About this item
Highlights
- Many believe mathematics is only about calculations, formulas, numbers, and strange letters.
- About the Author: Roger Antonsen is Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo, where he has taught Logical Methods to thousands of students since 2010.
- 288 Pages
- Computers + Internet, Data Processing
Description
Book Synopsis
Many believe mathematics is only about calculations, formulas, numbers, and strange letters. But mathematics is much more than just crunching numbers or manipulating symbols. Mathematics is about discovering patterns, uncovering hidden structures, finding counterexamples, and thinking logically. Mathematics is a way of thinking. It is an activity that is both highly creative and challenging.This book offers an introduction to mathematical reasoning for beginning university or college students, providing a solid foundation for further study in mathematics, computer science, and related disciplines. Written in a manner that directly conveys the sense of excitement and discovery at the heart of doing science, its 25 short and visually appealing chapters cover the basics of set theory, logic, proof methods, combinatorics, graph theory, and much more.
In the book you will, among other things, find answers to:
- What is a proof? What is a counterexample?
- What does it mean to say that something follows logically from a set of premises?
- What does it mean to abstract over something?
- How can knowledge and information be represented and used in calculations?
- What is the connection between Morse code and Fibonacci numbers?
- Why could it take billions of years to solve Hanoi's Tower?
Logical Methods is especially appropriate for students encountering such concepts for the very first time. Designed to ease the transition to a university or college level study of mathematics or computer science, it also provides an accessible and fascinating gateway to logical thinking for students of all disciplines.
From the Back Cover
Many believe mathematics is only about calculations, formulas, numbers, and strange letters. But mathematics is much more than just crunching numbers or manipulating symbols. Mathematics is about discovering patterns, uncovering hidden structures, finding counterexamples, and thinking logically. Mathematics is a way of thinking. It is an activity that is both highly creative and challenging.This book offers an introduction to mathematical reasoning for beginning university or college students, providing a solid foundation for further study in mathematics, computer science, and related disciplines. Written in a manner that directly conveys the sense of excitement and discovery at the heart of doing science, its 25 short and visually appealing chapters cover the basics of set theory, logic, proof methods, combinatorics, graph theory, and much more.
In the book you will, among other things, find answers to:
- What is a proof? What is a counterexample?
- Whatdoes it mean to say that something follows logically from a set of premises?
- What does it mean to abstract over something?
- How can knowledge and information be represented and used in calculations?
- What is the connection between Morse code and Fibonacci numbers?
- Why could it take billions of years to solve Hanoi's Tower?
Logical Methods is especially appropriate for students encountering such concepts for the very first time. Designed to ease the transition to a university or college level study of mathematics or computer science, it also provides an accessible and fascinating gateway to logical thinking for students of all disciplines.
Review Quotes
"The definitions are followed by examples to help explain their meaning, along with counterexamples ... . Therefore, very little basic knowledge is required for this introduction to logical methods ... which is written in an accessible style ... . contained in the book are several hundred small figures; arrow, Venn, and Hasse diagrams; and simplifies visual representations ... . The author has also elected to use color to draw the reader's attention ... ."
"From personal teaching experience, knowledge of these mathematical areas is necessary for disparate fields of CS and informatics. These foundations are needed for many fields, from database theory to various domains of information systems applications. The book's presentation of topics and incentives for problem-solving, along with its exercises, is very useful for university-level instructors and students. The compact chapters contain clear explanations, diagrams, and brief descriptions of interesting facts." (Bálint Molnár, Computing Reviews, July 27, 2021)
About the Author
Roger Antonsen is Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo, where he has taught Logical Methods to thousands of students since 2010. He is a logician, mathematician, computer scientist, author, public speaker, science communicator, and artist. His interests range from proof theory, cellular automata, algorithms, and complexity to science communication, outreach, digital art, and visualizations.To see Roger in action as a science communicator, watch his TED Talk:
ted.com/speakers/roger_antonsen