本书是为从事社会科学、教育学、商业、艺术和其他非理工类专业的学生而写的数学教科书，可以使从事这些专业的学生理解并欣赏到数学在各个领域的许多精彩应用。内容包括集合论、数理逻辑、图论、数论、统计、概率、代数、几何等。全书以数学的应用作为动机，每一章的开始提出实际问题，然后发展必要的数学工具，再解决这些实际问题，在应用中进一步加强对数学的理解。全书贯穿着强烈的应用意识，这在国内外数学教科书中是不多见的。

出版说明
序
1 SET THEORY: Using Mathematics to Classify Objects
1.1 Problem Solving
1.2 Estimation
1.3 The Language of Sets
1.4 Comparing Sets
1.5 Set Operations
1.6 Survey Problems
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest: Infinite Sets
2 LOGIC: The Study of What's True or False or Somewhere in Between
2.1 Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
2.2 Statements, Connectives, and Quantifiers
2.3 Truth Tables
2.4 The Conditional and Biconditional
2.5 Verifying Arguments
2.6 Using Euler Diagrams to Verify Syllogisms
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest: Fuzzy Logic
3 GRAPH THEORY: The Mathematics of Relationships
3.1 Graphs, Puzzles, and Map Coloring
3.2 The Traveling Salesperson Problem
3.3 Directed Graphs
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest: Scheduling Projects Using PERT
4 NUMERATION SYSTEMS: Does it Matter How We Name Numbers?
4.1 The Evolution of Numeration Systems
4.2 Place Value Systems
4.3 Calculating in Other Bases
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest:Modular Systems
5 NUMBER THEORY AND THE REAL NUMBER SYSTEM: Understanding the Numbers All Around Us
5.1 Number Theory
5.2 The Integers
5.3 The Rational Numbers
5.4 The Real Number System
5.5 Exponents and Scientific Notation
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest: Sequences
6 ALGEBRAIC MODELS: How Do We Approximate Reality?
6.1 Linear Equations
6.2 Modeling with Linear Equations
6.3 Modeling with Quadratic Equations
6.4 Exponential Equations and Growth
6.5 Proportions and Variation
Chapter Summary
Chapter Test
Of Further Interest: Dynamical Systems
7 MODELING WITH SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES:What's the Best Way to Do It?
7.1 Systems of Linear Equations
7.2 Systems of Linear Inequalities
Chapter Summary
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8 GEOMETRY:Ancient and Modern Mathematics Embrace
9 APPORTIONMENT:How Do We Measure Fairness?
10 VOTING:Using Mathematics to Make Choices
11 CONSUMER MATHEMATICS:The Mathematics of Everyday Life
12 COUNTING:Just How Many Are There?
13 PROBABILITY:What Are the Chances?
14 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS:What a Data Set Tells Us