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How to Think Like a Mathematician

Kevin Houston

4.19 · Rating details · 150 Ratings · 9 Reviews

Looking for a head start in your undergraduate degree in mathematics? Maybe you've already started your degree and feel bewildered by the subject you previously loved? Don't panic! This friendly companion will ease your transition to real mathematical thinking. Working through the book you will develop an arsenal of techniques to help you unlock the meaning of definitions, ...more

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Paperback, 265 pages

Published February 1st 2009 by Cambridge University Press

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Lists with This Book

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Purely Functional Data Structures by Chris Okasaki

The Standard ML Basis Library by Emden R. Gansner

Cambridge University Computer Science Tripos Reading List

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Jun 11, 2016 Tareq Elderawi rated it really liked it

*Don't believe everything you read .
*simplicity is the ultimate sophistication .
* If it isn't hurting , then it isn't working .
*Be scaptical of everything and try to prove that the text is wrong , search for hidden assumptions and try to use extreme cases and examples .
*Learn as much by writing as by reading .
*It isn't that they can't see the solution , It is that they can't see the problem .
*Everything is simpler that you think and at the same time more complex that you imagine .
*The highes ...more

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Nov 15, 2016 Ali rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-and-maths

This book contains very useful techniques for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics, especially chapters on how to read definitions, theorems and proofs. Maybe it requires more acquaintance with mathematics to highly appreciate other advice given, but I found those mentioned the most useful ones. There is also a good treatment of main techniques of proof. Some exercises are a bit challenging for an undergraduate but overall it does not require any especial prerequisite k ...more

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May 22, 2016 Sambasivan rated it it was amazing

Written with incredible clarity. This book streamlines your thought process and helps you discipline yourself to think logically as well. Surprisingly good.

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Sep 11, 2017 Aleksandra Taranov rated it really liked it

Shelves: math

I found the book too basic, but it does give good study tools to people beginning to learn mathematics. However, I was often annoyed by the pompous tone and snide digs at other disciplines like history/sociology that showed ignorance about how they work. There was a lot of 'this matters in math' but you could just look up a date in history to know an event happened. That's a strawman and not how high level history works at all. That said, the math ideas are very clearly written and accurate and ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Samuel rated it really liked it

For gradeschoolers entering university

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Aug 06, 2016 Perro rated it it was amazing

Definitely worth reading even for people who don't study maths, but I find it hard to comprehend, not the mathematical bit but it's a bit dull for me and sometimes it feels like the author spent pages and pages to say about one thing, which should be a lie to explain or clarify in one chapter. Also there are many excises without solution, if you are reading it on your own, how can you know your answer is right?

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