Mathematics

Celebrated mathematician Stewart explains why mathematical problems exist, what drives mathematicians to solve them, and why their efforts matter in the context of science as a whole.

Every New Copy of Precalculus: A Functional Approach to Graphing and Problem Solving Includes Access to the Student Companion Website!Precalculus: A Functional Approach to Graphing and Problem Solving prepares students for the concepts and applications they will encounter in future calculus courses. In far too many texts, process is stressed over insight and understanding, and students move on to calculus ill equipped to think conceptually about its essential ideas. This text provides sound development of the important mathematical underpinnings of calculus, stimulating problems and exercises, and a well-developed, engaging pedagogy. Students will leave with a clear understanding of what lies ahead in their future calculus courses. Instructors will find that Smith's straightforward, student-friendly presentation provides exactly what they have been looking for in a text!

Mathleticsis a remarkably entertaining book that shows readers how to use simple mathematics to analyze a range of statistical and probability-related questions in professional baseball, basketball, and football, and in sports gambling. How does professional baseball evaluate hitters? Is a singles hitter like Wade Boggs more valuable than a power hitter like David Ortiz? Should NFL teams pass or run more often on first downs? Could professional basketball have used statistics to expose the crooked referee Tim Donaghy? Does money buy performance in professional sports? InMathletics, Wayne Winston describes the mathematical methods that top coaches and managers use to evaluate players and improve team performance, and gives math enthusiasts the practical tools they need to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of their favorite sports--and maybe even gain the outside edge to winning bets.Mathleticsblends fun math problems with sports stories of actual games, teams, and players, along with personal anecdotes from Winston's work as a sports consultant. Winston uses easy-to-read tables and illustrations to illuminate the techniques and ideas he presents, and all the necessary math concepts--such as arithmetic, basic statistics and probability, and Monte Carlo simulations--are fully explained in the examples. After readingMathletics, you will understand why baseball teams should almost never bunt, why football overtime systems are unfair, why points, rebounds, and assists aren't enough to determine who's the NBA's best player--and much, much more. In a new epilogue, Winston discusses the stats and numerical analysis behind some recent sporting events, such as how the Dallas Mavericks used analytics to become the 2011 NBA champions.