Higher Mathematics

A Gateway to Higher Mathematics integrates the process of teaching students how to do proofs into the framework of displaying the development of the real number system. The text eases the students into learning how to construct proofs, while preparing students how to cope with the type of proofs encountered in the higher-level courses of abstract algebra, analysis, and number theory. After using this text, the students will not only know how to read and construct proofs, they will understand much about the basic building blocks of mathematics. The text is designed so that the professor can choose the topics to be emphasized, while leaving the remainder as a reference for the students.

Containing a large and varied set of problems, this rich resource will allow students to stretch their mathematical abilities beyond the school syllabus, and bridge the gap to university-level mathematics. Many proofs are provided to better equip students for the transition to university. The author covers substantial extension material using the language of sixth form mathematics, thus enabling students to understand the more complex material. Exercises are carefully chosen to introduce students to some central ideas, without building up large amounts of abstract technology. There are over 1500 carefully graded exercises, with hints included in the text, and solutions available online. Historical and contextual asides highlight each area of mathematics and show how it has developed over time.

Designed for students preparing to engage in their first struggles to understand and write proofs and to read mathematics independently, this is well suited as a supplementary text in courses on introductory real analysis, advanced calculus, abstract algebra, or topology. The book teaches in detail how to construct examples and non-examples to help understand a new theorem or definition; it shows how to discover the outline of a proof in the form of the theorem and how logical structures determine the forms that proofs may take. Throughout, the text asks the reader to pause and work on an example or a problem before continuing, and encourages the student to engage the topic at hand and to learn from failed attempts at solving problems. The book may also be used as the main text for a "transitions" course bridging the gap between calculus and higher mathematics. The whole concludes with a set of "Laboratories" in which students can practice the skills learned in the earlier chapters on set theory and function theory.

An introduction for readers with some high school mathematics to both the higher and the more fundamental developments of the basic themes of elementary mathematics. Chapters begin with a series of elementary problems, cleverly concealing more advanced mathematical ideas. These are then made explicit and further developments explored, thereby deepending and broadening the readers' understanding of mathematics. The text arose from a course taught for several years at St. Petersburg University, and nearly every chapter ends with an interesting commentary on the relevance of its subject matter to the actual classroom setting. However, it may be recommended to a much wider readership; even the professional mathematician will derive much pleasureable instruction from it.

This book is written for students who have taken calculus and want to learn what "real mathematics" is.

A Bridge to Higher Mathematics is more than simply another book to aid the transition to advanced mathematics. The authors intend to assist students in developing a deeper understanding of mathematics and mathematical thought. The only way to understand mathematics is by doing mathematics. The reader will learn the language of axioms and theorems and will write convincing and cogent proofs using quantifiers. Students will solve many puzzles and encounter some mysteries and challenging problems. The emphasis is on proof. To progress towards mathematical maturity, it is necessary to be trained in two aspects: the ability to read and understand a proof and the ability to write a proof. The journey begins with elements of logic and techniques of proof, then with elementary set theory, relations and functions. Peano axioms for positive integers and for natural numbers follow, in particular mathematical and other forms of induction. Next is the construction of integers including some elementary number theory. The notions of finite and infinite sets, cardinality of counting techniques and combinatorics illustrate more techniques of proof. For more advanced readers, the text concludes with sets of rational numbers, the set of reals and the set of complex numbers. Topics, like Zorn’s lemma and the axiom of choice are included. More challenging problems are marked with a star. All these materials are optional, depending on the instructor and the goals of the course.

Due to the rapid expansion of the frontiers of physics and engineering, the demand for higher-level mathematics is increasing yearly. This book is designed to provide accessible knowledge of higher-level mathematics demanded in contemporary physics and engineering. Rigorous mathematical structures of important subjects in these fields are fully covered, which will be helpful for readers to become acquainted with certain abstract mathematical concepts. The selected topics are: - Real analysis, Complex analysis, Functional analysis, Lebesgue integration theory, Fourier analysis, Laplace analysis, Wavelet analysis, Differential equations, and Tensor analysis. This book is essentially self-contained, and assumes only standard undergraduate preparation such as elementary calculus and linear algebra. It is thus well suited for graduate students in physics and engineering who are interested in theoretical backgrounds of their own fields. Further, it will also be useful for mathematics students who want to understand how certain abstract concepts in mathematics are applied in a practical situation. The readers will not only acquire basic knowledge toward higher-level mathematics, but also imbibe mathematical skills necessary for contemporary studies of their own fields.

One of the most effective ways to stimulate students to enjoy intellectual efforts is the scientific competition. In 1894 the Hungarian Mathematical and Physical Society introduced a mathematical competition for high school students. The success of high school competitions led the Mathematical Society to found a college level contest, named after Miklós Schweitzer. The problems of the Schweitzer Contests are proposed and selected by the most prominent Hungarian mathematicians. This book collects the problems posed in the contests between 1962 and 1991 which range from algebra, combinatorics, theory of functions, geometry, measure theory, number theory, operator theory, probability theory, topology, to set theory. The second part contains the solutions. The Schweitzer competition is one of the most unique in the world. The experience shows that this competition helps to identify research talents. This collection of problems and solutions in several fields in mathematics can serve as a guide for many undergraduates and young mathematicians. The large variety of research level problems might be of interest for more mature mathematicians and historians of mathematics as well.

This engaging math textbook is designed to equip students who have completed a standard high school math curriculum with the tools and techniques that they will need to succeed in upper level math courses. Topics covered include logic and set theory, proof techniques, number theory, counting, induction, relations, functions, and cardinality.