Applied Finite Mathematics

by Howard Anton, Bernard Kolman, Bonnie Averbach

Applied Finite Mathematics presents the fundamentals of finite mathematics in a style tailored for beginners, but at the same time covers the subject matter in sufficient depth so that the student can see a rich variety of realistic and relevant applications. Applications in fields such as business, biology, behavioral sciences, and social sciences are included.

Comprised of nine chapters, this book begins with an introduction to set theory, explaining concepts such as sets and union and intersection of sets as well as counting elements in sets. The next chapter deals with coordinate systems and graphs, along with applications of linear equations and graphs of linear inequalities. The discussion then turns to linear programming; matrices and linear systems; probability; and statistics. Examples of applications are given, including those of game theory, Markov chains, and probability. The final chapter is devoted to computers and programming languages such as FORTRAN.

This monograph is intended for students and instructors of applied mathematics.

600 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Howard Anton obtained his B.A. from Lehigh University, his M.A. from the University of Illinois, and his Ph.D. from the Polytechnic University of Brooklyn, all in mathematics. In the early 1960's he worked for Burroughs Corporation and Avco Corporation at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he was involved with the manned space program. In 1968 he joined the Mathematics Department at Drexel University, where he taught full time until 1983. Since that time he has been an adjunct professor at Drexel and has devoted the majority of his time to textbook writing and activities for mathematical associations. Dr. Anton was president of the EPADEL Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), Served on the board of Governors of that organization, and guided the creation of the Student Chapters of the MAA. He has published numerous research papers in functional analysis, approximation theory, and topology, as well as pedagogical papers. He is best known for his textbooks in mathematics, which are among the most widely used in the world. There are currently more than one hundred versions of his books, including translations into Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew, and German. For relaxation, Dr. Anton enjoys traveling and photography.