Description
Book SynopsisThis Very Short Introduction invites readers to revisit algebra and appreciate the elegance and power of equations and inequalities. Offering a clear explanation of algebra through theory and example, Higgins shows how equations lead to complex numbers, matrices, groups, rings, and fields.
Table of Contents1. Numbers and algebra ; 2. The laws of algebra ; 3. Linear equations and inequalities ; 4. Quadratic equations ; 5. The algebra of polynomials ; 6. Introduction to matrices ; 7. Matrices and groups ; 8. Determinants and matrices ; 9. Algebra and the arithmetic of remainders ; 10. Vector spaces ; Further Reading ; Index