Collins "Dictionary of Mathematics" by Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein

A dictionary filled with mathematical terms and definitions, making this the very first book we ever purchased in relation to Mathematics!

You're looking at the very first book we have purchased as soon as our interest in Mathematics began to develop. We're not sure why it took long to talk about this book, but what the heck, I'm sure people will get a kick out of likely considering something filled with mathematical terms they can always look up when needed. Why not? There are even terms we never knew existed and what mathematical disciplines use such practice(s). Oh, sure, you can look up these terms online but because of the craze of hanging on to physical media, wouldn't it nice to have a companion that's easily accessible without having to take a few minutes to boot up your computational device just to look them up?

What we love about this dictionary is how friendly the terms and definitions are. It's not written in a way that only someone with big mathematical prowess is able to know. Not at all: This dictionary is approachable to those of any level of math knowledge willing to know more or to extend their knowledge of terms in a more defined explanation, instead of responding to questions with the answer, "Oh, well, that's the way it is." As mentioned earlier, there are also a chunk full of terms and definitions we didn't even know about and various formulas used in certain studies of interest (i.e. electrical engineering). While it's humanly impossible to understand and to know all mathematical disciplines, it's still fun to read about. Granted, being that this is a dictionary, it's not something you'd read cover to cover, but the definitions also include illustrated samples and examples to further emphasize its meaning(s).

This is one of those books you rarely see at schools and at the workplace. We're not sure about how our current education system here in the US feels about math, but we feel that subjects like this ought to be prioritized and taught in a way that's gentle and fun. It is my personal belief that there's no such thing as a "difficult" subject, knowing that there's a way to teach subjects that even the layperson can grasp (if I can understand advanced topics such as Quantum Computer Science, brim with lots of Linear Algebra, so can you and anyone else all thanks to those who taught it so thoroughly). The fact that this book even exists proves that there's a lot to be learned about Math, which is an exciting thing given that there's a rich amount of information to learn and be curious about. Stereotypically, it's not just physics, business, astronomy or anything you've learned in school, there's a HUGE amount of math used in various areas of study in our world that's impossible to ignore. Okay, I understand, math gives people anxiety, but perhaps a book like this will help reduce those worries—no, seriously, check that out.

Perhaps to make the most out of your purchase of this book, this includes a Preface to get to know the authors a little more, and online resources to extend your knowledge and research of the subject. Those online websites include some tools available for purchase for both students, teachers and professionals in the business. We had to mention this since this isn't just a plain-old dictionary. Added with it are pages dedicated to Hilbert Problems and Millenium Prize Problems, and my personal favorite, Symbols and Conventions.

A simple and humble book to own and check out. Take a gander and own this today!

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming (software development) and video production, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, playing old video/DOS games, digital video archiving, and listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

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