Current favorite undergrad textbooks

Alon Amit

unread,

Aug 27, 2004, 9:00:12 PM8/27/04

to

Which textbooks are currently trendy for the main undergrad algebra
and analysis courses?

TIA

- AA

Saint Cad

unread,

Aug 27, 2004, 9:32:03 PM8/27/04

to

"Alon Amit" <alon...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6263caac.04082...@posting.google.com...

> Which textbooks are currently trendy for the main undergrad algebra
> and analysis courses?
>

For Algebra, the big two were Hungersford and Herstein. When I went back
for my masters, the professor said they were still the most popular ones.

Alon Amit

unread,

Aug 28, 2004, 3:29:52 AM8/28/04

to

Thanks - but aren't these graduate texts?

Michael Lockhart

unread,

Aug 28, 2004, 4:54:20 AM8/28/04

to

> Thanks - but aren't these graduate texts?

When I was at Princeton, they used Herstein's "Topics in Algebra" for first
semester undergraduate abstract algebra. I used it my junior year.
Wonderful book. He also wrote a book called "Abstract Algebra", I believe,
which is an easier/shorter version, if that's what you're interested in. A
friend of mine who went to Michigan State for undergrad said they used
Hungerford (no "s") there for their graduate course, but I had heard it was
for undergrads, so I'm not sure about that one. I glanced at it once, and
it looked nowhere near as well-written as Herstein's book.

Michael

Saint Cad

unread,

Aug 28, 2004, 2:25:13 PM8/28/04

to

"Michael Lockhart" <ml1...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:5KXXc.37871$cx....@bignews4.bellsouth.net...

> "Alon Amit" <alon...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:6263caac.04082...@posting.google.com...
> >>> Which textbooks are currently trendy for the main undergrad algebra
> >>> and analysis courses?
> >>
> >>For Algebra, the big two were Hungersford and Herstein. When I went
back
> >>for my masters, the professor said they were still the most popular
ones.
> >
> > Thanks - but aren't these graduate texts?
>

I used Hungerford for my undergrad work

David Ames

unread,

Aug 28, 2004, 8:10:49 PM8/28/04

to

"Saint Cad" <sain...@emailblackhole.com> wrote in message news:<ngRXc.283$O85.221@trnddc05>...

"I would never use Hungerford again."

"The book sucks."

-- Prof. E.L. Lady, University of Hawaii

(Professor Lady is apparently a specialist in Algebra.)

David Ames

Alon Amit

unread,

Aug 29, 2004, 2:37:03 AM8/29/04

to

I didn't explain my motivation. It isn't self study; I was just curious
as to whether there are better texts today than the ones I used as an
undergrad and later as a TA.

What about analysis, or advanced calculus (I'm not sure how the first
year's courses are called)?

Thanks again,

- AA

Adam Atkinson

unread,

Aug 29, 2004, 2:57:43 AM8/29/04

to

On 29-Aug-04 07:37:03, Alon Amit said:

>What about analysis, or advanced calculus (I'm not sure how the first
>year's courses are called)?

I've always liked Spivak.

--
Adam Atkinson (gh...@mistral.co.uk)
If you are angry with someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then you
will be a mile away from them. And you'll have their shoes.

Van Jacques

unread,

Aug 29, 2004, 6:28:54 AM8/29/04

to

People should specify which of Hungerford's Algebra texts, and he has
2 out, 1 for undergrads (Abstract Algebra, An Intro), 1 for grads.
(Algebra,
a GTM text).