Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: vannrox
misprints in references are fairly common, and that a lot of the mistakes are identical

Happens in textbooks, too. Even math textbooks. It's not hard to tell who has decided to write a textbook and who is on the forefront of math research. They aren't the same people. Those who write textbooks often come close to outright copying of examples and methods letter for letter. That, plus the mass of typos and poor grammar is either on the increase or we're just getting more aware of it.

6 posted on 12/14/2002 1:35:00 PM PST by RightWhale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: RightWhale
So true. Many science textbooks have mistakes. A good professor will go through the book and find them and correct them so the students won't be mislead or confused.

There is a lot of sloppy science out there in the world of research, lots of cheating such as manipulation of data, and stealing of ideas from others goes on.

12 posted on 12/14/2002 3:52:00 PM PST by DBtoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]

To: RightWhale
It's not hard to tell who has decided to write a textbook and who is on the forefront of math research. They aren't the same people. Care to five examples?

Have you heard of Conway, who wrote standard texts on analysis, real and complex? (Another well-known author is Lang, with a series of texts used in many universities).

Or Halmos, whose measure theory book was a standard undergraduate text and is still recommended in most schools?

Or Arnold, whose book on differential equations is standard? Or Massey on Algebraic topology?

In physics, similarly, Dirac's book on quantum mechanics and Landau-Lifschitz series are still standard. Go check the contributions of these authors before you start saying such nonsense.

Not only is you statment is not based on fact, but you base is on a completely wrong premise, suggesting that inventors of ideas should be the ones writing the textbooks. They do not: these two activities requuire different talants.

Now, which of the above mentioned textbooks have you actually read?

21 posted on 12/15/2002 2:38:00 PM PST by TopQuark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson