No comments about The Math Problems Notebook.

1 comments about An Introduction to Numerical Methods and Analysis.

1. For those students who have made it through the building blocks of math; algebra, calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, this is a good place to jump off into early applied mathematics. Dr. Epperson has written a good text book that will push your understanding of mathematics to a new level.

   Hi Dr. Epp!!

No comments about The Qualitative Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations: An Introduction.

No comments about Modeling Methodology for Physiology and Medicine (Academic Press Biomedical Engineering Series) (Biomedical Engineering).

No comments about Elements of Real Analysis.

5 comments about Elementary Differential Equations.

1. I had used this book for a Introductory Differential Equations class I took my Junior year and because of this book I had the worst time understanding the material in this class. The explanations are convoluted and lengthy, yet somehow manage to skip important steps, leaving it up to the student to have to decipher the logic behind the example problems and core theorems/methods. You know a textbook is bad when understanding the concepts and examples takes just as long as doing the homework. Professors, I beg you not to make your students have to purchase and use this book in your Diff. Eq's classes. I guarantee you'll have a more motivated and successful class if you choose a more interesting, less lifeless book than this.



2. A great book for the engineering or physics student or professional, as it motivates you by "real" world examples. But if your prof is the super-rigourous-proof type despising applied math, then this book won't help you.



3. I do not see what all the negative reviews are about. Everything is very clearly explained, the examples are good and simple, and there is an answer to almost every problem in the back of the book. I am not quite sure what more you could ask for in a book about ODE's



4. There's nothing wrong with this book! It has all the solutions in the back which is awesome and the solutions manual covers every type of problem presented in the book, although it does bounce randomly about. This book isn't great though because it doesn't cover all topics fully, especially graphing some of the D.E.'s. The majority of the content is solid and easy to follow. Time is spent equally between logic and doing examples. You'll be able to learn from this book if you take the time to read it.
   
   People who give this book bad reviews can't 'read' math and that's why they don't like it. I HAVENT FOUND A SINGLE MISTAKE YET!!!



5. I bought the book new on here simply because no used ones were available. This book didn't get a lot of use by me because my diff-eq teacher didn't completely follow the book. However there were some very good examples in the book that definitely helped me out in understanding what was going on in the course. As I said in the title, differential equations is not an easy class, so you can't expect this book to make it cake, but it'll get you farther than just searching the internet IMO.

No comments about Numerical Analysis for Scientists and Engineers: Theory and C Programs.

4 comments about Calculus in Context.

1. I've actually used this as a textbook for a class taught by one of the book's writers, and although the instructor himself is brilliant--one of the best teachers I've ever had--the text is absolutely horrendous. The professors who put the text together are opposed to the idea that a book should be based entirely on formulas. Furthermore, they detest the fact that most books give a few example problems in the text upon which EVERY PROBLEM that a student encounters in the excercises will be based. Thus, the teachers decided to write a book wherein hardly any procedural (as opposed to conceptual) examples are given, and which is composed mostly of text. In this way, the teachers hoped to create a MENTAL CONCEPT of the mathematical ideas that are presented. As an added bonus to this tactic, the book is able to introduce a variety of subjects that are normally addressed in a traditional calculus course, since the text focuses primarily on concept rather than implementation. I wholeheartedly agree with the intentions of this book; the execution of these intentions, however, is tremendously disappointing.

   In trying to create a mental concept of the mathematics WITHOUT basing that concept on formulas that a student can blindly apply, the writers have intentionally neglected to give the formulas for many important calculus operations. They describe the CONCEPTS behind the equations and the operations only, hoping that the students will be able to figure out what the formulas are themselves; only at later points in the text do they give the actual formulas (sometimes the way they present the formulas are so confusing that you'd wish they hadn't given them; a supreme example of this is their discussion of the formula for integration by parts). Paradoxically, therefore, by trying to form a concept of calculus that does not rely on formulas, the writers have neglected to COMPLETE the concept that they attempt to present, for without discussion of the formulas, the concepts are incomplete, in my opinion.

   While I do not necessarily disagree with the idea of having the students figure out the formulas for themselves (after all, it makes them think very seriously about the subject matter) the student is simply not given enough information in the book to be able to do so. Half of the students dropped the class I'm taking now, and of those I talked to, most dropped the class because they were not able to solve the problems with the information they were given in the text (of course, they perceived their incapability as arising from their own failures, which is probably not the case).

   Moreover, while I also support the idea of having a book that does not rely on examples as the primary teaching tool, the fact that procedural examples are almost completely omitted is detrimental to the book's efficacy. Examples are helpful in that they show the student how to think mathematically in order to solve certain problems. Thus, without examples, the student often does not know how to approach a problem encountered in the excercises, making it very difficult to tackle them.

   Finally, the problems themselves: the amazing majority of the problems have more than one step; there will be a 1.a, 1.b, 1.c, etc. However, each of these sub-problems will consist of at least four computational steps of considerable complexity, so the problems are INCREDIBLY complex, long and tedious (at least I, and the other people I work with, think so). These multi-stepped problems are also very difficult because they require the student to incorporate methods that were not adequately explained, so it takes even longer to solve them. Then, as if this weren't enough, the problems are VERY poorly worded. It is very difficult to figure out what the problem is asking the student to do; sometimes my professor, who had a hand in writing the book, will not know what a problem is asking for (hopefully he did not write the ones he does not himself understand). All in all, therefore, the problems are also seriously defective.

   Were these professors to seriously revise this book, it is likely that it could become one of the best textbooks on calculus available. In its present form, though--despite the fact that the intentions of the book are good--the book is completely inadequate for its task.




2. As a college student, I used this text for Calculus I and found it amazing! After being turned off from math by years of dry, repetitive exercises and abstract concepts which I failed to see as useful, here is a math book that has intriguing, fun problems, helpful visualizations, and encourages THINKING.

   This textbook introduces calculus as a language and tool for exploration and understanding in the life and social sciences. Through CONTEXT (e.g. problems involving epidemiology, population dynamics, physics etc.)one gets an in-depth knowledge of mathematical concepts and procedures. Emphasis is given to differential equations, approximation and successive approximations, geometric visualization and mathematical models, and technology (coaching students through programing and utilizing calculators and computers). For those who miss having the formulas spoon-fed to them ahead of time, there are lengthy appendices which include: graphing calculator programs for 5 different calculators, formulas from geometry, algebra, and trig, differential equations, derivatives of functions and inverses, integrals, Taylor polynomials, Taylor's Theorem, antiderivatives, and answers to selected problems.

   _Calculus in Context_ challenges readers to figure out problems for themselves; use our OWN brains to come up not only with solutions, but to figure out the MEANS by which to get these solutions. *** NOT spoon-fed and NOT dry or boring!!! ***




3. This text is astounding. As someone who frequently needs to brush up on my math, I find this to be the most well organized, well written, and well-thought out text that I've encountered. Of particular interest is the acknowledgment of computer-based numerical methods, which helps alleviate that 'black-box' feeling that one often gets when your favorite analytic program spits an answer out.

   I normally wouldn't bother to write a review, but I felt compelled to write one after reading through the critical review below. This reviewer was clearly frustrated by the text, but the reasons for his frustration are actually the texts strengths. Namely, this is not a 'recipe book'. To do the problems, one must learn the underlying theory and concepts, (which are laid out very well in the text). Ultimately, this is a much more powerful teaching method, to which nearly ANY educational professional will attest.

   This is text to keep on your shelf!




4. If you can deduce, by my "star" rating of this text, that I disagree with the Amherst, MA reader, then you have enough scruples to learn quite a lot from this text, and have fun doing it!

No comments about Chaos in Discrete Dynamical Systems: A Visual Introduction in 2 Dimensions.

1 comments about Calculus: A Modern Approach, Premiere Edition.

1. Altough this is the first time I have a calculus course, I have seen a pretty fair amount of textbooks in my life. This edition of the book, is very innovative; it uses a clear layout of concepts, rules and laws, that are easy to access when reviewing the text. The exersises are a bit simple, but in the long run useful. An interesting aspect of this book is that it's very "up-to-date" with a lot of things, and it makes use of technology for the advantage of the student.