
Asymptopia
Joel Spencer(Author)
American Mathematical Society (Publisher)
Published on 30. July 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
183 pages
978-1-4704-0904-3 (ISBN)
Description
Asymptotics in one form or another are part of the landscape for every mathematician. The objective of this book is to present the ideas of how to approach asymptotic problems that arise in discrete mathematics, analysis of algorithms, and number theory. A broad range of topics is covered, including distribution of prime integers, Erdos Magic, random graphs, Ramsey numbers, and asymptotic geometry.
The author is a disciple of Paul Erdos, who taught him about Asymptopia. Primes less than n , graphs with v vertices, random walks of t steps - Erdos was fascinated by the limiting behavior as the variables approached, but never reached, infinity. Asymptotics is very much an art. The various functions nlnn , n 2 , lnn n , lnn ? ? ? ? , 1 nlnn all have distinct personalities. Erdos knew these functions as personal friends. It is the author's hope that these insights may be passed on, that the reader may similarly feel which function has the right temperament for a given task. This book is aimed at strong undergraduates, though it is also suitable for particularly good high school students or for graduates wanting to learn some basic techniques.
Asymptopia is a beautiful world. Enjoy!
The author is a disciple of Paul Erdos, who taught him about Asymptopia. Primes less than n , graphs with v vertices, random walks of t steps - Erdos was fascinated by the limiting behavior as the variables approached, but never reached, infinity. Asymptotics is very much an art. The various functions nlnn , n 2 , lnn n , lnn ? ? ? ? , 1 nlnn all have distinct personalities. Erdos knew these functions as personal friends. It is the author's hope that these insights may be passed on, that the reader may similarly feel which function has the right temperament for a given task. This book is aimed at strong undergraduates, though it is also suitable for particularly good high school students or for graduates wanting to learn some basic techniques.
Asymptopia is a beautiful world. Enjoy!
Reviews / Votes
The style and the beauty make this book an excellent reading. Keep it on your coffee table or/and bed table and open it often, Asymptopia is a fascinating place." - Peter Hajnal, ACTA Sci. Math.More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Providence
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Weight
245 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4704-0904-3 (9781470409043)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Joel Spencer, New York University, NY.
Content
An infinity of primes
Stirling's formula
Big Oh, little Oh and all that
Integration in Asymptopia
From integrals to sums
Asymptotics of binomial coefficients (n k )
Unicyclic graphs
Ramsey numbers
Large deviations
Primes
Asymptotic geometry
Algorithms
Potpourri
Really Big Numbers!
Bibliography
Index
Stirling's formula
Big Oh, little Oh and all that
Integration in Asymptopia
From integrals to sums
Asymptotics of binomial coefficients (n k )
Unicyclic graphs
Ramsey numbers
Large deviations
Primes
Asymptotic geometry
Algorithms
Potpourri
Really Big Numbers!
Bibliography
Index