Sets, Functions and Logic: Basic concepts of university mathematics

by Keith J. Devlin

Overview

The purpose of this book is to provide the student beginning undergraduate mathematics with a solid foundation in the basic logical concepts necessary for most of the subjects encountered in a university mathematics course. The main distinction between most school mathematics and university mathematics lies in the degree of rigour demanded at university level. In general, the new student has no experience of wholly rigorous definitions and proofs, with the result that, although competent to handle quite difficult problems in, say, the differential calculus, he/she is totally lost when presented with a rigorous definition oflimits and derivatives. In effect, this means that in the first few weeks at university the student needs to master what is virtually an entire new language {'the language of mathematics'} and to adopt an entirely new mode ofthinking. Needless to say, only the very ablest students come through this process without a great deal of difficulty.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780412226601
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	01/01/1981
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1981
Pages:	90
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.01(d)

About the Author

Hometown:

Palo Alto, California

Date of Birth:

March 16, 1947

Place of Birth:

Hull, England

Education:

B.S., King's College, London, 1968; Ph.D., University of Bristol, 1971

Table of Contents

1 Use of language in mathematics.- 2 Sets and functions.- 3 The real numbers.- 4 Complex numbers.- List of symbols.