Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories - Softcover

Lawvere, F. William; Schanuel, Stephen Hoel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521478170 ISBN 13: 9780521478175

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1997

Synopsis

In the last fifty years, the use of the notion of 'category' has led to a remarkable unification and simplification of mathematics. Written by two of the best known participants in this development, Conceptual Mathematics is the first book to serve as a skeleton key to mathematics for the general reader or beginning student and as an introduction to categories for computer scientists, logicians, physicists, linguists etc. While the ideas and techniques of basic category theory are useful throughout modern mathematics, this book does not presuppose knowledge of specific fields but rather develops elementary categories such as directed graphs and discrete dynamical systems from the beginning. The fundamental ideas are then illuminated in an engaging way by examples in these categories.

About this title

Review

'Conceptual Mathematics is the first book to serve both as a skeleton key to mathematics for the general reader or beginning student and as an introduction to categories for computer scientists, logicians, physicists, linguists, etc ... The fundamental ideas are illuminated in an engaging way.' Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik

'This book is the first book to serve both as a skeleton key to mathematics for the general reader or beginning student and as an introduction to categories for computer scientists, logicians, physicists, linguists, etc ... The fundamental ideas are illuminated in an engaging way.' L'Enseignment Mathématique

'... every mathematician should know the basic ideas and techniques explained in this book ...' Monatshefte für Mathematik

Book Description

Conceptual Mathematics is the first book to serve as a skeleton key to mathematics for the general reader and as an introduction to categories for computer scientists, logicians, physicists, linguists etc. This book does not presuppose knowledge of specific fields but rather develops elementary categories such as directed graphs and discrete dynamical systems from the beginning.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0521478170
• ISBN 13: 9780521478175
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 376