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Excursions in Modern Mathematics plus MyLab Math -- Access Card Package

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Before purchasing, check with your instructor to ensure you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLabTM products exist for each title, and registrations are not transferable. To register for and use Pearson's MyLab products, you may also need a Course ID, which your instructor will provide. Used books, rentals, and purchases made outside of Pearson If purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson, the access codes for Pearson's MyLab products may not be included, may be incorrect, or may be previously redeemed. Check with the seller before completing your purchase. For courses in Liberal Arts Mathematics. This package includes MyLab Math. Applicable, Accessible, Modern Excursions in Modern Mathematics introduces readers to the power and beauty of math. By developing an appreciation for the aesthetics and applicability of mathematics, readers who previously felt math was an “unknowable” subject can approach it with a new perspective. Contemporary topics ranging from elections, to networks, to analyzing data show readers that math is an accessible tool that can be applicable and interesting for anyone. Refinement and updating of examples and exercises, plus increased resources, makes the 9th Edition a relevant, accessible, and complete program. Personalize learning with MyLab Math. MyLabTM Math is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them absorb course material and understand difficult concepts. 0134442229 / 9780134442228 Excursions in Modern Mathematics plus MyLab Math-- Access Card Package Package consists

569 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2017

7 people want to read

About the author

Peter Tannenbaum

45 books1 follower

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Profile Image for Isaac.
42 reviews
August 21, 2020
Some disclaimers:
* I borrowed this book from my institution's library
* I didn't attempt to access let alone use the on-line feature
* My main interest was the social choice theory oriented material in Part 1 of the text. Hence, I skimmed the remainder of the book.

The intention of the "Excursions ..." is expose the non-mathematical university student to some highly applicable mathematics drawn from relatively recently developed topics. Think, for the sake of better term, the "maths for poets" course that some universities offer (or compel) students from the humanities to take.

The book covers, in basic terms, social choice theory (voting, fair division, apportionment), graph theory (travelling salesman, networks, scheduling), symmetry and fractals, discrete iterative equations (logistic growth but no chaos, financial equations like compounding interest etc) and some probability and statistics.

To clarify the "modern" in the title consider that STEM students typically will take a calculus course and a linear algebra course in their first year. Calculus was born in the 17th century. While the problem of solving linear systems is an ancient one (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nin... ) it got systematic treatment (in Europe) in the 17th century as well. With the development of matrices and their inverses perhaps we can say Linear algebra proper had a 19th century birth. Much of the content in Tannenbaum's book, although often inspired by old problems, is teaching maths developed in the mid-twentieth century.

The text does a generally good job of presenting the material to its target audience. Its colourful, has plenty of pictures/graphs, lots of white space, and a chatty prose style. Many examples are drawn from everyday activities or interests - popular sports, TV programs, elections etc. Problem sets are graded as "Walk", "Jog" and "Run" to indicate difficulty which is helpful while not off putting. The choice of content is interesting and I believe much of it would be easy for the non-maths student to see as useful and relevant.

The negatives are:
* the book is expensive (close to $300 AUD at the time of writing) and its hard to justify making a student spend that much for a book in most cases let alone a course outside their specialisation .
* the book is intended for an American audience so educators outside of the USA will need to supplement the existing examples or replace them
* its long -- ~600 pages -- so you're unlikely to use all the content.
* statistics is covered in numerous other places better for the social scientist, the discrete equations section only just hints at the chaos so doesn't really get to the modern material.

Overall, its good excursion but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.
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