[Book Cover]

Excursions in Modern Mathematics, 3/e

Peter Tannenbaum, California State University, Fresno
Robert Arnold, California State University, Fresno

Published August, 1997 by Prentice Hall Engineering/Science/Mathematics

Copyright 1998, 588 pp.
Cloth
ISBN 0-13-598335-5


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Summary

Appropriate for all undergraduate courses in Liberal Arts Mathematics, and General Education. A background in Intermediate Algebra is strongly recommended, but not required.
This collection of “excursions” into modern mathematics consists of four independent parts, each consisting of four chapters—1) Social Choice, 2) Management Science, 3) Growth and Symmetry, and 4) Statistics. It is written in an informal, very readable style, with pedagogical features that make material both interesting and clear. Coverage centers around an assortment of real-world examples and applications, demonstrating a more attractive, useful, and modern coverage of liberal arts mathematics.

Features


NEW—A great new look!

  • In this edition, great care has been taken to address the visual impact of the book.
  • The design, layout, and art has been reworked to lend to the new look.
NEW—Chapter opening problems.
  • Each chapter opener sets the stage for what follows throughout the chapter. Most chapters have been reorganized to follow the story line set in the chapter opener.
NEW—Contained in each chapter are Internet “excursions” — additional problem material linked to the website.
NEW—This edition contains approximately 10 % more exercises. All exercises are classified in various degrees of difficulty.
In keeping with previous editions, this third edition incorporates extensive real-world examples.
Topics are carefully chosen to meet the following criteria:
  • Accessibility—does not require a heavy mathematical infrastructure to make material interesting and challenging.
  • Applicability—connects the mathematics presented and the real-life problems that motivate it.
  • Currency—much of the material dates within the last 50 years, and some—fractals for instance—within the last 15.
  • Aesthetics—develops an appreciation for mathematics by combining its elegance with its simplicity.
Exercises divided into three levels of difficulty: gif/subullet.gif = Walking: straight forward applications of the concepts discussed in the chapter. gif/subullet.gif = Jogging: exercises that require extra effort and/or insight on the part of the student. gif/subullet.gif = Running: exercises that really challenge the students' ability and understanding.
Includes appendices at the end of several chapters' to present additional information on a topic.
Accompanies each chapter with an extensive bibliography for further study.


Table of Contents
(Note: Each chapter concludes with a Conclusion, Exercises, References and Further Readings.) I. THE MATHEMATICS OF SOCIAL CHOICE.
    1. The Mathematics of Voting: The Paradoxes of Democracy.
    2. Weighted Voting Systems: The Power Game.
    3. Fair Division: The Slice is Right.
    4. The Mathematics of Apportionment: Making the Rounds.

II. MANAGEMENT SCIENCE.
    5. Euler Circuits: The Circuit Comes to Town.
    6. The Traveling-Salesman Problem: Hamilton Joins the Circuit.
    7. The Mathematics of Networks: Connections!
    8. The Mathematics of Scheduling: Directed Graphs and Critical Paths.
III. GROWTH AND SYMMETRY.
    9. Spiral Growth in Nature: Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Ratio.
    10. The Mathematics of Population Growth: There is Strength in Numbers.
    11. Symmetry: Mirror, Mirror, off the Wall . . .
    12. Fractal Geometry: Fractally Speaking.
IV. STATISTICS.
    13. Collecting Statistical Data: Censuses, Surveys, and Studies.
    14. Descriptive Statistics: Graphing and Summarizing Data.
    15. Chances, Probability, and Odds: Measuring Uncertainty.
    16. Normal Distributions: Everything is Back to Normal (Almost).
    Answers to Selected Problems.
    Index.
    Photo Credits.

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