Mathematical Fallacies, Flaws, and Flimflam
Mathematical Fallacies, Flaws, and Flimflam
Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Summary
Through hard experience mathematicians have learned to subject even the most 'evident' assertions to rigorous scrutiny, as intuition can often be misleading. This book collects and analyses a mass of such errors, drawn from the work of students, textbooks, and the media, as well as from professional mathematicians themselves.
The feel-good place to buy books
- Free US shipping over $15
- Buying preloved emits 41% less CO2 than new
- Millions of affordable books
- Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!
Mathematical Fallacies, Flaws, and Flimflam by Edward Barbeau
Through hard experience mathematicians have learned to subject even the most 'evident' assertions to rigorous scrutiny, as intuition and facile reasoning can often be misleading. However, errors can slip past the most watchful eye, they are often subtle and difficult to detect; but when found they can teach us a lot and can present a real challenge to straighten out. This book collects together a mass of such errors, drawn from the work of students, textbooks, and the media, as well as from professional mathematicians themselves. Each of these items is carefully analysed and the source of the error is exposed. All serious students of mathematics will find this book both enlightening and entertaining.
For several years now, Ed Barbeau has been editing a regular column in the CMJ called Fallacies, Flaws, and FlimflamThe column collects interesting examples of mistakes, fallacies, and other mathematical howlers. Some come from students, some from publications, others from contributors who have invented their own swindles and fallacies. This book (which acquired a 'Mathematical' in the title to accomodate readers unfamiliar with the column) is a kind of 'Best of FFF.' It collects over 150 articles from the column, organized by topic into sections ranging from 'Numbers' to 'Advanced Undergraduate Mathematics,' with some 'Parting Shots' thrown in for good measure. There are some wild errors and some quite subtle ones; some things we recognize from many past student productions, others that are quite original...Collected together, they make a book of the sort one reads compulsively from cover to cover. I suspect it can be very useful in our teaching, since some of these creative mistakes would make great discussion starters...Mathematical Fallacies, Flaws, and Flimflam is definitely worth your time.""- Fernando Q. Gouvea, MAA Reviews
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780883855294 |
| ISBN 10 | 0883855291 |
| Title | Mathematical Fallacies, Flaws, and Flimflam |
| Author | Tyler Scott |
| Series | Spectrum |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The Mathematical Association Of America |
| Year published | 2000-06-15 |
| Number of pages | 182 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |