How does Hughes-Hallett compare, and what to read next?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparative evaluation of the calculus textbook "Calculus" by Hughes-Hallett, particularly in relation to its difficulty and effectiveness compared to other calculus texts, such as Stewart's. Participants also explore recommendations for more advanced calculus books suitable for further study.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to review calculus using a more advanced book than Hughes-Hallett and seeks opinions on its standing compared to other texts like Stewart.
  • Another participant claims that Hughes-Hallett is inferior to Stewart, suggesting that even Stewart is a step up from it.
  • A request for specific shortcomings of Hughes-Hallett is made, indicating a need for clarity on what advantages Stewart might offer over it.
  • One participant declines to engage in a detailed comparison, labeling Hughes-Hallett as "mediocre" and "really bad."
  • Another participant expresses curiosity about the reasons behind the negative perception of Hughes-Hallett, highlighting their limited experience with textbooks.
  • A suggestion is made to consider other respected calculus texts, such as Spivak and Apostol, as alternatives for an honors-level calculus experience.
  • A participant mentions their intention to explore Spivak, acknowledging it may be challenging but worth attempting.
  • Reading reviews on Amazon for Hughes-Hallett is recommended as a way to gauge its deficiencies, along with a suggestion to consider Courant and John's "Introduction to Calculus and Analysis" as a good alternative.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the quality of Hughes-Hallett, with some viewing it negatively compared to Stewart, while others seek more detailed comparisons. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall standing of Hughes-Hallett and its suitability for further study.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various textbooks and their perceived quality without reaching a consensus on the specific shortcomings of Hughes-Hallett or the comparative merits of the suggested alternatives.

Opus_723
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I'm looking to do a calculus review, but I'd like to use a slightly more advanced book than I did earlier this year. (Part of a new theme for me. I'm almost finished with Purcell's book after stumbling on it in the library. My class was using Giancoli, so I've kind of just discovered this "honors" freshman level material, and loving it)

But I need to know what level I'm at first. We used the 5th edition of Calculus by Hughes-Hallett for single and multivariable calculus, I actually liked that book, but I don't know how good it's considered to be by folks who know better. So I wanted to know (from anyone who is familiar with Hughes-Hallett, I don't know how common it is) how it ranks among the standards that I've seen mentioned on PF. I would guess that it's around the same difficulty level as Stewart from what people say about that book? But I don't know if it's better or worse than Stewart.

Also, I of course would like to know what a good next step would be after Hughes-Hallet.

Thanks.
 
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hughes hallet seems to be so bad that even an ordinary introductory book such as stewart would be a step up.
 
Good to know. Any info on what exactly its shortcomings are? What would one gain from Stewart vs. Hughes-Hallett?
 
sorry, i am not motivated to compare in detail the mediocre with the really bad.
 
I was just curious as to why it's so bad? Even a vague comparison would be useful. I'm a freshman, I haven't seen a lot of textbooks to compare.
 
I don't know how good or how bad that text is but here are examples of good (the members here would agree that they are so, at least) books:
http://kr.cs.ait.ac.th/~radok/math/mat6/startdiall.htm
Spivak

Since you wanted an "honours" variant, I mentioned those two. There's also one by Apostol that is used at MIT and CalTech. Reed College professors (two of them; one is Jerry Shurman but I can't remember the name of the other) have lecture notes that they use for their honours calculus classes. I haven't used them myself but they're meant to be good. Look them up in case you're interested.
 
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My university library has Spivak, I'll take a look at that. It might be a bit above me, but I'll try and push through a chapter or two and then decide.
 
Visit Amazon and read the reviews on the Hughes-Hallett for example to get an idea of what others have to say about the deficiencies.

As for other books Courant and John Introduction to Calculus and Analysis is quite good and may also be in your University's library.
 

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