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I've always wanted to learn mathematics but have no idea where to start, I have no formal education in anything. I tried the Ivan Savov books and they seem gre

by rublev 9y ago

I've always wanted to learn mathematics but have no idea where to start, I have no formal education in anything. I tried the Ivan Savov books and they seem great but I have no way to judge the quality of any resources. Where do I start as a complete beginner? I want books not online resources like Khan etc. I would eventually like to get into Geometry but I have no foundation whatsoever, just basic algebra.

rmidthun 9y ago
The web site https://betterexplained.com/ https://betterexplained.com/ has physical books that you can purchase "Math, Better Explained: Learn to Unlock Your Math Intuition". The explanations on that website are excellent, I imagine the book is the same.
dboreham 9y ago
You could try : What Is Mathematics? An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195105192 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195105192
hollander 9y ago
I find the online courses the most entertaining and stimulating. Many are available for free, like on Coursera, MIT.edu. Some offer real classes, where you follow live classes I believe. You cannot start when you want, you have to follow the program. On Udemy you can find nice courses as well for a good price. They have discounts all the time, each course for $10-20. Never pay the full price. See the reviews, and you can always take a risk for that price, plus they have a 30 day money back guarantee.
nextos 9y ago
Start with: * Algebra, Gelfand * Geometry, Kiselev
mkl 9y ago
Measurement, by Paul Lockhart, may be helpful to start with. It carefully and clearly derives mathematical principles from basic ideas, in a very approachable way. Here's how it describes its content: Part One: Size and Shape In which we begin our investigation of abstract geometrical figures. Symmetrical tiling and angle measurement. Scaling and proportion. Length, area, and volume. The method of exhaustion and its consequences. Polygons and trigonometry. Conic sections and projective geometry. Mechanical curves. Part Two: Time and Space Containing some thoughts on mathematical motion. Coordinate systems and dimension. Motion as a numerical relationship. Vector representation and mechanical relativity. The measurement of velocity. The differential calculus and its myriad uses. Some final words of encouragement to the reader.
- rublev 9y ago
  I have absolutely no mathematical background. https://www.reddit.com/r/mathbooks/comments/1ehupq/totally_different_kind_of_math_book_measurement/ https://www.reddit.com/r/mathbooks/comments/1ehupq/totally_d... Here people are saying you need a solid pure math background. I skimmed through it and it gets complex very quickly. Around page 58 with the formulas I get lost. Thanks though, I think I'll be ready for this after Gelfand and Kiselev. Can't wait.
kenny87 9y ago
For the very basic precalc foundations this one was great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760706603/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760706603/. For easing into higher maths I recommend this one on proofs: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Proofs-Introduction-Mathematical/dp/0471406473 https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Proofs-Introduction-Mathemat.... Also if you're concerned about quality the MAA reviews math books and publishes a basic library list for undergrad maths: https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews.

by rublev 9y ago

rmidthun 9y ago

The web site https://betterexplained.com/ https://betterexplained.com/ has physical books that you can purchase "Math, Better Explained: Learn to Unlock Your Math Intuition". The explanations on that website are excellent, I imagine the book is the same.

dboreham 9y ago

You could try : What Is Mathematics? An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195105192 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195105192

hollander 9y ago

I find the online courses the most entertaining and stimulating. Many are available for free, like on Coursera, MIT.edu. Some offer real classes, where you follow live classes I believe. You cannot start when you want, you have to follow the program. On Udemy you can find nice courses as well for a good price. They have discounts all the time, each course for $10-20. Never pay the full price. See the reviews, and you can always take a risk for that price, plus they have a 30 day money back guarantee.

nextos 9y ago

Start with: * Algebra, Gelfand * Geometry, Kiselev

mkl 9y ago

Measurement, by Paul Lockhart, may be helpful to start with. It carefully and clearly derives mathematical principles from basic ideas, in a very approachable way. Here's how it describes its content: Part One: Size and Shape In which we begin our investigation of abstract geometrical figures. Symmetrical tiling and angle measurement. Scaling and proportion. Length, area, and volume. The method of exhaustion and its consequences. Polygons and trigonometry. Conic sections and projective geometry. Mechanical curves. Part Two: Time and Space Containing some thoughts on mathematical motion. Coordinate systems and dimension. Motion as a numerical relationship. Vector representation and mechanical relativity. The measurement of velocity. The differential calculus and its myriad uses. Some final words of encouragement to the reader.

rublev 9y ago
I have absolutely no mathematical background. https://www.reddit.com/r/mathbooks/comments/1ehupq/totally_different_kind_of_math_book_measurement/ https://www.reddit.com/r/mathbooks/comments/1ehupq/totally_d... Here people are saying you need a solid pure math background. I skimmed through it and it gets complex very quickly. Around page 58 with the formulas I get lost. Thanks though, I think I'll be ready for this after Gelfand and Kiselev. Can't wait.

kenny87 9y ago

For the very basic precalc foundations this one was great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760706603/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760706603/. For easing into higher maths I recommend this one on proofs: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Proofs-Introduction-Mathematical/dp/0471406473 https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Proofs-Introduction-Mathemat.... Also if you're concerned about quality the MAA reviews math books and publishes a basic library list for undergrad maths: https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews https://www.maa.org/press/maa-reviews.