Description

I like the authors’ taste in footnotes, what with their frequent emphasis on history, i.e. the minutiae of the lives of many mathematicians appearing in these pages. Their remarks add a particular dimension of fun and pleasure to what I think is a very good book. It’s pitched at the right level, it does a lot of serious stuff in preparation for what is coming the students’ way in the future, and it does it well.’MAA ReviewsThis comprehensive two-volume book deals with algebra, broadly conceived. Volume 1 (Chapters 1-6) comprises material for a first year graduate course in algebra, offering the instructor a number of options in designing such a course. Volume 1, provides as well all essential material that students need to prepare for the qualifying exam in algebra at most American and European universities. Volume 2 (Chapters 7-13) forms the basis for a second year graduate course in topics in algebra. As the table of contents shows, that volume provides ample material accommodating a variety of topics that may be included in a second year course. To facilitate matters for the reader, there is a chart showing the interdependence of the chapters.