The Real Analysis Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Understand Proofs

Description

Real analysis is difficult. For most students, in addition to learning new material about real numbers, topology, and sequences, they are also learning to read and write rigorous proofs for the first time. The Real Analysis Lifesaver is an innovative guide that helps students through their first real analysis course while giving them the solid foundation they need for further study in proof-based math. Rather than presenting polished proofs with no explanation of how they were devised, The Real Analysis Lifesaver takes a two-step approach, first showing students how to work backwards to solve the crux of the problem, then showing them how to write it up formally. It takes the time to provide plenty of examples as well as guided "fill in the blanks" exercises to solidify understanding. Newcomers to real analysis can feel like they are drowning in new symbols, concepts, and an entirely new way of thinking about math. Inspired by the popular Calculus Lifesaver, this book is refreshingly straightforward and full of clear explanations, pictures, and humor. It is the lifesaver that every drowning student needs. The essential “lifesaver” companion for any course in real analysisClear, humorous, and easy-to-read styleTeaches students not just what the proofs are, but how to do them―in more than 40 worked-out examplesEvery new definition is accompanied by examples and important clarificationsFeatures more than 20 “fill in the blanks” exercises to help internalize proof techniquesTried and tested in the classroom Content: Preliminaries 1 1 Introduction 3 2 Basic Math and Logic* 6 3 Set Theory* 14 Real Numbers 25 4 Least Upper Bounds* 27 5 The Real Field* 35 6 Complex Numbers and Euclidean Spaces 46 Topology 59 7 Bijections 61 8 Countability 68 9 Topological Definitions* 79 10 Closed and Open Sets* 90 11 Compact Sets* 98 12 The Heine-Borel Theorem* 108 13 Perfect and Connected Sets 117 Sequences 127 14 Convergence* 129 15 Limits and Subsequences* 138 16 Cauchy and Monotonic Sequences* 148 17 Subsequential Limits 157 18 Special Sequences 166 19 Series* 174 20 Conclusion 183 Acknowledgments 187 Bibliography 189 Index 191