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Matters mathematical. 2nd ed. (English) Zbl 0386.00001

New York, N.Y.: Chelsea Publishing Company. viii, 246 p. $ 10.95 (1978).
“Our aim is to cover a selection of topics that give something of the flavour of modern mathematics. We try to carry each topic for enough to prove some-thing substantial Whenever possible we mention the most recent advances in the area under discussion.”
The book is based on a course of lectures for students interested in mathematics who are specializing in other subjects. Only elementary geometry and algebra are used, consequently some of the more advanced results have to be quoted without proof. The topics treated are Sets and Functions, Number Theory, Permutations, Group Theory, Finite Geometry, Game Theory and Infinite Sets.
The authors have certainly achieved their object of producing some interesting results under each of these headings and of giving the reader some idea of how they were reached and how the particular field is developing. The style is clear and should be easily understood by a non-specialist. The authors manage to convey the basic idea that all mathematics consists of combining a succession of simple steps to attain non-trivial results. The first chapter is a pleasant contrast to some books on set theory which seem to labour the obvious until the reader is weary. The remaining chapters all contain material of interest even to a specialist. Each chapter contains some easy examples and some short biographies of famous mathematicians.
I found the book very pleasant reading indeed.

MSC:

00A05 Mathematics in general