Reddit reviews Algebra

We found 26 Reddit comments about Algebra. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Birkhauser

26 Reddit comments about Algebra:

u/gerserehker · 11 pointsr/learnmath

There would have been a time that I would have suggested getting a curriculum
text book and going through that, but if you're doing this for independent work
I wouldn't really suggest that as the odds are you're not going to be using a
very good source.

Going on the typical

Arithmetic > Algebra > Calculus

****

Arithmetic

Arithmetic refresher. Lots of stuff in here - not easy.

I think you'd be set after this really. It's a pretty terse text in general.

*****

Algebra

Algebra by Chrystal Part I

Algebra by Chrystal Part II

You can get both of these algebra texts online easily and freely from the search

chrystal algebra part I filetype:pdf

chrystal algebra part II filetype:pdf

I think that you could get the first (arithmetic) text as well, personally I
prefer having actual books for working. They're also valuable for future
reference. This filetype:pdf search should be remembered and used liberally
for finding things such as worksheets etc (eg trigonometry worksheet<br /> filetype:pdf for a search...).

Algebra by Gelfland

No where near as comprehensive as chrystals algebra, but interesting and well
written questions (search for 'correspondence series' by Gelfand).

Calculus

Calculus made easy - Thompson

This text is really good imo, there's little rigor in it but for getting a
handle on things and bashing through a few practical problems it's pretty
decent. It's all single variable. If you've done the algebra and stuff before
this then this book would be easy.

Pauls Online Notes (Calculus)

These are just a solid set of Calculus notes, there're lots of examples to work
through which is good. These go through calc I, II, III... So a bit further than
you've asked (I'm not sure why you state up to calc II but ok).

Spivak - Calculus

If you've gone through Chrystals algebra then you'll be used to a formal
approach. This text is only single variable calculus (so that might be calc I
and II in most places I think, ? ) but it's extremely well written and often
touted as one of the best Calculus books written. It's very pure, where as
something like Stewart has a more applied emphasis.

**

Geometry

I've got given any geometry sources, I'm not too sure of the best source for
this or (to be honest) if you really need it for the above. If someone has
good geometry then they're certainly better off, many proofs are given
gemetrically as well and having an intuition for these things is only going to
be good. But I think you can get through without a formal course on it.... I'm
not confident suggesting things on it though, so I'll leave it to others. Just
thought I'd mention it.

****

u/ThisIsMyOkCAccount · 9 pointsr/learnmath

Algebra

Trigonometry

Functions and Graphs

These are three books that I would recommend to somebody trying to prepare for calculus. They're all written by the mathematician Gelfand and his colleages, and they're some of the best-written math books I've ever read. You come away from reading them really understanding the subject matter. I'd read them in that order, too.

u/xrelaht · 5 pointsr/AskPhysics

u/DataCruncher · 4 pointsr/math

>If I can barely do long division and I’m horrible at math, how would I bring my skills up to be able to pass a statistic class.

Go to the library, find some books appropriate for your level. If you want me to pick a book for you, start with Algebra by Gelfrand. Khan Academy might also help.

>Is math just memorization

No, this is why you're bad at it. You need to memorize as little as possible.

>and practice or is it something that I need to read books about?

You should practice a lot and spend time reading. When reading,
go slowly, take notes, and work out details for yourself. Your primary goal needs to be understanding. Everything in math is supposed to make sense, you learn when it makes sense to you.

>I absolutely hate math but desperately need help in order to graduate.

You need to kill this mentality, if you continue to feel like this it's just not going to be possible to learn. It's abundantly clear from your post that you've approached math wrong your whole life. This isn't really your fault. Math is highly cumulative, and if you lose track at some point it'll be impossible to follow meaningfully after. Most teachers are bad, and the system doesn't incentivize learning math well. This is your chance to change all that. You can start from zero, and learn things right this time. If you approach it with an open mind and put in the necessary work (it won't be easy!), you'll come to see it's a beautiful subject.

u/rebat0 · 3 pointsr/math

I like Algebra and Trigonometry by I.M. Gelfand. They are cheap books too.

I also have scans of them, PM me if you want to check them out.

Edit:

Also, Khan Academy is great resource for explanations. But I would recommend aiding Khan Academy with a text just for the problem set and solutions.

u/paulbenjamincassidy · 3 pointsr/learnprogramming

There are some really good books that you can use to give yourself a solid foundation for further self-study in mathematics. I've used them myself. The great thing about this type of book is that you can just do the exercises from one side of the book to the other and then be confident in the knowledge that you understand the material. It's nice! Here are my recommendations:

First off, three books on the basics of algebra, trigonometry, and functions and graphs. They're all by a guy called Israel Gelfand, and they're good: Algebra, Trigonometry, and Functions and Graphs.

Next, one of two books (they occupy the same niche, material-wise) on general proof and problem-solving methods. These get you in the headspace of constructing proofs, which is really good. As someone with a bachelors in math, it's disheartening to see that proofs are misunderstood and often disliked by students. The whole point of learning and understanding proofs (and reproducing them yourself) is so that you gain an understanding of the why of the problem under consideration, not just the how... Anyways, I'm rambling! Here they are: How To Prove It: A Structured Approach and How To Solve It.

And finally a book which is a little bit more terse than the others, but which serves to reinforce the key concepts: Basic Mathematics.

After that you have the basics needed to take on any math textbook you like really - beginning from the foundational subjects and working your way upwards, of course. For example, if you wanted to improve your linear algebra skills (e.g. suppose you wanted to learn a bit of machine learning) you could just study a textbook like Linear Algebra Done Right.

The hard part about this method is that it takes a lot of practice to get used to learning from a book. But that's also the upside of it because whenever you're studying it, you're really studying it. It's a pretty straightforward process (bar the moments of frustration, of course).

If you have any other questions about learning math, shoot me a PM. :)

u/YeahYay · 2 pointsr/mathbooks

These are, in my opinion, some of the best books for learning high school level math:

I.M Gelfand Algebra {[.pdf] (http://www.cimat.mx/ciencia_para_jovenes/bachillerato/libros/algebra_gelfand.pdf) | Amazon}
I.M. Gelfand The Method of Coordinates {Amazon}
I.M. Gelfand Functions and Graphs {.pdf | Amazon}

These are all 1900's Russian math text books (probably the type that /u/oneorangehat was thinking of) edited by I.M. Galfand, who was something like the head of the Russian School for Correspondence. I basically lived off them during my first years of high school. They are pretty much exactly what you said you wanted; they have no pictures (except for graphs and diagrams), no useless information, and lots of great problems and explanations :) There is also I.M Gelfand Trigonometry {[.pdf] (http://users.auth.gr/~siskakis/GelfandSaul-Trigonometry.pdf) | Amazon} (which may be what you mean when you say precal, I'm not sure), but I do not own this myself and thus cannot say if it is as good as the others :)

I should mention that these books start off with problems and ideas that are pretty easy, but quickly become increasingly complicated as you progress. There are also a lot of problems that require very little actual math knowledge, but a lot of ingenuity.

Sorry for bad Englando, It is my native language but I haven't had time to learn it yet.

u/ur_mom415 · 2 pointsr/UBC

Read this: https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Israel-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773 and you're more than set for algebraic manipulation.

And if you're looking to get super fancy, then some of that: https://www.amazon.com/Method-Coordinates-Dover-Books-Mathematics/dp/0486425657/

And some of this for graphing practice: https://www.amazon.com/Functions-Graphs-Dover-Books-Mathematics/dp/0486425649/

And if you're looking to be a sage, these: https://www.amazon.com/Kiselevs-Geometry-Book-I-Planimetry/dp/0977985202/ + https://www.amazon.com/Kiselevs-Geometry-Book-II-Stereometry/dp/0977985210/

If you're uncomfortable with mental manipulation of geometric objects, then, before anything else, have a crack at this: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Graph-Theory-Dover-Mathematics/dp/0486678709/

u/nikoma · 2 pointsr/learnmath

http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Israel-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773

http://www.amazon.com/Trigonometry/dp/0817639144

EDIT: I don't know what ACT is, so I don't know how well it will prepare you for that.

u/LemmaWS · 2 pointsr/matheducation

I've heard good things about: http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Israel-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
but I admit I haven't read it.

u/raubry · 2 pointsr/mathbooks

The following are all really good and all very different. Check out the reviews and decide what fits you best. If I had to pick only one, I would pick one of the first three listed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471530123

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592577229

http://www.amazon.com/The-Humongous-Book-Calculus-Problems/dp/1592575129

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817636773

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760706603

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZEC19Y

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0070293317

u/Anarcho-Totalitarian · 2 pointsr/math

If you need to brush up on some of the more basic topics, there's a series of books by IM Gelfand:

Algebra

Trigonometry

Functions and Graphs

The Method of Coordinates

u/ZPilot · 2 pointsr/learnmath

I usually recommend Lang's Basic Mathematics for those wanting to go over or learn the necessary math before calculus. It covers everything you need and more in a nice fashion that is much better than any book in highschool you may have ever used. Another option is to pick up the series of books by I.M. Gelfand, which are split up in to algebra, coordinate graphs, functions, and trigonometry (i think it's only 4). The advantage here is that each book is small so you can digest it in chunks (plus they are Dover books now so they can be had for cheap). Both of these authors will both prepare and place you beyond your class for Math1050. If you've read and done the questions in these books, you will be more than ready. Personally, I like to not move on in material until I finally understand it or at least can decently explain what was covered to someone. So the time it takes to read these books will vary but I say it is feasible to cover a chapter a week more or less.

u/abecedarius · 2 pointsr/learnmath

Try to find entry points that interest you personally, and from there the next steps will be natural. Most books that get into the nitty-gritty assume you're in school for it and not directly motivated, at least up to early university level, so this is harder than it should be. But a few suggestions aimed at the self-motivated: Lockhart Measurement, Gelfand Algebra, 3blue1brown's videos, Calculus Made Easy, Courant & Robbins What Is Mathematics?. (I guess the last one's a bit tougher to get into.)

For physics, Thinking Physics seems great, based on the first quarter or so (as far as I've read).

u/ineptfish · 1 pointr/learnmath

For highschool level math I reccomend i.m.gelfands books, one of which is Algebra.

They're excellent for self-study, and provide you with many insights not found elsewhere afaik.

u/HomeworkHudson · 1 pointr/cheatatmathhomework

It's just called "algebra" by I.M. Gelfand and another dude.

u/HigherMathHelp · 1 pointr/math

You might find this book to be a good place to start: Algebra, by Gelfand and Shen.

Another book in a similar vein might be Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang.

I haven't used either of these books myself, but I came across them recently, and it looks like they might be among the few titles that cover high-school math in the way that you describe (they were written by prominent research mathematicians).

You might consider using the materials on Khan Academy (articles, videos, and exercises) to structure your studies, since these may be more closely aligned with current standards in the U.S. Then, as you go along, you can use these books as supplements (e.g. if you feel that a different perspective on a particular topic might be helpful).

u/binomials_prudently · 1 pointr/learnmath

Gelfand's Algebra is interesting, encourages mathematical thinking, and has the additional advantage of being much more approachable than the books you've listed.

This is probably a much better place to start for someone who's interested in "starting from the basics."

u/_SoySauce · 1 pointr/mathematics

Try Gelfand's Algebra. The benefit of this is that it's rigorous with its definitions and includes proofs to further aid in your understanding. His other books are quite good as well from what I hear.

u/Dr_Hellwinkel · 1 pointr/mathbooks

As an introduction to Algebra I can recommend https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Israel-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486044711&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Shen+Algebra You may be also interested in https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Obsession-Bernhard-Greatest-Mathematics/dp/0452285259/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486042204&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=prime+obsession+derbyshire
Moreover, it would be nice to watch these 'Youtube' channels: https://www.youtube.com/user/Vihart https://www.youtube.com/user/njwildberger

u/yakov · 1 pointr/math

I second the recommendation to find someone more experienced to help you one-on-one. Is there any way you could hire a private tutor? A big benefit of a tutor is that they'll be able to point out the gaps in your knowledge and point you to relevant resources. This can be tough to do on your own or through web discussions. For example, let's say one thing that's holding you back is that you haven't memorized your times table. This would be a major problem and a blind spot for you that would be immediately obvious to me if we were working face to face, but it would be impossible to see from reading your reddit comments.

Let me make a few more concrete suggestions. First, experiment with different study techniques. Take a look at this comment and the linked video. Try the "Feynman Technique" (video) -- this is not easy but it's the only way to really get a solid understanding. Don't expect to be spoon-fed knowledge when you're watching videos: you need to be spending most of your study time with a pen and paper, puzzling out for yourself why things work.

Second, for algebra, I can recommend two textbooks:

Rusczyk's Introduction to Algebra. Probably right around your level. Lots of interesting problems that will make you think.
Gelfand and Shen's Algebra. It has excellent problems, although it is quite terse and probably a little too advanced for you: you'll need to be willing to do a lot of extra thinking to fill in the gaps.

Khan Academy is a good supplement, but in my opinion it's too passive to be used as your main resource. It doesn't encourage independent thinking and it has no problems (easy drill exercises don't count as problems.) You need to do lots of problems. In particular, you need to struggle through problems that you're not explicitly told how to solve ahead of time.

Finally, mechanical knowledge is incredibly important, but of course it does need to be built upon a conceptual foundation. For every technique you learn (like solving 2/3 = 3R) you should first be able to explain why the technique works in simple, obvious terms, and then practice it (invent your own problems!) and add it to your collection of techniques. Math is (arguably) simply a grab bag of such techniques together with explanations of why they work. It's often not obvious which technique to apply in a specific case: this can only be learned through experience. Avoid problem sets with ten variants of one specific problem -- they don't teach this skill! Instead look for varied problems which require creativity (Rusczyk's book is a good start.)

You might also want to check out /r/learnmath and #math on freenode if you have more specific questions.

u/newhampshire22 · 1 pointr/math

I like this book. https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Israel-M-Gelfand/dp/0817636773

u/ArthurAutomaton · 1 pointr/learnmath

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0817636773/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HMQ9VU/

u/starethruyou · 1 pointr/matheducation

First, please make sure everyone understands they are capable of teaching the entire subject without a textbook. "What am I to teach?" is answered by the Common Core standards. I think it's best to free teachers from the tyranny of textbooks and the entire educational system from the tyranny of textbook publishers. If teachers never address this, it'll likely never change.

Here are a few I think are capable to being used but are not part of a larger series to adopt beyond one course:
Most any book by Serge Lang, books written by mathematicians and without a host of co-writers and editors are more interesting, cover the same topics, more in depth, less bells, whistles, fluff, and unneeded pictures and other distracting things, and most of all, tell a coherent story and argument:

Geometry and solutions

Basic Mathematics is a precalculus book, but might work with some supplementary work for other classes.

A First Course in Calculus

For advanced students, and possibly just a good teacher with all students, the Art of Problem Solving series are very good books:
Middle & high school:
and elementary linked from their main page. I have seen the latter myself.

Some more very good books that should be used more, by Gelfand:

The Method of Coordinates

Functions and Graphs

Algebra

Trigonometry

Lines and Curves: A Practical Geometry Handbook

u/random_p9 · 1 pointr/math

Here's three very good books:

De Morgan, On the Study and Difficulty of Mathematics. This is a free book available on the internet. Read the parts you find interesting.
Gelfand, Algebra.
Chrystal, Algebra: An Elementary Text-Book. This is available online for free. A lot of the greatest mathematicians and physicists of the last century lauded this (erdos, feynman...)

u/undergroundt · 1 pointr/learnmath

Here is a good book on trigonometry.

Here is one for algebra.

Here's another