Basic Mathematics
#985 of 2,654 all-time
Basic Mathematics
Serge Lang
7 people recommended it in 5 threads, 2009–2025.
What people on Hacker News said
Basic Mathematics is mostly high school level math, with a minimum of fuss and bother, and good exercises.
Basic Mathematics by Lang. Covers basic algebra and geometry at high school level.
I did it to get my very rusty high-school maths back up to snuff before starting to self-study for a maths degree and it helped a lot. The problems are really excellent and since it's Serge Lang, he treats you like a mathematician right from the beginning even though he really is doing basic stuff.
It's a streamlined but somewhat dry textbook that starts with the properties of arithmetic and ends with precalculus.
We’re Lang is always great though, and his Basic Mathematics book is excellent as a first book to relearn math.
Where it comes up
- The Best Textbooks on Every Subject 2018 · 3 recommendations
- Basic Math Textbook: The Napkin Project 2025 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Math books that made you significantly better at math? 2023 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Best Mathematics book for complete noobie? 2009 · 1 recommendation
- A Textbook Example of What’s Wrong with Education 2009 · 1 recommendation