The A to Z of Mathematics, A Basic Guide - Sidebotham.pdf - MATH - sigebryht

The A to Z of Mathematics

A Basic Guide

Thomas H. Sidebotham

St. Bede’s College

Christchurch, New Zealand

A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION

This book is printed on acid-free paper. ∞

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as

permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the

prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-

copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-

8400, fax (978) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the

Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012,

(212) 850-6011, fax (212) 850-6008, E-Mail: PERMREQ@WILEY.COM.

For ordering and customer service, call 1-800-CALL-WILEY.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

The A to Z of Mathematics : A Basic Guide—Thomas H. Sidebotham

ISBN 0-471-15045-2

Printed in the United States of America.

10987654321

To my wife, Patricia

Who persuaded me to get started and

supported me until it was ﬁnished

Contents

Preface ...................................................................ix

Acknowledgments ........................................................ xi

A .........................................................................1

B ........................................................................48

C ........................................................................63

D .......................................................................145

E .......................................................................167

F .......................................................................197

G .......................................................................214

H .......................................................................234

I ........................................................................245

K .......................................................................269

L .......................................................................272

M ......................................................................281

N .......................................................................296

O .......................................................................306

P .......................................................................314

vii

The A to Z of Mathematics, A Basic Guide - Sidebotham.pdf