Introduction to Algebra

This textbook, written by a dedicated and successful pedagogue who developed the present undergraduate algebra course at Moscow State University, differs in several respects from other algebra textbooks available in English. The book reflects the Soviet approach to teaching mathematics with its emphasis on applications and problem-solving — note that the mathematics department in Moscow is called the I~echanics-Mathematics" Faculty. In the first place, Kostrikin's textbook motivates many of...