Jack comments on Open Thread: January 2010 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 01 January 2010 05:02PM

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Comment author: Jack 07 January 2010 07:53:53PM 0 points [-]

I'm looking for specific advice. Do you know of good text books?

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 07 January 2010 08:01:12PM *  0 points [-]

Which textbook is good on a given topic depends on the student's current level, and more importantly on what exactly do you want to learn. "Math"?.. A couple of random suggestions that appealed to me aesthetically, but YMMV:

  • F. W. Lawvere & S. H. Schanuel (1991). Conceptual mathematics: a first introduction to categories. Buffalo Workshop Press, Buffalo, NY, USA.
  • S. Mac Lane & G. Birkhoff (1999). Algebra. American Mathematical Society, 3 edn.

(Both can be found on Kad.)

Comment author: Tyrrell_McAllister 07 January 2010 07:54:22PM 0 points [-]

What, specifically, do you want to learn?

Comment author: Jack 07 January 2010 08:04:06PM 2 points [-]

If the Simple Math of Everything were a real text book, I'd read that. But I've gathered calculus is the right place to start. Probability theory would be next, I guess.