Includes section "Book reviews."

The word "critical" in the title of this collection has three meanings, all of which are relevant. One meaning, as applied to a situation or problem, is "at a point of crisis". A second meaning is "expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments". A third is related to the verb "to critique", meaning "to analyze the merits and faults of". The authors contributing to this book pose challenging questions, from multiple perspectives, about the roles of mathematics in society and the implications for education. Traditional reasons for teaching mathematics include: preparing a new generation of mathematics researchers and a cadre of technically competent users of mathematics; training students to think logically; and because mathematics is as much part of cultural heritage as literature or music. These reasons remain valid, though open to critique, but a deeper analysis is required that recognizes the roles of mathematics in framing many aspects of contemporary society, that will connect mathematics education to the lived experiences of students, their communities, and society in general, and that acknowledges the global ethical responsibilities of mathematicians and mathematics educators. The book is organized in four sections (1) Mathematics education: For what and why? (2) Globalization and cultural diversity, (3) Mathematics, education, and society and (4) Social justice in, and through, mathematics education The chapters address fundamental issues such as the relevance of school mathematics in people's lives; creating a sense of agency for the field of mathematics education, and redefining the relationship between mathematics as discipline, mathematics as school subject and mathematics as part of people's lives.

Classic undergraduate text acquaints students with fundamental concepts and methods of mathematics. Topics include axiomatic method, set theory, infinite sets, groups, intuitionism, formal systems, mathematical logic, and much more. 1965 second edition.

Martin Gardner's Mathematical Games columns in Scientific American inspired and entertained several generations of mathematicians and scientists. Gardner in his crystal-clear prose illuminated corners of mathematics, especially recreational mathematics, that most people had no idea existed. His playful spirit and inquisitive nature invite the reader into an exploration of beautiful mathematical ideas along with him. These columns were both a revelation and a gift when he wrote them; no one--before Gardner--had written about mathematics like this. They continue to be a marvel. This volume, first published in 1966, contains columns originally published from 1959-1961. This is the 1995 MAA edition and contains an extensive postscript and bibliography from Gardner updating the columns.

The field of research in collegiate mathematics education has grown rapidly over the past 25 years. Many people are convinced that improvement in mathematics education can only come with a greater understanding of what is involved when a student tries to learn mathematics and how pedagogy can be more directly related to the learning process. Today there is a substantial body of work and a growing group of researchers addressing both basic and applied issues of mathematics education at the collegiate level. This second volume in Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education begins with a paper that attends to methodology and closes with a list of questions. The lead-off paper describes a distinctive approach to research on key concepts in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. This approach is distinguished from others in several ways, especially its integration of research and instruction. The papers in this volume exhibit a large diversity in methods and purposes, ranging from historical studies, to theoretical examinations of the role of gender in mathematics education, to practical evaluations of particular practices and circumstances. As in RCME I, this volume poses a list of questions to the reader related to undergraduate mathematics education. The eighteen questions were raised at the first Oberwolfach Conference in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, which was held in the Fall of 1995, and are related to both research and curriculum. This series is published in cooperation with the Mathematical Association of America.

Since it was first published three decades ago, Excursions Into Mathematics has been one of the most popular mathematical books written for a general audience. Taking the reader for short "excursions" into several specific disciplines of mathematics, it makes mathematical concepts accessible to a wide audience. The Millennium Edition is updated with current research and new solutions to outstanding problems that have been discovered since the last edition was printed, such as the solution to the well-known "four-color problem." Excursions Into Mathematics: The Millennium Edition is an exciting revision of the original, much-loved classic. Everyone with an interest in mathematics should read this book.

Approximately fifty articles that were published in The Mathematical Intelligencer during its first eighteen years. The selection demonstrates the wide variety of attractive articles that have appeared over the years, ranging from general interest articles of a historical nature to lucid expositions of important current discoveries. Each article is introduced by the editors. "...The Mathematical Intelligencer publishes stylish, well-illustrated articles, rich in ideas and usually short on proofs. ...Many, but not all articles fall within the reach of the advanced undergraduate mathematics major. ... This book makes a nice addition to any undergraduate mathematics collection that does not already sport back issues of The Mathematical Intelligencer." D.V. Feldman, University of New Hamphire, CHOICE Reviews, June 2001.