Mathematics And Plausible Reasoning, Volume 2: Logic, Symbolic and mathematical (Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning, 2) - Softcover

"Polya ... does a masterful job of showing just how plausible reasoning is used in mathematics... The material in both volumes is fresh and highly original; the presentation is stimulating, informal, and occasionally humorous; examples from science, legal reasoning, and daily life make the arguments clear even to a nonspecialist. Polya's book is a rare event."--Morris Kline, Scientific American "Professor Polya's beautifully written hook has become a classic."---A. 0. L. Atkin, The Mathematical Gazette "Professor Polya ... is interested in problem solving and the psychological aspects of mathematical discovery... [These books] should provide many entertaining hours for anyone who cares to pick up the challenge."--Carl Hammer, Journal of the Franklin Institute "Professor Polya presents a forceful argument for the teaching of intelligent guessing as well as proving... There are also very readable and enjoyable discussions of such concepts as the isoperimetric problem and 'chance, the ever-present rival of conjecture.' "--Bruce E. Meserve, The Mathematics Teacher

Here the author of How to Solve It explains how to become a "good guesser." Marked by G. Polya's simple, energetic prose and use of clever examples from a wide range of human activities, this two-volume work explores techniques of guessing, inductive reasoning, and reasoning by analogy, and the role they play in the most rigorous of deductive disciplines.