Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning [Two Volumes in One] by George Polya

Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning [Two Volumes in One] by George Polya

2014 Reprint of 1954 American Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This two volume classic comprises two titles: Patterns of Plausible Inference and Induction and Analogy in Mathematics. This is a guide to the practical art of plausible reasoning, particularly in mathematics, but also in every field of human activity. Using mathematics as the example par excellence, Polya shows how even the most rigorous deductive discipline is heavily dependent on techniques of guessing, inductive reasoning, and reasoning by analogy. In solving a problem, the answer must be guessed at before a proof can be given, and guesses are usually made from a knowledge of facts, experience, and hunches. The truly creative mathematician must be a good guesser first and a good prover afterward; many important theorems have been guessed but no proved until much later. In the same way, solutions to problems can be guessed, and a god guesser is much more likely to find a correct solution. This work might have been called How to Become a Good Guesser.-From the Dust Jacket.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781614275572
ISBN 10	1614275572
Title	Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning [Two Volumes in One]
Author	George Polya
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Martino Fine Books
Year published	2014-01-08
Number of pages	498
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable