First Course - Textbook discussion

[alpertron]

Bob, please review the material linked from http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpos...9&postcount=16 and http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpos...4&postcount=43 and tell us whether it can be used here or not.

[alpertron]

With respect to book prices, you will find that the authors only get 10% of the final price, the publisher about 30% (but it needs about 10% to produce the book), other people and logistics 20%, and the bookseller 40%. These are the rates in Argentina, but they should be similar in other parts of the world.

In Latin America the books are tax free except on Chile (19%), Bolivia (13%) and Guatemala (13%).

That's why some book authors are starting to offer free books on Internet because they actually do not get enough money from physical books, but they can gain indirectly by having these books published by free.

[firejuggler]

I have similars numbers from France : For books ( ordinary one, not manuals) it is around 8% for les than 10K sold, 10% between 10 and 20k, ad 12% for above. That is, for ordinary author. Renowed author get more (number pulled from http://www.lesinrocks.com/2014/12/23...cais-11542687/)

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by Jayder

Why do so many threads have to devolve into this? This is beyond ridiculous.

We have the tail wagging the dog.

xyzzy proposed to me, in a private email, putting together a seminar. I had given him
a number of textbook references. HE suggested the H. Edgar book.

He suggested working through the book and exercises AS A GROUP with
my guidance. I agreed.

Students do not get to select the curriculum or the textbook. Yet, this is what is
happening herein.

The H. Edgar book is an excellent and GENTLE introduction. It has terrific exercises
with hints.

What is the <&*@#&^#&^> problem with spending a few dollars on an INEXPENSIVE
textbook????

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by VBCurtis

It is a perfectly reasonable question to ask if number theory has free resources available; that you consider the question worthy of another insult "what have you been smoking?" is more a sign of your lack of consideration of internet resources than it is a sign of the value of the question.

No. In any class the teacher selects the materials, not the students.

I really really like the idea of this thread, but I don't want open it again to find half the posts are from RDS telling someone why their idea or post is stupid. Those posts are the antithesis of the intent of a discussion group.

I was ASKED to do this. xyzzy suggested the text. I thought it was a SUPERB choice.

If you want to learn on line you may do so. Based on years of evidence, it is clear that the
inhabitants herein mostly can't be bothered.

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by alpertron

Bob, please review the material linked from http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpos...9&postcount=16 and http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpos...4&postcount=43 and tell us whether it can be used here or not.

It does not matter if it can. If you and others want to study the given references go right ahead.
But it is disrespect toward the teacher when the students demand the books that will be used.

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by blip

http://www.shoup.net/ntb/ntb-v1.pdf
http://www.math.leidenuniv.nl/~tijdeman/cant.pdf
https://rutherglen.science.mq.edu.au...der/lnent.html
http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~wclark/elem_num_th_book.pdf

The book by Clark might be OK, but the others are either what one takes AFTER
the first course in number theory or contains no exercises.

[alpertron]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

The H. Edgar book is an excellent and GENTLE introduction. It has terrific exercises
with hints.

What is the <&*@#&^#&^> problem with spending a few dollars on an INEXPENSIVE
textbook????

Maybe you have not read international news on the newspapers the last six months, but we cannot import books from abroad, so I cannot access legally that (or other) non-electronic books. Maybe when the government changes on December 10th, that problem will be fixed.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by alpertron

Maybe you have not read international news on the newspapers the last six months, but we cannot import books from abroad, so I cannot access legally that (or other) non-electronic books. Maybe when the government changes on December 10th, that problem will be fixed.

TBH, I hadn't heard that either, and I try to keep abreast of international news. A sorry state of affairs

I understand Bob's frustration with the way this discussion is going but ...

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by alpertron

Maybe you have not read international news on the newspapers the last six months, but we cannot import books from abroad, so I cannot access legally that (or other) non-electronic books. Maybe when the government changes on December 10th, that problem will be fixed.

Can someone send you one as a gift????

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

Can someone send you one as a gift????

Is the book available electronically (e-book, PDF, etc)? Even if not for free?