Kolmogorov & Fomin's Elements of Theory: Real Analysis or Lebesque?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the suitability of Kolmogorov and Fomin's "Elements of Theory" as a resource for learning Real Analysis and its relationship to Functional Analysis and Lebesgue Integration. Participants explore whether the book serves as a good introduction to Real Analysis or if it is more focused on Functional Analysis.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Kolmogorov and Fomin is more geared towards Functional Analysis and Lebesgue Integration, citing its modest treatment of functional analysis topics.
  • Others argue that the presence of a chapter on metric spaces may lead some readers to consider it a good introduction to Real Analysis.
  • A participant notes that the book's pace is not leisurely and requires more concentration compared to other texts.
  • There is a mention of a significant gap between Spivak's calculus text and Kolmogorov and Fomin, with a reference to "Baby Rudin" as a potential intermediary.
  • One participant questions the feasibility of handling Kolmogorov and Fomin after or concurrently with Spivak, suggesting that working through Spivak's problems may be beneficial before tackling Kolmogorov and Fomin.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the book's focus and suitability for beginners in Real Analysis, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the book's modest coverage of functional analysis and the potential challenges in transitioning from Spivak to Kolmogorov and Fomin, but these points remain unresolved and depend on individual reader experience.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in Real Analysis, Functional Analysis, or those seeking to understand the transition between different levels of mathematical texts may find this discussion relevant.

zyj
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I'm looking for a Real Analysis book to start with, besides Spivak. On Amazon, one of the reviewers said it was good as a subsequent book for learning Functional Analysis/Lebesque Integration, while another said it was a good introduction to Real Analysis. For those of you that have read it, which is it?
 
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I haven't read it in full, I must admit, only started it a while back. But I'd say it is more geared towards functional analysis and Lebesgue. The reason why some readers say it is good for real analysis is probably because it has a chapter on metric spaces. The book overall is not bad, I'd say, but the pace is not leisurely, and you'll have to concentrate a bit more than for some other books. But really, as I said, I haven't read most of the book, so I can't say too much about it. I think if you really want to study functional analysis, some other books might be better, as the functional analysis part in this book is rather modest. But as an introduction in general, it's probably quite good.
 


Do you think I would be able to handle it after or while concurrently reading Spivak?
 


I think there's a rather large gap going from Spivak to Kolmogorov and Fomin. That gap is also known as Baby Rudin.
 


zyj said:
Do you think I would be able to handle it after or while concurrently reading Spivak?

It would be reasonable to attempt the book after reading and working through the problems in the calculus text by Spivak.
 

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