Sometimes I find an advanced mathematics book that does not state the pre-requisites in the preface or introduction. Is it acceptable to ask about them here? Perhaps someone could take a look at the book on Google books or Amazon and suggest something.
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5$\begingroup$ With a bit of searching (e.g., google for prerequisites book site:math.stackexchange.com) you can find several such questions which were asked on math.SE. Of course, the site evolves and the fact that such questions have been well-received in the past does not mean that the same is still true. $\endgroup$– Martin SleziakMay 28, 2015 at 4:59
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4$\begingroup$ A few examples: Prerequisites for Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler, Prerequisite books before Hungerford's Algebra?, What are the prerequisites for Fulton's “Intersection Theory”?, Jech's Set Theory logic prerequisites, What are the prerequisites to Jech's Set theory text?, Background for reading Milnor's Morse Theory book. $\endgroup$– Martin SleziakMay 28, 2015 at 5:04
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13$\begingroup$ Yes, it is quite acceptable, especially since authors have been known to lie about prerequisites, claiming that once you can differentiate $\sin(x)$ you can read their elementary book on the applications of $(\infty,2)$-categories to heterotic chiral perturbation in quantum chromodynamics . $\endgroup$– Georges ElencwajgJun 1, 2015 at 11:27
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I would say Yes to whether it is acceptable, in the sense that I will not vote to close it as off-topic, for the following reasons:
- The question is arguably about mathematics and its education.
- The question is precise and limited in scope.
- While people may have some minor differences in opinion, questions of this type is largely answerable with a more-or-less correct answer.
- Questions of this type seeks "expert knowledge".
- Questions of this type could be useful for others (other people looking to read the same text).
On the other hand, I do not guarantee such a question would be well-received. For books that have extensive reviews on Amazon or google, or for books whose publishers conveniently included such information on their website (but not in the book), I may down-vote the question because the asker did not do the basic homework.
Lastly, to ask about prerequisites is to ask for a person to have read the book and to have remember the details and to contemplate what is needed as a background, both technically and pedagogically, for approaching that book. This is not an easy question to answer.
An easier question to answer would be:
I am reading so-and-so's book such and such. In Chapter 3 I ran into an unfamiliar concept X. Can someone point me to in which subject X comes up and is taught and perhaps recommend a good book on that subject if my goal is to learn the theory discussed in such and such?
In other words, you don't always have to learn mathematics forwards. As a popular legend goes Hobbes learned geometry by reading Euclid backwards. A big chunk of self-learning is adapting to handle situations like this (don't click "next", click on the image).
answered May 29, 2015 at 8:54
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$\begingroup$ I agree with the point about asking specific questions but disagree with downvoting because a book has extensive reviews on Amazon. I have in mind anything beyond highschool textbooks or calculus. There's a lot of reviews to shift through and I think the community here would offer a better opinion than on Amazon. $\endgroup$– abnryJun 3, 2015 at 0:41
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$\begingroup$ In support of @nayrb : Look at amazon.com/… That is a good book, most of the reviews are by students who obvioulsy hated it and learn you nothing about the books, a lot about what some students (dis)like. $\endgroup$ Jun 3, 2015 at 14:04
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$\begingroup$ @kjetilbhalvorsen: what does student like and dislikes have to do with a question about pre-requisites? In other words: if none of the reviews says anything about prerequisites, of course I will not count it against the OP. But if a large number of the reviews are of the form: "I am a second year graduate student and have studied subjects A, B, and C; and still I find the book incomprehensible." Then I would say that there gives some lower bound on the prerequisites. $\endgroup$ Jun 3, 2015 at 15:40
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$\begingroup$ @nayrb: perhaps what is not clear is my choice of the word "extensive". I meant it in the sense of "exhaustive, substantial, and thorough." The word "reviews" is in plural because I trust the opinions of several more than I trust that of one. Whereas you are thinking "many (possibly superficial) reviews" I intended "several detailed reviews" which, of course, will include information concerning prerequisites and such. $\endgroup$ Jun 3, 2015 at 15:47