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I am 73 yo who has not been to a math class for 50 years. I know there is a completely new mind set needed to approach math problems and I need a starting point. What is the best Algebra book available to start my journey back?

lone student
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bob4329
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    I do not know about an algebra book but How to Prove It by Velleman worked for me as a restarting point. Good luck with your journey. :$)$ – Khashayar Baghizadeh Aug 05 '20 at 18:44
  • I would recommend the Schaums series. They're cheap, have a lot of examples and a lot of exercises with answers. Start with the level you're comfortable with - they go from basic arithmetic to calculus and beyond. – David P Aug 05 '20 at 18:55
  • What's the new mindset? Are you taking a class right now? if not, there are some excellent online options as well as publicly available resources for learning what I am assuming is high school algebra. If you are taking a course, your instructor is the best person to guide you because he/she knows your level of math. – John Douma Aug 05 '20 at 19:19
  • John Douma Thank you for pointing out my short comings. I apologize for not offering my problem in a concise and more complete fashion. My college education was in the 60’s and 70’s. It did not consist of Calculus. Sorry for the confusion. – bob4329 Aug 05 '20 at 19:50
  • Was your school education in the U.S.? If so, it would help if you specified whether you need to start back with Algebra 1 or you think you can begin with Algebra 2. For others reading, I'll mention that someone the OP's age from the U.S. will almost certainly know the difference. – Dave L. Renfro Aug 05 '20 at 19:50
  • Dave L. Renfro, I went to Jr. College in Chicago, IL USA and College in St. Louis,MO. USA. Graduated in 1974. – bob4329 Aug 05 '20 at 20:11
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    Thank You! I know now that I should have been more attentive in continuing to learn and strengthen my basics. But it is never to late to realize your short comings and restart from the beginning if necessary. After all I was capable of learning it once. – bob4329 Aug 05 '20 at 20:20
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    Maybe try working through Algebra by Gelfand/Shen (not very lengthy). If you think you need something more basic, add more context in that regard to your question (maybe the two Asimov books here would then be worth looking at). If you think this is too basic for you, then it shouldn't take very long and I doubt, when you finish, that you'll think you got little new insights from the book. – Dave L. Renfro Aug 05 '20 at 20:42
  • I second Gelfand and Shen's Algebra. If you want an even gentler introduction to algebra (or mathematics in general), you may try Titchmarsh's Mathematics for the General Reader. On the other hand, for something a bit more advanced (bordered between high school and university levels), you may try Hall and Knight's classic, Higher Algebra. – Ramen Nii-chan Aug 05 '20 at 23:50
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    Does this answer your question? Adult learner returning to maths Check out https://math.stackexchange.com/q/1874036, https://math.stackexchange.com/q/177167, https://math.stackexchange.com/q/2210834. –  Aug 20 '20 at 21:25
  • Does this answer your question? Learning mathematics as if an absolute beginner? – user1147844 May 27 '23 at 01:15

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First I'm impressed with your strong desire to learn linear algebra and refresh your mind, good luck Sir!

For the book recommendation, I highly recommend this book, which I used during my learning trip through this important topic: Introduction to Applied Linear Algebra: Vectors, Matrices, and Least Squares this is the link where you can buy it.

I wish that you'll find all your questions answered there, and again good luck!

Xander Henderson
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euler_med
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You used the "linear algebra" tag for your question, but in your question you asked about algebra. They are different subjects; linear algebra is more advanced. I am going to assume that you are interested in basic algebra.

I have no idea if it's the best book, but I've found Basic Mathematics by Lang to be a reasonable introduction.

Novice
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good luck in your mathematical endeavour, many wonders await :) In answer to your question, I believe the ultimate guides to Mathematics on a high school level are the CGP study guides, which are commonly used in UK high schools such as the one I attend. If you're unfamiliar with the UK education system then GCSE is the first level of high school examinations and you may want to start from the CGP GCSE Mathematics guides. They will serve you well. Good luck!

A-Level Student
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