For undergraduate courses in Liberal Arts Mathematics, Quantitative Literacy, and General Education.

This collection of "excursions" into modern mathematics is organized into four independent parts, each consisting of four chapters--1) Social Choice, 2) Management Science, 3) Growth and Symmetry, and 4) Statistics. The book is written in an informal, very readable style, with pedagogical features that make the material both interesting and clear. Coverage centers on an assortment of real-world examples and applications, demonstrating the usefulness, relevance, and attractiveness of liberal arts mathematics.

Features

• NEW--"Profiles" --Incorporates biographical profiles of featured mathematicians at the end of each chapter.
• Humanizes the materials in each chapter and introduces some of the key mathematicians in these fields.
• NEW--"Projects and Papers" --Found at the end of chapter problem sets, offers topics for projects and papers appealing to instructors who want their students to do cooperative learning or research papers.
• Provides a great vehicle for explorations and class discussions that students and professors can pursue together.
• NEW--Updated problems and examples. Many of the problems and examples have been updated and improved based on reviewer/user feedback.
• Provides updated examples and additional exercises.
• Carefully chosen topics--Meet the following criteria:
• Accessibility--the material does not require a heavy mathematical infrastructure.
• Applicability--the presentation connects the mathematics presented and the real-life problems that motivate it.
• Currency--much of the material dates within the last 100 years, and some--fractals for instance--within the last 15.
• Aesthetics--develops an appreciation for mathematics by combining its elegance with its simplicity.
• Numerous exercises--Over 1500 in total.
• Exercises are divided into 3 levels of difficulty:
• Walking: straight forward applications of the concepts discussed in the chapter.
• Jogging: exercises that require extra effort and/or insight on the part of the student.
• Running: exercises that really challenge the students' ability and understanding.
• Extensive bibliographies--Accompany each chapter.
• Enables student to easily pursue further study.