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Calculus, Vol. 2: Multi-Variable Calculus and Linear Algebra with Applications to Differential Equations and Probability
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All the comments and stories posted to Hacker News that reference this book.What would be a good book series (preferably a classic one that's stood the test of time) on math (Algebra, various Calculus topics, Statistics, etc)?I'd like to edit this some more during the edit window for this comment. To start, the books by Israel M. Gelfand, originally written for correspondence study.
http://gcpm.rutgers.edu/books.html
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Israel%20M.%20G...
An acclaimed calculus book is Calculus by Michael Spivak.
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-4th-Michael-Spivak/dp/0914098...
Also very good is the two-volume set by Tom Apostol.
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-One-Variable-Introduction...
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-Multi-Variable-Applicatio...
Those are all lovely, interesting books. A good bridge to mathematics beyond those is Vector Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Forms: A Unified Approach by Hubbard and Hubbard.
http://matrixeditions.com/UnifiedApproach4th.html
A very good book series on more advanced mathematics is the Princeton University Press series by Elias Stein.
http://www.amazon.com/Fourier-Analysis-Introduction-Princeto...
Is this the kind of thing you are looking for? Maybe I can think of some more titles, and especially series, while I am still able to edit this comment.
The publishers will tell you that it is because it is a lot of work to produce new editions every couple of years to keep the textbook up to date.I'm pretty sure they are lying, at least as far as that explaining the high prices. Here is why I believe this:
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-One-Variable-Introduction...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471000078
These are Apostol's excellent two volume undergraduate calculus textbook. Volume I is $231.25, and volume II is $189.49.
They were around $22 each when I bought my copies in 1977. I'm sure that NONE of the subsequent price increase is due to revisions and updates, because there have been no revisions or updates. Volume I is still the second edition (from 1967) and volume II is also still the second edition (from 1969). (There has been no need to revise or update them).
Based on inflation, these books should be about $80-90 per volume now (if we assume that $22 in 1977 was a reasonable price).
⬐ WalterBrightYeah, I bought my copies of I and II used in 1977 for about $10 each. I was shocked at how high the Amazon prices for them have gone.⬐ nova> Based on inflation, these books should be about $80-90 per volume now (if we assume that $22 in 1977 was a reasonable price).And based on the fact that books and other "intellectual" goods may be expensive to create, but only as a one-time investment, and all the years that have passed they should be dirt cheap by now.
In fact, they should be in the public domain, if we had something resembling a fair copyright law.
⬐ textminerMaddening how so many classic textbooks have new versions every few years that add a few nominal features ("Calculus in the Real World!" "Online Tutorials That're Worse Than What Someone Else Made on YouTube!") with the real goal of shuffling around the exercises so a student can't do his or her homework without having the correct edition. Completely squashes resale markets.⬐ FuzzyDunlopApparently nothing is sacred when it comes to trying to make a quick buck.
I think it would be enlightening if you could provide the textbooks you buy.Interpreting that as a request to name the textbooks I find useful, I'll do that here.
Elementary mathematics:
Primary Mathematics
http://www.singaporemath.com/Primary_Math_s/21.htm
and
Miquon Math
http://www.keypress.com/x6252.xml
Secondary mathematics:
The Gelfand Correspondence Program series
http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-I-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773
http://www.amazon.com/Functions-Graphs-Dover-Books-Mathemati...
http://www.amazon.com/Method-Coordinates-I-M-Gelfand/dp/0817...
http://www.amazon.com/Trigonometry-I-M-Gelfand/dp/0817639144...
http://www.amazon.com/Sequences-Combinations-Limits-Library-...
and
Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang
http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Mathematics-Serge-Lang/dp/038796...
and
The Art of Problem Solving expanded series
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_Texts_FAQ.ph...
When a student has those materials well in hand, it is time to work on AMC and Olympiad style problem solving,
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_CP_AMC.php
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_CP_Olympiad....
and also the best calculus textbooks, such as those by Spivak or Apostol.
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Michael-Spivak/dp/0914098918/
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-One-Variable-Introduction...
http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Vol-Multi-Variable-Algebra-Ap...
Elementary reading:
By far the best initial reading text is
Let's Read: A Linguistic Approach
http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Linguistic-Approach-Leonard-Bloom...
but there are many other good reading series, including
Primary Phonics
http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?seriesonl...
and
Teach Your Child to Read in Ten Minutes a Day
(I devote more time than that to reading instruction, typically, because I use multiple materials)
http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Minutes/dp/14120...
and quite a few others. There is more junk than good stuff among elementary reading materials, alas.