The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences by N. J.A. Sloane

by N.J.A. Sloane

This encyclopedia contains more than 5000 integer sequences, over half of which have never before been catalogued. Because the sequences are presented in the most natural form, and arranged for easy reference, this book is easier to use than the authors earlier classic A Handbook of Integer Sequences . The Encyclopedia gives the name, mathematical description, and citations to literature for each sequence. Following sequences of particular interest, thereare essays on their origins, uses, and connections to related sequences (all cross-referenced). A valuable new feature to this textThe initial chapters are both amusing and enlightening. They serve as a delightful introduction to the subject and a short course on how to identify and work with integer sequences. This encyclopedia brings Sloanes ground-breaking Handbook up to date, more than doubling its size, and linking both the old and the new material to an extensive bibliography (over 25 pages long), of current and classic references. An index to all the sequences in the book is also available separately on disk in Macintosh and IBM formats.

Genres: Mathematics, Reference

Hardcover

First published March 16, 1995

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ow, wow. 1995 edition.
Of course, with the advent of computerized search and the possibility to use non-linear information structures, there are a lot better ways to access and structure this type of data. Still, lovely and engrossing (and tadsy intimidating).

[Antony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent. Mesmerising. Majestic. This is a must read for any enthusiast of sequences, integers or life in general.

Some of the integer sequences are obscure and mathematical ("Number of isomorphism classes of reduced Latin cubes of order n"); some are quite specialist ("Number of letters in n in Hungarian"); some are very thorough ("The zero sequence", which gives more than a hundred terms in the sequences, all of which are zero); some are rather vague ("From a differential equation"). And yet all will delight and thrill any audience.

The book is not without its problems: there are some sequences that are mislabelled or in the wrong place, and the inclusion of finite sequences such as "Decimal expansion of the speed of light in vacuum (SI units)" seems to contradict the rules set out in the introduction. But these issues are insignificant in light of the overwhelming charm of the sequences.

This is a true masterpiece and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

[Eric Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're into that sort of thing