2/26/2014

soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange
sign up log in tour help

Mathematics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people studying math at any level and professionals in related fields. It's 100% free, no registration required.

Take the 2-minute tour

What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read?
If you could go back in time and tell yourself to read a specific book at the beginning of your career as a mathematician, which book would it be?
(soft-question) (big-list ) (reference-request ) edited Jul 21 '1 0 at 6:22 community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 1 00% c4il

18 2 0 answers to the question about the single m ost influential book are an indicator that the question m ight
not be well-posed. I am therefore v oting to close. Alex B. Feb 1 5 '1 1 at 6 :07

15

I don't understand Alex B.'s com m ent. It is clear that different people would giv e different answers of what the single m ost influential book would be to them , and that is why it is a big-list com m unity wiki question. Jonas Mey er Dec 3 0 '1 1 at 4 :05 I'd lov e to contribute an answer here but before I do can y ou tell m e how y ou're defining "beginning of y our career"? Do y ou m ean the beginning of y our m ath college/graduate m ath education? Or do y ou m ean the beginning of y our first post-doc? Schm itty Feb 8 '1 2 at 1 6 :4 3 For m e this book is definitely Mac Lane's Categories for the working mathematician. It showed m e that m athem atics is a unity. But I actually read this when I was y oung, so probably this doesn't fit to the question (which has been m isunderstood already a couple of tim es). Martin Brandenburg Dec 8 '1 3 at 0:3 6

28 Answers
A Mathematician's Apology by G H Hardy. I did in fact read this in high school, and it raised my view of mathematics from a thing of utility to a thing of beauty and wonder. It inspired me to go on to study mathematics at Cambridge myself. It's a pity that the "introduction" by C P Snow is longer than the original and contains a rather depressing view of Hardy's later life. I would recommend readers to skip the introduction altogether and concentrate on Hardy's own words.
answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 1 7 :07 community wiki Neil May hew

27

I would recom m end this, but ignore any thing about it that turns y ou off from m athem atics! In particular, not all m athem aticians believ e that y ou can't be good at m ath past y our y oung adulthood and that teaching, writing or apply ing m ath are a waste! :) Jam ie Banks Jul 2 4 '1 0 at 0:4 8 @Katie: Yes, good point, I agree. I guess I just didn't pay m uch attention to those aspects when I was y oung, since it all seem ed a long way off! Neil May hew Jul 2 4 '1 0 at 4 :2 0

@Katie Hardy was a bitter, frustrated researcher who'd had been creativ ely blocked for y ears when he wrote this and it shows. There are so m any counterexam ples to the m y th about m ath and age he created in this work. Mathem agician1 2 3 4 Dec 6 '1 1 at 8:3 2 @Mathem agician1 2 3 4 , this is true! The connection between age and m ath creativ ity by its own would be far away from inspiration, the way the original question refered to. nullgeppetto Jan 2 2 at 1 5:1 1

Polya's "How To Solve It"

answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 5:57 community wiki Isaac

Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:50

http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

1/7

2/26/2014

soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange

Gdel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter:

answered Aug 4 '1 0 at 1 7 :06

community wiki Christian

20 i downv oted, because i don't like that book. its popularity is/was a bit of a fad, if y ou ask m e, and there's
nothing v ery m athem atical about it. ixtm ixilix Jul 1 4 '1 1 at 1 7 :07

@ixtm ixilix: I lov ed the book, but I think it's worth reading for the clev er puns and funny self-referential dialogues. It also has som e m uch-needed (but obv ious) rejoinders to philosophers like Lucas and Penrose. It also has an extended, and fairly good, treatm ent of the proof of Gdel's theorem ; I wouldn't say "there's nothing v ery m athem atical about it". But I agree that it's not a "book ev ery m athem atician should read". Shreev atsaR Sep 2 2 '1 1 at 1 6 :3 1 Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:50 I liked the book (and thus upv oted). It's been y ears since I read it, but I rem em ber working out som e calculations with a recursiv e function G that I thought were v ery cool back then. Oliv ier Bgassat Dec 8 '1 3 at 0:4 7 I absolutely lov ed this book for the word play , puns, dialogs, bibliography , and ty pography . If y ou want a nice, easy -to-follow proof of Goedel's Incom pleteness theorem , I would go with Newm an & Nagel's Goedel's Proof. Ron Gordon Jan 2 2 at 1 5:09

When I was in my fourth year of high school I got a copy of What is Mathematics? by Courant and Robbins. That book showed to me that Mathematics is far more than a "boring tool" to do Physics and opened up new worlds. I would recommend it to any bright high school kid with an interest in math and sciences.
answered Aug 4 '1 0 at 22:08 community wiki Andrea Mori

+ 1 I lov e that book! becko Jun 1 1 '1 2 at 0:00

William Dunham's "Journey through Genius." Well, rather that is the book I read that made me want to be a mathematician.
answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 5:47 community wiki Noah Sny der

This is the best book for non-m athem aticians, to show them real, beautiful m athem atics. A lot about the history of m athem atics, but it actually has real proofs inside, not only history . I liked m aths before this book, but this took m y lov e to a whole new lev el. Edan Maor Jul 2 1 '1 0 at 7 :05

2 2

The Mathem atical Univ erse by the sam e author is also v ery good. Neil May hew Jul 2 1 '1 0 at 1 7 :1 0 Dunham 's "Euler: The Master of Us All" had that effect on m e when I was in high school. Kev in H. Lin Jul 2 8 '1 0 at 1 9 :4 8

http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

2/7

2/26/2014

soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange

Proofs from the Book

edited Dec 6 '1 1 at 1 6:1 0 community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 67 % hmonroe

12 Solom on Lefschetz is purported to hav e said, "Don't com e to m e with y our pretty proofs. We don't bother
with that baby stuff around here." I don't generally agree with him , but I do a bit when I read Aigner's book: organizing a text around not theorem s but pretty proofs results in a certain preciousness. With a few notable exceptions (the proof of Two Squares v ia Thue's Lem m a has becom e inspirational to m e, although not im m ediately when I read it there) the num ber theory section was rather disappointing. Pete L. Clark Dec 6 '1 1 at 9 :4 9

Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:51

I am not a mathematician but Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions blew my mind. I read it when I was a college student in a class on Special Relativity and wish I had read it way earlier.
answered Jul 28 '1 0 at 1 5:46 community wiki puri

Free Google eBook The Chaz 2 .0 Jan 2 1 '1 2 at 2 :07 @TheChaz Thanks! becko Jun 1 1 '1 2 at 0:06

Anybody who wants to be a serious mathematician better read W. Rudin's "Principles of mathematical Analysis". It gives a rigorous foundation to the basic notions analysis and introduces the reader to the world of rigor, after the sloppy days of calculus courses. One must learn the notion of rigor properly if one wants to be a mathematician. More than anything else, it is an exercise in the rectitude of thought. No other book is so universally used that would teach this notion, than Rudin.
answered Aug 5 '1 0 at 1 7 :1 3 community wiki user21 8

It hopefully will be replaced for this purpose ev entually by the far superior book by Charles Chapm an Pugh,Line. Mathem agician1 2 3 4 Dec 6 '1 1 at 8:3 4 @Math: Whence m y suspicions of a literary agenda... The Chaz 2 .0 Jan 2 1 '1 2 at 2 :08

Not a book, but an essay: "Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell. What? What? (I note that the original question doesn't say that the book has to help with mathematics. It also seems to conflate 'influential' with 'should be read'; as others have pointed out, there is no pressing reason for someone who wants to be a mathematician to read the influential books rather than the useful or the interesting ones.)
answered Sep 22 '1 1 at 5:22 community wiki user1 6299

T.W.Krner, The Pleasures of Counting. It shows how mathematics is alive.

answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 1 3:03 community wiki mau

http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

3/7

2/26/2014
1

soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange

ALL of Korner's books show this,m au. Young m ath students can benefit from careful reading of ANY of the Cam bridge m aster's texts. Mathem agician1 2 3 4 Dec 6 '1 1 at 8:52

Men of Mathematics by E T Bell

edited Dec 1 1 '1 1 at 1 4:25

community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 86% Pratik Deoghare

Yes. Although it gets a lot of criticism these day s for its historical inaccuracy and exaggerations, it m akes for v ery interesting and inspiring reading. Shreev atsaR Aug 4 '1 0 at 1 7 :1 5 I liked the challenges that E.T. Bell posed to the reader. That was a lot of fun back in high school. Zach Conn Aug 5 '1 0 at 2 :1 5

11 I look forward to the sequel, "Wom en of Mathem atics". Greg Martin Dec 6 '1 1 at 9 :2 7 2
Chapter I: Em m y Noether Chapter II: Ada Lov elace ... Pratik Deoghare Dec 6 '1 1 at 9 :4 1 Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:52

This is an extremely broad question, especially given the wide variety of mathy people here, but I'll bite. HSM Coxeter's Introduction to Geometry is a book that was very important to the development of my interest in mathematics and inclination towards its geometric aspects.
answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 6:28 community wiki Jamie Banks

Although I'v e nev er read a Coxeter book from front to back, I'v e alway s enjoy ed what of his books I hav e read. Ry an Budney Nov 1 '1 0 at 1 8:2 3

Following Noah's lead I will mention; "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers" and "How to Read and Do Proofs"
answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 5:57 community wiki BBischof

Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending these books? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:52

I've been rereading Littlewood's Miscellany recently. It's a very readable collection of the writings of J. E. Littlewood, carefully edited by Bla Bollobs. Any budding mathematician will draw much inspiration from it. I like A Mathematician's Apology , but if I was forced into choosing only one book, it would be Littlewood's Miscellany . http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

4/7

2/26/2014 soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange choosing only one book, it would be Littlewood's Miscellany .
answered Aug 5 '1 0 at 1 8:1 8 community wiki Baudrillard

I'll recommend two, which are similar in that they take fairly elementary mathematical problems and give very thorough and careful "talking out loud" illustrations of how a proper mathematician would go about thinking them through - what's really going on, what's a good example, what's a definitive counterexample, how to generalise, how to realise you've reached a dead end, and so on. "Proofs and refutations" by Imre Lakatos (just one, geometrical, problem, in glorious detail). "Mathematics and plausible reasoning Vol 1" by G. Polya (a little more advanced, and much more satisfying, than "How to solve it").
answered Aug 4 '1 0 at 20:1 2 community wiki

Geometric Algebra by Emil Artin. Though not for the beginner, it can do wonders for an intermediate undergraduate in terms of expanding their horizons and helping them appreciate the beauty and interconnectedness of mathematics. It did for me and I think convinced me that I'm a geometer at heart.
answered Aug 4 '1 0 at 21 :20 community wiki V ladimir Sotirov

I hav en't read this particular book, but I definitely think geom etric algebra is worthwhile for pretty m uch all m athem aticians. Zach Conn Aug 5 '1 0 at 2 :1 6 + 1 for a great classic that showed the deep connection between classical geom etry and algebra. Mathem agician1 2 3 4 Dec 6 '1 1 at 8:3 3

Probability Theory: the Logic of Science. Or anything by Edwin T Jaynes.

edited Dec 6 '1 1 at 8:1 6 community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 67 % Jonathan Fischoff

Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book (and author)? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:53

Title: The Mathematical Experience Authors: Davis and Hersh Short Description: A really accessible and funny introduction to the philosophy of mathematics. I think the description of the "ideal mathematician" is particularly hilarious.
edited Dec 1 1 '1 1 at 1 4:26 community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 84% user7 1 04

Euclid's Elements Newton's Principia Mathematica Ideally in the original languages of Ancient Greek and Latin respectively! No, just kidding. But they are true classics that any accomplished mathematician should read at some point during their career. Not because they'll teach you something you don't already know, but they provide a unique insight into the mind of these giants. http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

5/7

2/26/2014 soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange a unique insight into the mind of these giants.
edited Jul 28 '1 0 at 1 5:50 community wiki 2 rev s Noldorin

30 I think both are a waste of tim e for a working m athem atician. BBischof Jul 2 1 '1 0 at 1 4 :50 9
That's right, because neither Euclid or Newton contributed any thing to m aths. Noldorin Jul 2 1 '1 0 at 1 4 :52 I think the point stands that study ing Euclid or Newton is likely to be an inefficient way to learn the subjects. There are m odern books that can giv e the presentation m ore efficiently and elegantly (e.g., Euclid didn't hav e algebraic notation). "Study ing the classics" in m athem atics is often a bad idea (not least because they didn't hav e LaTeX in the Old Day s). Akhil Mathew Jul 2 1 '1 0 at 2 3 :1 5 Fair point, especially regarding 'inefficiency ', but disagreed in general. Getting an insight into the m inds of the m asters is a v aluable thing to m e - prov iding y ou hav e the tim e! Then again, I'm also a (v ery am ateur) historian, and thus v alue it in that respect too. Noldorin Jul 2 2 '1 0 at 7 :2 8 Yes, reading the "classics" in m athem atics is m ore of historical interest (how did the m asters think about the m athem atics they did) than of m athem atical interest (how worthwhile will it be to a working m athem atician). Shreev atsaR Sep 2 2 '1 1 at 6 :2 8

19

Recommending one single book at the beginning of a young mathematician's career is a little like asking someone what particular vitamin they should make sure is in a child's diet. It's absurdly restrictive. That being said-there are certainly 3 books I would recommend without reservation to any young student just getting interested in serious mathematics: Micheal Spivak's Calculus, Klaus Janich's remarkable Topology and Paul Halmos' I Want To Be A Mathematician. The last one in particular inspired me to leave pre-med to begin the path to be a mathematician. The other 2 are remarkable works that will begin to open the edifice of modern mathematics to the novice. I can recommend a hundred others,but those are the absolute must-reads for the beginner to me.
answered Dec 6 '1 1 at 9:02 community wiki Mathemagician1 234

Visual Complex Analysis by Tristam Needham. I always like to see mathematical problems in pictures whenever I can, and this one pushes the 'keep it visual' approach to the limits. Needham won an award for some of the work in there.
answered Feb 8 '1 2 at 1 6:25 community wiki Robert

the man who loved only numbers, innumeracy , a beautiful mind. these three books have shaped my thinking and love of mathematics...books on math..not exactly a lot of math in them however.
edited Dec 6 '1 1 at 1 6:03 community wiki 2 rev s, 2 users 67 % cody

I didn't read "a beautiful m ind" book butI don't like the "A Beautiful Mind" m ov ie. I don't recom m end any one to waste his tim e on that m ov ie Zeta.Inv estigator Sep 3 '1 2 at 1 3 :52 Your third link doesn't work. Julian Kuelsham m er Nov 1 1 '1 2 at 9 :4 3

http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

6/7

2/26/2014

soft question - What is the single most influential book every mathematician should read? - Mathematics Stack Exchange

Nicolas Bourbaki's lments de mathmatique (specifically Topologie Gnrale and Algbre).

answered Jul 21 '1 0 at 6:32 community wiki user1 26

Is there any particular reason why y ou're recom m ending this book? user4 89 Jan 2 3 '1 2 at 1 8:51

I would read a book about Perelman's proof of the Poincar conjecture (or even the papers themselves). Oh, you mean the book had to be written when I was starting?
answered Jul 28 '1 0 at 1 5:28 community wiki y atima297 5

dummit and foote's abstract algebra it taught me, more than anything, how to be precise. disclaimer: i'm computer science not math
answered Aug 5 '1 2 at 21 :53 community wiki sam boosalis

This question does not have a unique answer. I will concur with Jonathan in that Jayne's "Probability Theory: the logic of science" is a great book. This book changed my life as a scientist, converting me into a fervent Bayesian. For me it was a truly irreversible experience when I, for the first time, understood and comprehended that probability (as applied to understanding the real physical world) essentially stems from our lack of knowledge, our incomplete information, of reality. Fantastic book, although I admit that Jayne's style might not suit everyone's taste.
answered May 25 '1 3 at 9:42 community wiki Cinco Sauces

god created the integers by Stephen Hawking is the best book...... for mathematics.
answered Jan 22 at 1 5:05 community wiki user1 1 491 7

There are so many, and I've already seen three that I would mention. Two more of interest to lay readers: The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel. Excellently written, ultimately a tragedy, but a real source of inspiration. Goedel's Proof by Nagel & Newman. Really, a beautiful and short exposition of the nature of proof, non-euclidean geometry, and the thinking that led Goedel to his magnificent proof.
answered Jan 22 at 1 5:1 3 community wiki Ron Gordon

http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/262/what-is-the-single-most-influential-book-every-mathematician-should-read

7/7