Algebra (Pure and Applied Undergraduate Texts)

Mark Sepanski's Algebra is a readable introduction to the delightful world of modern algebra. Beginning with concrete examples from the study of integers and modular arithmetic, the text steadily familiarizes the reader with greater levels of abstraction as it moves through the study of groups, rings, and fields. The book is equipped with over 750 exercises suitable for many levels of student ability. There are standard problems, as well as challenging exercises, that introduce students to topics not normally covered in a first course. Difficult problems are broken into manageable subproblems and come equipped with hints when needed. Appropriate for both self-study and the classroom, the material is efficiently arranged so that milestones such as the Sylow theorems and Galois theory can be reached in one semester.