O. A. Ivanov

Portal through Mathematics is a collection of puzzles and problems mostly on topics relating to secondary mathematics. The problems and topics are fresh and interesting and frequently surprising. One example: the puzzle that asks how much length must be added to a belt around the Earth's equator to raise it one foot has probably achieved old chestnut status. Ivanov, after explaining the surprising answer to this question, goes a step further and asks, if you grabbed that too long belt at some point and raised it as high as possible, how high would that be? The answer to that is more surprising than the classic puzzle's answer. The book is organized into 29 themes, each a topic from algebra, geometry or calculus and each launched from an opening puzzle or problem. There are excursions into number theory, solid geometry, physics and combinatorics. Always there is an emphasis on surprise and delight. And every theme begins at a level approachable with minimal background requirements. With well over 250 puzzles and problems, there is something here sure to appeal to everyone.Portal through Mathematics will be useful for prospective secondary teachers of mathematics and may be used (as a supplementary resource) in university courses in algebra, geometry, calculus, and discrete mathematics. It can also be used for professional development for teachers looking for inspiration. However, the intended audience is much broader. Every fan of mathematics will find enjoyment in it.

This textbook on elementary topology contains a detailed introduction to general topology and an introduction to algebraic topology via its most classical and elementary segment centered at the notions of fundamental group and covering space.The book is tailored for the reader who is determined to work actively. The proofs of theorems are separated from their formulations and are gathered at the end of each chapter. This makes the book look like a pure problem book and encourages the reader to think through each formulation. A reader who prefers a more traditional style can either find the proofs at the end of the chapter or skip them altogether. This style also caters to the expert who needs a handbook and prefers formulations not overshadowed by proofs. Most of the proofs are simple and easy to discover.The book can be useful and enjoyable for readers with quite different backgrounds and interests. The text is structured in such a way that it is easy to determine what to expect from each piece and how to use it. There is core material, which makes up a relatively small part of the book. The core material is interspersed with examples, illustrative and training problems, and relevant discussions.The reader who has mastered the core material acquires a strong background in elementary topology and will feel at home in the environment of abstract mathematics. With almost no prerequisites (except real numbers), the book can serve as a text for a course on general and beginning algebraic topology.