Beginning with algebraic structures in general, the author covers natural numbers, rings and fields, vector spaces, polynomials, real and complex number fields, linear operators, many other topics. Includes over 1,300 carefully selected exercises. 1965 edition. List of Symbols.
Mathematics tends to build on itself. We start with counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The algebra I learned in school raises the level of abstraction by one step. Rather than manipulating numbers, you mess with symbols that stand for numbers. Seth Warner’s Modern Algebra raises the abstraction even further.
Warner opens with Set Theory and describes the symbols it uses. I appreciate books that do that. It starts from square one, defining terms and gradually getting to more complicated ideas. Warner is an adherent of the mantra that practice makes perfect. He has dozens of practice problems and examples throughout the book.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.