A Bridge to Higher Mathematics

The goal of this unique text is to provide an “experience” that would facilitate a better transition for mathematics majors to the advanced proof-based courses required for their major. If you feel like you love mathematics but hate proofs, this book is for you. The change from example-based courses such as Introductory Calculus to the proof-based courses in the major is often abrupt, and some students are left with the unpleasant feeling that a subject they loved has turned into material they find hard to understand. The book exposes students and readers to some fundamental content and essential methods of constructing mathematical proofs in the context of four main courses required for the mathematics major – probability, linear algebra, real analysis, and abstract algebra. Following an optional foundational chapter on background material, four short chapters, each focusing on a particular course, provide a slow-paced but rigorous introduction. Students get a preview of the discipline, its focus, language, mathematical objects of interest, and methods of proof commonly used in the field. The organization of the book helps to focus on the specific methods of proof and main ideas that will be emphasized in each of the courses. The text may also be used as a review tool at the end of each course and for readers who want to learn the language and scope of the broad disciplines of linear algebra, abstract algebra, real analysis, and probability, before transitioning to these courses.