This book provides a comprehensive exposition of the theory of braids, beginning with the basic mathematical definitions and structures. Among the many topics explained in detail are: the braid group for various surfaces; the solution of the word problem for the braid group; braids in the context of knots and links (Alexander's theorem); Markov's theorem and its use in obtaining braid invariants; the connection between the Platonic solids (regular polyhedra) and braids; the use of braids in the solution of algebraic equations.
This final text in the Zakon Series on Mathematics Analysis follows the release of the author's Basic Concepts of Mathematics and Mathematical Analysis I and completes the material on Real Analysis that is the foundation for later courses in functional analysis, harmonic analysis, probability theory, etc. The first chapter extends calculus to n-dimensional Euclidean space and, more generally, Banach spaces, covering the inverse function theorem, the implicit function theorem, Taylor expansions, etc.
This is a selection of expository essays by Paulo Ribenboim, the author of such popular titles as "The New Book of Prime Number Records" and "The Little Book of Big Primes". The book contains essays on Fibonacci numbers, prime numbers, Bernoulli numbers, and historical presentations of the main problems pertaining to elementary number theory, such as for instance Kummer's work on Fermat's Last Theorem. The essays are written in a light and humorous language without secrets and are thoroughly accessible to everyone with an interest in numbers.
