Abstract
IT is a pleasure to come across an algebra-book which has manifestly not been written in order merely to prepare students to pass an examination. Not that we think Mr. Smith's book unsuitable for this purpose; indeed, with its carefully-worked examples, graduated sets of exercises, and regularly-recurring miscellaneous examination-papers, it compares favourably with the most approved “grinders” books. The real want of the present day is a text-book logically arranged and logically written. Apparently no author cares to risk the chance of the financial ruin of his book by going thoroughly to the root of the evil. A policy of “safety” is the most we can expect. This is Mr. Smith's policy, and although we think he might have made fewer concessions to custom and yet have been safe, we welcome his effort very cordially, trusting that, when his book has gained the success which it well deserves, he will see his way to introduce further improvements. He shows to great advantage as a teacher, his style of exposition being most lucid: the average student ought to find the book easy and pleasant reading. The second set of exercises on the binomial theorem is worth specially noting; in many other mathematical books the sets of exercises proposed to the student might well be, as in this instance, collections of really useful theorems.
Elementary Algebra.
By Charles Smith., Fellow and Tutor of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. (London: Macmillan and Co., 1886.)
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[Book Reviews]. Nature 33, 413 (1886). https://doi.org/10.1038/033413a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/033413a0