Book Description
If you want top grades and a thorough understanding of abstract algebra this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! It takes you step-by-step through the subject and gives you sample problems with fully worked solutions, including proofs of all important theorems. You also get additional practice problems to solve on your own, working at your own speed. In addition, this superb study guide gives you chapters on sets, integers, groups, polynomials, and vector spaces. Students' favorite, with more than 30 million copies sold, Schaum's study guides are the best value for your student dollar—clear, complete, and low-cost. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Average resource
This was an average resource for me in my advanced algebra course.I suggest if you are to use this book, to also get Joseph Gallian's Contemporary Algebra book as well.

lpescatori
Excellent for a quick and rigorous grasping of basic concepts. A huge number of problems helps fix the theory and gain problem solving capability.

Not much on the core subject of abstract algebra
This book has some good theoretical mathematics content, unfortunately not much of it is about the subject of abstract algebra. The first 80 pages of this book talk about sets, relations, operators, and number systems. The next 50 pages or so consist of elementary material ongroups, rings, fields, and polynomials, and act as a very basic introduction to abstract algebra. Then the author again diverges off into mathematics that does not relate to abstract algebra and talks about vector spaces, matrices, matrix polynomials, linear algebra, and boolean algebra. Again, this is all good mathematical material with some good problems, but I don't see what it has to do with learning abstract algebra. A better title for this book would have been "Schaum's Outline on the Foundations of Mathematics" since it is really supplying a good theoretical introduction to mathematics for the mathematics major at about the college sophomore level. If that is what you are looking for, I would give this book about four stars.
If you want a good introductory textbook on abstract algebra might I recommend "A First Course in Abstract Algebra, Seventh Edition" by Fraleigh. The author explains the concepts very clearly, has plenty of examples, and motivates the reader by showing example uses of the theory in applications such as error coding. There are more rigorous books out there, but Fraleigh's book is a great introduction, and used copies can usually be found for roughly $60, or about half of the price of a new book.

mm, not quite what I was hoping for...
This installment in the Schaum's outline series doesn't do it for me. I had reason to pick this one up simply out of curiousity (and out of habit, by usingother titles in this series for other lower-level undergraduate courses).It hardly stimulates any interest on the part ofthe reader; and the presentation is dry; not to mentionthat the selection of solved problems wasn't carefully thought out (most, I found, were proofs of some pretty standard results, which I would have rather not seen all over again). And the bare-hands computations weren't all that exciting,either.

Ploughing through a course text proper would better serve the serious student of mathematics. There areother well-written books devoted to solved problems in algebra (group/ring theory, for instance). It's just amatter of scoping them out carefully, and dishing out the money (for photocopies, even).

Not Great
Gallian's Contemporary Abstract Algebra is my required textbook for this course.I bought Schaum's Outline to supplement it and help me with some of the proofs.Instead, I found exactly the same worked-out examples from Gallian.My homework problems I was having trouble with were also under the "extra" problems section which does not have solutions.Basically this book was useless to me.If you aren't already using Gallian, that's the book you should get;this one would be okay if you want to save a few bucks. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Boolean Algebra and Its Applications
This is by far one of the best math books in the Dover catalogue. While the prose is admittedly dry, the clarity of the exposition is flawless. The author begins his discussion with a chapter on set theory and wisely takes an intuitive appraoch rather than a theoretical one. This makes the second chapter, which gives an axiomatic account of the fundamentals of Boolean algebra, much easier to digest. Once you master the first two chapters, the rest of the books is smooth sailing. From here the author gives detailed, yet succinct, accounts of the applicatons of Boolean algebra to symbolic logic, switching circuits, relay circuits, binary arithmetic, and probability theory. Although the book is aimed primarily at math, computer science, and electrical engineering majors, it accessible to anyone who is comfortable with college level mathematics. It is especially helpful to the philosophy student who wishes to learn about symbolic logic and its applications to the foundations of computer science.

Boolean Algebra
Though written with dry prose, this book is very much worth studying toanyone with an interest in the subject.

Targeted toward math and computerscience undergraduates and to a certain extent electrical engineeringtypes, the book progresses like a math course. It gives the greatestemphasis to the key topics (like the title) and builds on the most basicsub-topics. In Boolean Algebra, that sub-topic is Set Theory. Thereforethis book requires a level of thinking beyond the ordinary, but once youunderstand Set Theory, the rest is easy. And to make it easier on thereader, the lessons on Set Theory are totally intuitive, assuming thereader has at least taken algebra.

dry
This book fell to the floor where it was pounced upon and chewed by my nieces 3 pounddog who `forthwith' lost 10 pounds of the nectar of life. We shall be suing Dover for her wrongful death by dehydration. BooleanAlgebra is a fine subject but this book ... the most turgid bit of writingsince `OG the trog-dude' first scratched a mark on a cave wall. ... Read more

Book Description

The treatment here of Boolean algebra, deeper than in most elementary texts, can serve as a supplement or an introduction to graduate-level study. The explanations of switching and logic circuits refer to combinatorial circuits. The theory in both of these areas is illustrated and amplified by many problems with detailed solutions, giving students a secure grounding. Supplementary problems provide a complete review of the material.

Customer Reviews (2)

Good book on boolean algebra and logic for more advanced students
This book is devoted to two separate and related topics: the theory of Boolean algebra and logic and also the synthesis and simplification of switching and logic circuits. This is a good book for students taking a course on digital logic that has more of a computer science or mathematics perspective rather than an electrical engineering viewpoint. There is no mention of gates or digital circuit building blocks of any kind in this outline.The treatment of switching and logic circuits is limited to the combinational circuits - those circuits whose outputs depend only on the present inputs.
Chapter 1 goes over the basics of boolean logic and the notation used in this outline. Chapter 2 discusses sets and their operations and extends boolean logic to sets of objects. Chapter 3 discusses Boolean algebra, which is a set B together with two binary operations, a singular operation, the two specific elements 0 and 1, and a set of axioms.Thus, in this chapter we are led more into the realm of mathematics than circuits with a good number of proofs as exercises. Chapter 4 abruptly changes course and discusses switching and logic circuits. Here, previous discussions of Boolean logic lead to the practical tasks of minimization and the finding of all prime implicants of a set. The final chapter changes course once again and discusses some advanced topics in Boolean algebra such as lattices, rings, and m-completeness.
Although no specific previous knowledge is really explicitly required to understand this material, I would say that working through the material I found that experience with mathematical proofs, set theory, and oddly enough, abstract algebra were all very advantageous in understanding this outline. It is one of the better written Schaum's outline in that the theory is very well explained. I would recommend it for the more mathematically inclined who are interested in digital logic.

digital designers can find useful problems
For those of you inclined to the theoretical aspects of computing, this book may be good revision. The first half of the book deals with set theory and then with Boolean algebra. The Boolean concepts should be easy to follow, and likewise with the problems presented to you here.

What is more challenging is the second half, dealing with switching circuits. You can see techniques that map from a logic circuit to its Boolean representation. And then the vital idea of a Karnaugh map, in order to simplify that representation. Digital circuit designers live for this stuff! Many problems to chew on. See how well you really understand the material.

You might look with askance on the publication date of 1970. 1970?! Moore had barely formulated his law a few years earlier. And Medium Scale Integration was the order of the day, perhaps, with the first microprocessor still under design. But the maths in this book still holds true now. In fact, it is even more relevant today. Because the circuits are orders of magnitude larger, so finding efficient means of circuit minimisation are more urgent. For that, you need a solid theoretical basis. And this book can test that understanding. ... Read more

Book Description
This book explains, in lay terms, the surprisingly simple system of mathematical logic used in digital computer circuitry. Anecdotal in its style and often funny, it follows the development of this logic system from its origins in Victorian England to its rediscovery in this century as the foundation of all modern computing machinery. ONES AND ZEROS will be enjoyed by anyone who has a general interest in science and technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The very best book I have read on Boolean
I'm a Computer Engineering student and have read many books on the subject.Until I read this book, I was constantly struggling with complex Boolean equations. Fortunately, this book has helped me master the subject -with a lot of hard work. I highly recommend this book for any student in the Computer Engineering field.

Excellent Introduction
This is an extremely clear introduction to Boolean Algebra.It is very well written and edited.Plenty of exercises will answers to cement the concepts in your brain.

The book covers number systems, logic gates, and some elementary set theory.They are all covered well.There is no coverage of flip-flops which I would have liked to have seen.

I should note this is not an electronics book.There are no real circuits but there are plenty of logic diagrams.Read this book to understand the concepts then go on to an electronic book if you actually wanted to build any of this stuff.

Great books for boolean algebra
Incredible book for understanding boolean algebra. What I like about the book is the simple and clear language that the author uses and a lot of very helpful examples throughout the book to help understand the concept.

Excellent book
This is an rxcellent book for anyone interested in digital circuits and boolean algebra. It is very easy to understand, but does go into enough detail for the advanced to learn from it also. We can all improve our skills after reading this book. Also the price is right!

THE book on ones and zeros
If you are looking for a complete understanding of boolean algebra, this book will definitely statisfy your needs. It provides several interestingexamples with each chapter to keep your mind working. Great way to startout learning about boolean logic. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Hardbound. ... Read more

Book Description

Boolean algebras underlie many central constructions of analysis, logic, probability theory, and cybernetics.

Customer Reviews (2)

Superb introduction. (Contains one flaw.)
As always, Halmos is an excellent expositor. The brief first chapter has been known to scare away physicists and other intelligent people who don't happen to know ring theory, but fortunately the first chapter can be skipped. The book is at the right level to be used by mathematics graduate students learning Boolean algebras and Stone spaces for the first time.

Some people draw a sharp distinction between the concepts of "Boolean space" (a totally disconnected compact Hausdorff space) and "Stone space", the difference being that a Stone space is the Stone space _of_ a Boolean algebra. A Boolean algebra's Stone space is the space of all of its 2-valued homomorphisms with the topology of pointwise convergence of nets of such homomorphisms. That every Boolean space is the Stone space of some Boolean algebra (namely, the Boolean algebra of all of its clopen subsets) is one of the important facts of "Stone's duality". Halmos never mentions the phrase "Stone space", but he proves the basic facts about "Stone's duality": that the category of Boolean algebras and Boolean homomorphisms is the opposite of the category of Boolean spaces and continuous functions.

The flaw is in Lecture 21. Much of that section is founded upon an error -- that a Boolean algebra may have various non-isomorphic completions, of which one is "minimal". A careful mathematician can reconstruct that lecture and get much that is of value, but some may be unfortunately misled.

One other thing irritates me: Halmos uses the word "non-atomic" rather than the much better term "atomless". The problem with "non-atomic" is that it may be mistaken for "not atomic", and that is a quite different thing.

This book is now out of print. I'd like to see Dover reprint it.

ONE OF THE BEST
A very good book, going through the stuff in a very nice kind. Giving you intuitive insights, easy proofs, and written with a large sense of humor. ... Read more

Book Description
The study of cardinal functions brings unity and depth to many investigations in the theory of Boolean algebras. Many of the functions have proved their importance in related fields in set theory or topology.

For the most important examples three general questions are considered: What is the relationship between various cardinal functions? How do they behave with respect to algebraic operations? What can one say about other cardinal functions naturally derived from a given one?

These notes provide a comprehensive survey of this area and include proofs for a large number of results. ... Read more

Book Description
Logic forms the basis of mathematics, and is hence a fundamental part of any mathematics course. In particular, it is a major element in theoretical computer science and has undergone a huge revival with the explosion of interest in computers and computer science.This book provides students with a clear and accessible introduction to this important subject. The concept of model underlies the whole book, giving the text a theoretical coherence whilst still covering a wide area of logic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

OK but Hard
You'll find this very hard unless you are a competent math major at one of the better universities. Similar to Elliot Mendelson's text, but not quite as good. Good chapter on Boolean algebra as a
piece of pure math; Halmos and Givant is gentler, though.

Interesting topic covered: the resolution so dear to the AI crowd. Unlike most mathematicians, Cori and Lascar have time for
the way computer scientists think. At the same time, this book does not cover tableau methods (see Smullyan), natural deduction, Genzen's ideas, and so on. For pure logic at the advanced undergrad level, you're better off with Bostock.

Haven't seen Part II, so cannot comment on the treatment of set theory. This is something Mendelson and Machover already do well. ... Read more

Book Description
Topics include set theory, sentential calculus, fundamental ideas of Boolean algebras, lattices, rings and Boolean algebras, the structure of a Boolean algebra, and Boolean algebra in communication systems. ... Read more