Book Description
A perennial bestseller by eminent mathematician G. Polya, How to Solve It will show anyone in any field how to think straight.
In lucid and appealing prose, Polya reveals how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be "reasoned" out--from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have relished Polya's deft--indeed, brilliant--instructions on stripping away irrelevancies and going straight to the heart of the problem.
In this best-selling classic, George Pólya revealed how the mathematical method of demonstrating a proof or finding an unknown can be of help in attacking any problem that can be "reasoned" out--from building a bridge to winning a game of anagrams. Generations of readers have relished Pólya's deft instructions on stripping away irrelevancies and going straight to the heart of a problem. How to Solve It popularized heuristics, the art and science of discovery and invention. It has been in print continuously since 1945 and has been translated into twenty-three different languages.
Pólya was one of the most influential mathematicians of the twentieth century. He made important contributions to a great variety of mathematical research: from complex analysis to mathematical physics, number theory, probability, geometry, astronomy, and combinatorics. He was also an extraordinary teacher--he taught until he was ninety--and maintained a strong interest in pedagogical matters throughout his long career. In addition to How to Solve It, he published a two-volume work on the topic of problem solving, Mathematics of Plausible Reasoning, also with Princeton.
Pólya is one of the most frequently quoted mathematicians, and the following statements from How to Solve It make clear why: "My method to overcome a difficulty is to go around it." "Geometry is the science of correct reasoning on incorrect figures." "In order to solve this differential equation you look at it till a solution occurs to you."
Customer Reviews:
how to become a genius.......2007-09-14
If you want instructions on how to become a genius, read and practice this book. If you don't want to become a genius, but want to become a killer engineer, accountant, physicist, doctor, scientist, teacher or any other professional using math, read and practice this book.
Modern Math texts cite this book constantly. They elevate the 5 step process to the word of the (something). Unfortunately, the rest of the text is about performing step 3, solving the algebraic equation. Step 2, writing the equation is the harder part for most students. Practice step 2 every day, and you will become master of time and space. We got computers to do step 3, that's not the hard part.
I tell students this book is about how to solve word problems. It is not about math, but how to use it.
I found a copy of it in a stack of books in a sandwich shop on Main street. It belongs in every stack of books everywhere. It will improve the world.
Excellent book.......2007-08-12
I was turned onto this book by my boss. And it was a very good recommendation. I have had my group read it and even those in the group who were sceptics have been converted once I reminded them of the methods they used to sucessfully complete their projects.
If you want to figure out how to fix a satellite dish, program a piece of software or some other thorny problem, read this book. It will help.
Not universally applicable, unfortunately.......2007-07-21
Was hoping I could generalize the problem-solving tips here to my work as a programmer, but alas, other than a couple of great quotes ("simplex sigillum veri", for one), it's too much of a stretch. This book is really geared towards people teaching mathematics.
Great book for engineering.......2007-01-21
I know the original version seemed like it would be great for someone that study math or physics and was heavily involved with proofs. However after reading the whole book and with some time I was able to really apply it to how I solve engineering problems. I will be honest it took some trial and error but within a year I was able to completely changed the way I solved problems (i.e. it needed an overhaul). The area I use it the most is thermal fluid systems and have had many complements on the way I articulated or solved problems, and I'm not a genius. The book is helpful and for the price you could take away a couple of items with out a hit in the pocket and just be that much better at figuring out problems.
Hints for getting the most out of the first reading.......2006-12-17
This is a wonderful book. On a first reading it may seem a little confusing because the heuristics are organized alphabetically, rather than pedantically. This is not hard to overcome because Polya helpfully boldfaces related heuristics and by following the suggested threads you can get a fairly smooth read on the first reading. The way I dealt with it was I put sticky notes on the topics as I read them, so I could skim the ones I had already looked when threads hit a topic repeatedly.
I read this book many years ago, but it is still by my work station. I consult it when I get stuck on a problem, the heuristics do work.
For a first reading, the flipping around is annoying, but for reference purposes, the alphabetical order of the heuristics is quite convenience. I suspect that the first reading will not be your last, so the author's tradeoff was the right one.
Book Description
Everyone knows the small-world phenomenon: soon after meeting a stranger, we are surprised to discover that we have a mutual friend, or we are connected through a short chain of acquaintances. In his book, Duncan Watts uses this intriguing phenomenon--colloquially called "six degrees of separation"--as a prelude to a more general exploration: under what conditions can a small world arise in any kind of network?
The networks of this story are everywhere: the brain is a network of neurons; organisations are people networks; the global economy is a network of national economies, which are networks of markets, which are in turn networks of interacting producers and consumers. Food webs, ecosystems, and the Internet can all be represented as networks, as can strategies for solving a problem, topics in a conversation, and even words in a language. Many of these networks, the author claims, will turn out to be small worlds.
How do such networks matter? Simply put, local actions can have global consequences, and the relationship between local and global dynamics depends critically on the network's structure. Watts illustrates the subtleties of this relationship using a variety of simple models---the spread of infectious disease through a structured population; the evolution of cooperation in game theory; the computational capacity of cellular automata; and the sychronisation of coupled phase-oscillators.
Watts's novel approach is relevant to many problems that deal with network connectivity and complex systems' behaviour in general: How do diseases (or rumours) spread through social networks? How does cooperation evolve in large groups? How do cascading failures propagate through large power grids, or financial systems? What is the most efficient architecture for an organisation, or for a communications network? This fascinating exploration will be fruitful in a remarkable variety of fields, including physics and mathematics, as well as sociology, economics, and biology.
Customer Reviews:
All the details you need to know to understand Watts' and Strogatz' famous article.......2007-03-12
The book basically gives all the details needed to understand Watts and Strogatz famous Nature article 'Collective Dynamics of Complex Networks' in 1998. I think that it is basically Watts PhD-thesis and as such it is of course nicely written, but nothing for the laymen who is rather referred to Watts other, more story-telling book 'Six Degrees', Barabasi's book 'Linked', or to another book that I would recommend most, namely the one by Mark Buchanan titled 'Small Worlds'. Mark is a skillful scientific writer and his book has a broader scope that makes it more interesting than each of the two monographs that are a bit more focused on the scientists own contribution.
Not enough contents to be a good book.......2005-07-08
Networks are since a couple of years object of intense research in several different disciplines. One reason therefore is certainly the outstanding article by Watts and Strogatz, Collective dynamics of small world networks, Nature, 393:440--442, 1998. Unfortunatelly, this book can not continue the high level of this article. Actually, it does not really provide much more information than the article itself. I would suggest to read the article cited above and either decide for another book or to look directly in the literature and read the origninal articles.
To summarize, this book is not terribly weak, but one can clearly sees that it swims on the current 'complex networks' wave without providing enough justification for its existence. Of course, if you do not have access to the original literature and just what to have a general overview of complex networks and what be done with them, you may consider buying this book.
Good, but some typos.......2005-06-02
Mathematical level: Moderate; there's no calculus, and little high level math, but the book is quite mathematical in tone, and some of the arguments may be difficult to follow without a good "math sense". There are MANY equations and graphs.
Good points: Watts covers an area that will interest those who deal with mathematical models of social networks e.g. models of disease-spread, especially HIV. It might, however, cover other things that can spread through networks as well. He presents analysis of graphs (or networks) that are neither random nor highly structured; and begins to examine ways that the degree of structure v. randomness can be measured.
Bad points: There are more than the usual number of typos. The models presented are a "first step", only.
Inspiring.......2001-07-24
The author believes that human thought might be a small world, in the sense that one could reach any idea if he/she finds the right associations and "short-cut"s. The small-world theory is indeed one of those short cuts itself. It links many different domains and uncovers some interesting common behavior.
The theory is developed in a scientific manner with extensive numerical support. Rich literature reviews and many open questions make this book a good research reference. Complex observations are generally followed by qualitative explanations. However, some of the simpler derivations are not fully clear. I believe that adding a few lines here and there can turn this book into a textbook.
The book spans many different areas of science and a deep understanding of the related results may require some background. However, each chapter ends with a brief summary, allowing the reader to move forward if he/she finds the chapter difficult. In summary, as the author puts it, the book is simply the "end of the beginning" in an exciting new field.
Great scientific synthesis.......2000-07-12
The book takes a systematic look at the 'small world' graphs. These natural graphs have been discovered by graph theoretist as erly as 60's, but were not properly understood. The graphs are remarkable in their ability to cluster and scale lengths. There are fundumental connections between these graphs and complex systems, discrete dynamical systems, computation and information processing. Duncan has done a tremendous job in building experimetal and theoretical models trying to understand how these graphs come about and sustain themselves. Read this book.
Average customer rating:
- Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables
- Handbook of formulas and Tables
- great reference
- one of the best
- Very useful in a pinch
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Schaum's Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables
Murray R Spiegel
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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Schaum's Outline of Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists
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Schaum's Outline of Advanced Calculus, Second Edition
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Schaum's Outline of Calculus (Fourth Edition)
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Schaum's Outline of Linear Algebra
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Schaum's Outline of Vector Analysis
ASIN: 0070382034 |
Book Description
Students and research workers in mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences will find this compilation of more than 2000 mathematical formulas and tables invaluable. They will see quickly why half a million copies were sold of the first edition! All the information included is practical -- rarely used results are excluded. Topics range from elementary to advanced-from algebra, trigonometry and calculus to vector analysis, Bessel functions, Legendre polynomials and elliptic integrals. Great care has been taken to present all results concisely and clearly. Excellent to keep as a handy reference!
Customer Reviews:
Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables.......2007-09-25
A very useful book that gathers all the mathmatical formals 'as the title states. As an Engineering Student it is very helpful to have everything in one text instead of getting your old books and digging through them to find them.
Handbook of formulas and Tables.......2007-01-04
It is a good quick reference to getting formulas for math problems.
great reference.......2007-01-04
tables are concise with out missing any important integrals. the table is my constant companion for undergrad physics and mathematics.
one of the best.......2006-11-10
one of the best books i've ever got....
it has every thing i need
Very useful in a pinch.......2006-11-10
As a tabular summary of many useful mathematical relations, the book is very job-specific; however, it contains most of the functions and functional relations that a scientist or engineer might need. The layout is clean and very well organized. It's a useful reference, but does not actually derive anything, so if one is looking for derivations, then try looking at applied mathematics textbooks.
Book Description
This book contains an introduction to hyperbolic partial differential equations and a powerful class of numerical methods for approximating their solution, (including both linear problems and nonlinear conservation laws). These equations describe a wide range of wave propagation and transport phenomena arising in nearly every scientific and engineering discipline. Several applications are described in a self-contained manner, along with much of the mathematical theory of hyperbolic problems. High-resolution versions of Godunov's method are developed, in which Riemann problems are solved to determine the local wave structure and limiters are applied to eliminate numerical oscillations. The methods were orginally designed to capture shock waves accurately, but are also useful tools for studying linear wave-progagation problems, particulary in heterogenous material. The methods studied are in the CLAWPACK software package. Source code for all the examples presented can be found on the web, along with animations of many of the simulations. This provides an excellent learning environment for understanding wave propagation phenomena and finite volume methods.
Download Description
This book contains an introduction to hyperbolic partial differential equations and a powerful class of numerical methods for approximating their solution, (including both linear problems and nonlinear conservation laws). These equations describe a wide range of wave propagation and transport phenomena arising in nearly every scientific and engineering discipline. Several applications are described in a self-contained manner, along with much of the mathematical theory of hyperbolic problems. High-resolution versions of Godunov's method are developed, in which Riemann problems are solved to determine the local wave structure and limiters are applied to eliminate numerical oscillations. The methods were orginally designed to capture shock waves accurately, but are also useful tools for studying linear wave-progagation problems, particulary in heterogenous material. The methods studied are in the CLAWPACK software package. Source code for all the examples presented can be found on the web, along with animations of many of the simulations. This provides an excellent learning environment for understanding wave propagation phenomena and finite volume methods.
Customer Reviews:
an excellent book on hyperbolic equations.......2005-10-18
The author gave almost all the basic knowledge related to hyperbolic equation, at least from the engineering point of view. I read it myself without any help. It's not hard to understand. Moreover, it gives all you need at beginning references.
Good book to start with. Highly recommended........2003-10-24
This book starts from simple things and moves to pretty complicated staff graciously. It is useful even as an introduction to the hyperbolic equations. Finally, this is the only book I use at most every day. This is the book I would strongly recommend to all students who study this field and to researchers. It has a very good and comprehensive reference.
The author develop even the software (unfortunately, this is FORTRAN, not C). The source is available and well discussed in the book (there is a whole chapter). I did not use it but found this is a very good practice. It should be useful for student also.
Many things are really nice. For example, the book gives a very good view of the nature of oscillations in high order schemes, not only formulas. And so on...
However, there are few things I was not satisfied.
1. There are no comprehensive discussion about non-uniform and non-rectangular grids. It is not good, for example, for people who works in spherical coordinates (for example in some brunches of geophysics).
2. There is no information about FCT methods that are still very popular because they give a very straightforward way to use 4th and higher order methods. However, there is a reference to the Oran and Boris book, for instance.
3. It is sometimes really pure mathematical description especially for non-linear equations. It was really inconvenient for me. Fortunately, good reference helped.
There are more things were bothered. However, this is personal. The author works with the advection equation a lot, but does not like to discuss more the conservation form of continuity equation which I would prefer. In spite of author's efforts, I think still that the wave propagation method is not so convenient as flux method even for non-conservative equations. But it depends.
Finally, this book is definitely fine and, I think, it is the best among all books in this field (maybe except the Hirsch book which is "Numerical computation of internal and external flows" 1988). I would highly recommend it to buy.
nice introduction.......2003-07-11
This book provides a nice introduction to the mathematics behind finite-volume methods. After reading through the first half of the book on scalar conservation laws and systems, papers in JCP no longer seem as intimidating. The book is laid out very well, and the notation is consistent throughout. It is the best of the bunch when compared to Toro's Riemann problem book and Laney's Computational Gasdynamics text.
Average customer rating:
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Advanced Mathematical Thinking (Mathematics Education Library)
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 0792328124 |
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This book is the first major study of advanced mathematical thinking as performed by mathematicians and taught to students in senior high school and university. Its three main parts focus on the nature of advanced mathematical thinking, the theory of its cognitive development, and reviews of cognitive research. Topics covered include the psychology of advanced mathematical thinking, the processes involved, mathematical creativity, proof, the role of definitions, symbols, and reflective abstraction. The reviews of recent research concentrate on cognitive development and conceptual difficulties with the notions of functions, limits, infinity, analysis, proof, and the use of the computer. They provide a wide overview and an introduction to current thinking which is highly appropriate for the college professor in mathematics or the general mathematics educator.
Book Description
The new edition of this highly acclaimed textbook contains several major additions, including more than four hundred new exercises (with hints and answers). To match the mathematical preparation of current senior college and university entrants, the authors have included a preliminary chapter covering areas such as polynomial equations, trigonometric identities, coordinate geometry, partial fractions, binomial expansions, induction, and the proof of necessary and sufficient conditions. Elsewhere, matrix decompositions, nearly-singular matrices and non-square sets of linear equations are treated in detail. The presentation of probability has been reorganized and greatly extended, and includes all physically important distributions. New topics covered in a separate statistics chapter include estimator efficiency, distributions of samples, t- and F- tests for comparing means and variances, applications of the chi-squared distribution, and maximum likelihood and least-squares fitting. In other chapters the following topics have been added: linear recurrence relations, curvature, envelopes, curve-sketching, and more refined numerical methods.
Customer Reviews:
comprehensive AND comprehensible.......2007-10-15
I've been teaching an upper-level course in math methods of physics on and off for thirty-five years or so. This is as good a text as I've found. In fact, I've been using this book since it began life as a much smaller volume by Riley alone. It has always provided a down-to-earth exposition of applicable mathematics. Now it provides more than ever, include two nice chapters on group theory, with more problems than the previous editions.
Despite its broad coverage, it is not an encyclopedia. Individual sections are thorough, well illustrated by examples, and comprehensible. Yes, I might have organized some of the material somewhat differently. But that is largely a matter of taste.
The reviewer who alleges that one must have mastered a lot of math to benefit from this book clearly has not read the first chapter. The book by Boas with which he compares it is a) less comprehensive, b) at a lower level overall, c) and a lot more expensive.
At $63, this volume is a real bargain.
Just one comment, this is a great book........2007-05-30
This is one of the best mathematical methods book, very readable.
It has very clear explainations, in each topic it's developing from basic intuitions until it reaches the genralized equations, several detailed examples help a reader checks his understanding and follows the authors.
The contents are very well-organized and self-contained, one can looks directly at the topic he wants to know. It's lucid and normally answer and teach a reader what he wants to do. All definitions make sense and a reader can accepts easily it's a smart thing to do math that way.
It also serves as a one-stop, if you feel confused when you're reading because your background knowledge is not strong enough, just search for the previous related topics, all brilliant explainations are waiting for you to grasp them, make you ready for what you need.
Any undergrads and beginning grad students in Physics will find this book is great. This is an excellent example how to write an approachable math methods book. Eventhough it has a thick over than 1,300 pages, but it never turns a reader away becuase of its thickness at all. Once one starts reading it, he'll enjoy and come back looking for another explaination.
One more great point is, this book contains a lot of real physical examples besides the math formulations, make a reader understands the topic deeply and sees a practical use.
Besides the book, I totally don't agree with a previous comment from a chemical physicist who gave this book just one star.
There are much better options........2007-04-24
This book is only good for someone who is very experienced in these areas of mathematics it discusses. It is not whatsoever for a student who wants to learn these things for the first time. It should be avoided at all costs to someone who does not already know how to do these mathematical operations. If you want to learn techniques of math for science, read Mary Boas's book (excellent) or Glen Fletcher.
If you are looking for an in depth analysis of these subjects after a course in mathematical methods and comfort in mathematics of physics undergraduate, then this book is comprehensive and good reference book. I still, however, find the book very lacking and regret buying it overall.
Average customer rating:
- Helpful
- A solid introduction
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Schaum's Outline of Mathematical Methods for Business and Economics
Edward T. Dowling
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Schaum's Outline of Mathematics of Finance
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Schaum's Outline of Business Statistics Fourth Edition
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Schaum's Outline of Statistics and Econometrics
ASIN: 0070176973 |
Book Description
This Schaum's Study Guide is the perfect tool for getting a handle on mathematical methods used in business and economics. Fully stocked with solved problemsÑ1066 of themÑit shows you how to solve problems that may not have been fully explained in class. Plus you get hundreds of additional problems to use for practice, with answers at the back of the book. Ideal for independent study, brushup before an exam, or preparation for professional qualifying tests, this Schaums Guide is clear, complete, and well-organized. It's the perfect supplement for your course in mathematical methods for business and economics and a path to mathematical adeptness for the math-challenged.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful.......2007-01-04
I found this book helpful in the course that I took in Mathematical Economics. It was a useful accompaniment to the text used in the course, Fundamentals of Mathematical Economics by Alpha Chiang.
A solid introduction.......2000-05-12
...to the topic, although a bit more depth would be the only thing lacking it. I recommend it to anyone who is studying business and is struggling with the math side of it, although as you progress in your studies, you will notice that the book doesnt go into enough depth, especially in the area of differential geometry.
Book Description
A statistical procedure is not like a sausage: you want to know its contents; you want to know the types of questions it can be used to answer and the types of data for which it is appropriate. The goal of the SPSS 14.0 Advanced Statistical Procedures Companion is to provide you with background information and examples for statistical procedures in the SPSS Advanced and Regression Models modules. It aims to make it less likely that you will succumb to the siren song of melodic statistical procedure names and unleashes a disastrous assault on a mutely suffering data file.
Customer Reviews:
Illuminating.......2006-03-25
As a physician struggling to make his way through (semi-)advanced statistics for medical research, I found this book illuminating.
In particular, I was interested in using linear mixed models for my data. I've spent weeks looking for information, both on the Internet and in books. From my point of view, nothing seemed to strike the perfect balance of simplicity and completeness of information, let alone explain the intricated outputs from SPSS.
I then found this book, and now I can say I feel quite confident in using this procedure for my research. I'm giving it only 4 stars just because of my limited knowledge of the matter, and my limited reading (just what I needed...)
Average customer rating:
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Nonlinear Interactions: Analytical, Computational, and Experimental Methods
Ali H. Nayfeh
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
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Nonlinear Oscillations (Wiley Classics Library)
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Applied Nonlinear Dynamics: Analytical, Computational, and Experimental Methods (Wiley Series in Nonlinear Science)
ASIN: 0471175919 |
Book Description
Nonlinear Interactions provides a coherent and unified treatment of analytical, computational, and experimental methods and concepts of modal interactions. This book is an obvious extension of Ali Nayfeh's well-known book Applied Nonlinear Dynamics (with Bala Balachandran). These methods are used to explore and unfold in a unified manner the fascinating complexities in nonlinear dynamical systems. The systems discussed are drawn from fluid mechanics and structural dynamics.
Nonlinear interactions between high-frequency and low-frequency modes are of great practical importance. Through the mechanisms discussed in this book, energy from high-frequency sources can be transferred to the low-frequency modes of supporting structures and foundations, and the result can be harmful large-amplitude oscillations that decrease their fatigue lives. On the other hand, these mechanisms can be exploited to transfer the energy from a system to a sacrificial subsystem and hence decrease considerably the vibrations of the main system and increase its fatigue life.
Book Description
This book fills a need for a thorough introduction to graph theory that features both the understanding and writing of proofs about graphs. Verification that algorithms work is emphasized more than their complexity. An effective use of examples, and huge number of interesting exercises, demonstrate the topics of trees and distance, matchings and factors, connectivity and paths, graph coloring, edges and cycles, and planar graphs. For those who need to learn to make coherent arguments in the fields of mathematics and computer science.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad.......2007-05-18
We used this for a Computer Science class on Graph Theory, and I remember more than one student complaining about the book. Generally speaking, what people found most disconcerting about the text was its level of abstraction, and "lack of motivation" for the theorems provided. In my experience, these complaints are frequently leveled by non-mathematicians at books that are clearly NOT non-mathematical; West's book falls into this category. This is, first and foremost, a book for mathematicians.
As pointed out by other reviewers, the book isn't perfect. There are a lot of errors, although you can obviously deal with these if you read the errata. West also has the habit of sometimes presenting a theorem completely out of the blue, which can cause some confusion. That said, the book does a very good job overall. Graph theory is an exceptionally beautiful subject, but it's easy to obscure that in a theorem/proof/theorem didactic haze. West has an agenda, and therefore the book has a discernible structure, which brings out the beauty of the area. The chapters on coloring and planar graphs are particularly strong, although the most interesting chapter for me was the one on additional topics; the sections on matroids, Ramsey theory, random graphs and spectral graph theory, while far from comprehensive, provide good introductions. Another strong aspect of the book are the exercises; these range from very easy to very difficult, the latter being from major papers in graph theory. The hints section at the end of the book is quite helpful here.
Overall, a very good book. I didn't know anything about graph theory before I started reading it, but I had a professor to help me through the rough spots, so perhaps it's not exactly ideal for self-study. If you've been exposed to the basics before though, it's definitely worth taking a look at.
Good middling book.......2005-10-11
The treatment is logically rigorous and impeccably arranged, yet, ironically, this book suffers from its best feature: it is comprehensive. As a book becomes more encyclopedic, it becomes less useful for pedagogy. Introduction to Graph Theory is somewhere in the middle. It is an adequate reference work and an adequate textbook. Steering a middle course, the book is bound to dissatisfy people with specific needs, but readers needing both a reference and a text will find the book satisfying.
If you buy it for pedagogical purposes, be prepared to consult other works for a more intuitive approach. Introduction to Graph Theory presents few models, relying instead on logically rigorous development. Personally, I'm for both, but that takes up space, meaning less material can be covered.
I'm glad I bought the book, and I will keep it for a future reference.
Graph lovers' book.......2005-05-26
West is enthusiastic about graph theory. I do not recommend this book for independent study, nor would I recommend it for a first-time student of graph theory. It is called "Introduction to Graph Theory", not because it is an appropriate introductory text for new students, but because it covers a broad area of the subject. I recommend it for a student who has read at least one lower-level introductory text and would like to round out their knowledge of graph theory in a more in-depth way.
I have two problems with this book. They both stem from the fact that it reads more like a collection of journal articles than like a cohesive text book. One is that his notation is very specific--he does not always use the most common form of notation, and this means that dipping into the book is difficult. The second problem for me is that West defines many things that I do not feel need defining. Rather than using a short description of a certain type of graph whenever he refers to it, he will give it a label. Again, this makes dipping into his text rather difficult, especially since many of the things he defines are not generally given a definition. Both of these would be perfectly reasonable for a journal article, but seem rather out of place in a large textbook--his definitions particularly clutter up his work. Perhaps West is more used to writing papers than textbooks.
Having said that, West is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. His exercises are wonderful, marked with a (-) for easy, a (+) for difficult, a (!) for particularly instructive, and a (*) for problems based on optional material. Several of the (!) problems I have worked required me to actually look up the paper that they are based on for the final solution--which is possible due to his excellent citations. His index of works cited is an education in itself, and any student wishing to pursue a specific area in greater depth will find his book an wonderful gateway.
My perspective: I am an undergraduate student doing summer research in graph theory, working under a professor.
Just a pile of theorems without much insight.......2004-12-04
This book is an average book on graph theory. Although the author is an authority in the field, he seems to just have collected a bunch of theorems and put them together "a la" copy-and-paste, without filling up the gaps with useful insights. Intuition is always the key on a book that claims to be introductory, and this book lacks a lot of that. Probably useful as a reference book, but again not as "Introduction to Graph Theory" (and to be used as a "handbook of graph theory" it would need much more material.
Pretty good.......2004-03-03
Level of the book: 3rd-4th year undergrad or 1st-2nd year grad (pretty big range).
Don't let other reviews fool you. This book does an excellent job covering the material at hand, especially given the task West set out to achieve. The book basically stands alone thanks to thorough appendices and a fair amount of examples, plus lots of problems (mostly proofs). Because this material is proof-based, I cannot suggest that this book could stand alone, but that someone else should review problems and such.
When I first was reading this book, I ignored the appendices, and that was my downfall. Once I started using all the tools in this book, things started coming together. Because of the intricate design, I would recommend this book only to people who are serious about a thorough introduction to graph theory. That is, actually proving many of the theorems that play a central role in this introduction. For a simple introduction to concepts, I would recommend Trudeau's book, "Introduction to Graph Theory," which is a good read and introduces a few of the ideas and definitions of graph theory, but does not focus on proofs.
My only major quarrel with this book is that it is completely void of color! This would be EXTREMELY useful in this book because many of the diagrams are complicated and different color labels would make things much clearer (instead of bolding lines and such). The increased price of the book would certainly be worth the clarity from color. There are also some typos throughout the book, but none too major (that have been noticed).
Overall, I would highly recommend this book over any other, but consider waiting until an edition with color comes out.
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