Product Description
The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics, and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and readers of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary numbers. The first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought. These are followed by discussions of more specific topics, and the book closes with a chapter answering common sociological questions about the mathematical community (such as "Is it true that mathematicians burn out at the age of 25?") It is the ideal introduction for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of mathematics.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 12 reviews)

nice introduction by Majed Saeed Aldossari

5 Stars
November 01, 2009
it helps me to link some topics together and understand some points from a wider perspective. the size of the book is excelent you can take it with you anywhere.

This book gives hints of what advanced maths is about by Daniel J. Turner (Halls Creek, Western Australia)

5 Stars
August 15, 2009
When I started reading this book I kept putting it down to extend the pleasure of reading it. It makes sense of why some things don't matter in maths. It even seems to confirm that infinity does not exist, while still being a powerful tool. Any person who wants to gain an insight of mathematical knowledge could not do better than read this book. They will gain an appreciation of advanced maths without having to believe or understand it. I don't think the concepts could be expressed more clearly or more simply. However even the unquestionable ability of Timothy Gowers could present hyperbolic geometry in a form that gives credibility to the topic. Of course he is only telling us, he didn't invent it. I have found if a student can understand fractions, they can understand geometry,trigonometry, algebra and calculus. I don't think any one knows how people lift their skills from tangible to abstract mathematics but this book makes ordinary people aware of the vast challenges and beautiful fields. But beauty is like the numbers, they are both abstract adjectives and can not exist by them selves. This book shows us that that doesn't matter. After this the next step to enlightenment is The Princeton Companion to Mathematics which was edited by Timothy and displays the same simple clarity. It has also been reduced from $142 to $66

The best introduction to math out there by Bojan Tunguz (Greencastle, IN USA)

5 Stars
June 29, 2009
The world of mathematics elicits many different emotions, from fear to reverence, from apprehension to fascination. On a surface this may seem surprising, since mathematics is supposed to deal rational thought, and should be as removed from emotional considerations as it gets. And yet, it is precisely this dispassionate rationality that makes those unaccustomed to mathematical thinking recoil, and those with a mathematical bend of mind rub their hands in glee. For the truth is, mathematical thought relies heavily on emotions, and mathematicians are fascinated with beauty and elegance of mathematical creations. In the book "Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction" the author Timothy Gowers tries to convey some of this beauty. This is a very readable and intelligent short introduction, and probably the best short introduction to mathematics out there. It takes reader through some basic mathematical problems, and showcases the methods and procedures that mathematicians use in their work. If you are math-phobic, you will not have to deal with any complicated mathematical equations, and all of the problems and proofs that are offered in the book are straightforward and intuitive, and require a very minimal level of mathematical knowledge. The fact that the book attempts to "do" mathematics, as opposed to just tell about it, is one of its more rewarding aspects. It makes this an intelligent read, and rewarding no matter whether you are a complete mathematical "outsider" or someone with an advanced degree in a math-intensive field.

Delightful! by Irfan A. Alvi (Towson, MD USA)

5 Stars
February 28, 2009
I'm generally in agreement with the other 5-star reviews of this book. There are many possible ways to write a "very short introduction to mathematics," and Gowers has chosen to give an introduction to the kind of work professional mathematicians do: the problems they try to solve, the methods they use, the difficulties they encounter, the kinds of results they obtain, the joys they experience, how the profession as a whole progresses, how mathematics relates to other subjects (eg, physics), etc. Gowers does this by giving us an expert tour of a wide variety of topics -- certainly not a survey of all of higher mathematics (see The Princeton Companion to Mathematics for that), but still a nice diverse sampling. Some of the topics are fairly challenging, but others are more basic, so I think there's something here for everyone. The discussions of each topic are relatively brief and aren't meant to provide a thorough textbook-level treatment, but there's enough depth to convey the key ideas effectively. As a Fields Medalist, Gowers clearly has a command of the mathematics himself, yet he also clearly understands the limitations and interests of the reader, so he serves as an excellent and sympathetic teacher and his resulting writing is remarkably lucid. The only prerequisites for the book are comfort with high-school mathematics, curiosity about the nature of higher mathematics, and willingness to pay attention and do some thinking. For readers so equipped, this is a delightful book which I highly recommend.

Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction by Sam Adams (Minnesota. USA)

3 Stars
February 19, 2009
Gowers, in The Princeton Companion to Mathematics, makes the rough but useful distinction of 3 kinds of mathematics: the algebraic, the geometric, and the analytic (where 'analytic' is not used in the philosophical sense but in a sense derived from the mathematical branch called 'analysis'). In the book under review, Gowers favors the geometric and the analytic, giving the algebraic only perfunctory attention. I read the book because I like Gowers' approach in the Princeton Companion and I was curious what he had written here. The book has a very limited point of view and is as likely to disappoint as delight, depending on the type of mathematics the reader is inclined to enjoy the most.

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