Knots and Surfaces: A Guide to Discovering Mathematics (Mathematical World, Vol. 6) (Mathematical World)

In most mathematics textbooks, the most exciting part of mathematics - the process of invention and discovery - is completely hidden from the reader. The aim of "Knots and Surfaces" is to change all that. By means of a series of carefully selected tasks, this book leads readers to discover some real mathematics. There are no formulas to memorize; no procedures to follow. The book is a guide: its job is to start you in the right direction and to bring you back if you stray too far. Discovery is left to you. Suitable for a one-semester course at the beginning undergraduate level, there are no prerequisites for understanding the text. Any college student interested in discovering the beauty of mathematics will enjoy a course taught from this book. The book has also been used successfully with non science students who want to fulfill a science requirement. Also available from the AMS by David W. Farmer is "Groups and Symmetry: A Guide to Discovering Mathematics".