rank of anyone he's writing about, of course), as well as a sci-fi author apparently :) edit: could also try "Mathematics and the Imagination" as an alternate introduction. After that would be "What is Mathematics?," by Richard Courant and Herbert Robbins. This one's a bit tougher, and I have to admit I had the experience of being perplexed at the selection of topics, and that it didn't tell me immediately what…
on “A Mathematician’s Lament (2002) [pdf]” ↗Great list. I would also add: What is Mathematics? http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Elementary-Approach-Ideas-...
on “Great books about mathematics” ↗The only book on mathematics actually reassembling SICP I found is "What is mathematics?" by Richard Courant. I have read it after reading SICP, largely because I very much liked some of the more mathematical fragments in SICP, and surprisingly it felt like an actual follow up - it spends…
on “Ask HN: Math books like SICP?” ↗…Gelfand) - The Method of Coordinates (Israel Gelfand) - How to Prove It: A Structured Approach (Daniel Velleman) - Kiselev's Geometry - Planimetry and Stereometry - Trigonometry (Israel Gelfand) - What Is Mathematics? An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods (Richard Courant) - A Course of Pure Mathematics (G.H. Hardy) - Linear Algebra (Kenneth Hoffman and Ray Kunze) - Elementary Differential Equations (William…
on “Mathematician's anger over his unread 500-page proof” ↗Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning (Dover Books on Mathematics) Also, you might want to get Richard Courant's "What is mathematics?" and a book (I'm reading multiple as I'm in your same spot, didn't have much mathematics during high-school because I thought I didn't possess the acumen, then I realized I really liked the subject)…
on “Ask HN: How can I learn math?” ↗