Bewersdorff, Jörg

Algebra for beginners. From the solution of equations to Galois theory. (Algebra für Einsteiger. Von der Gleichungsauflösung zur Galois-Theorie.) 3rd revised ed. (German) [B] Wiesbaden: Vieweg. xxiii, 203 p. EUR 24.90 (2007). ISBN 978-3-8348-0095-4/pbk

The first edition of this elementary introduction to the basic concepts of abstract algebra, developing the fundamental ideas along the fascinating historical path from the ancient attempts to solving algebraic equations up to the rudiments of Galois theory, appeared in [J. Bewersdorff, Algebra for beginners. From the solution of equations to Galois theory. Wiesbaden: Vieweg (2002; Zbl 0995.12001)], followed by its second, slightly revised (German) edition just two years later. An English translation of this seemingly utmost popular and successful propaedeutical masterpiece was made available in [ J. Bewersdorff, Galois theory for beginners. A historical perspective. Transl. from the German by David Kramer. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (2006; Zbl 1114.12002)], and has recently been thoroughly analyzed in its respective review. The book under review is now the third edition of German original. Having left the well-tried text entirely intact, the author has nevertheless improved it by correcting further detected misprints, on the one hand, and by adding a few related exercises to each chapter of the book, on the other hand, thereby following the suggestions by many readers and colleagues.

As for the special features of this already sufficiently appraised first primer in algebra, we may refer to its former detailed reviews with respect to the German original and its recent English translation.

Werner Kleinert (Berlin)

Zentralblatt MATH: Zbl 1120.12001