Real Analysis: A First Course

Mathematics is the music of science, and real analysis is the Bach of mathematics. There are many other foolish things I could say about the subject of this book, but the foregoing will give the reader an idea of where my heart lies. The present book was written to support a first course in real analysis, normally taken after a year of elementary calculus. Real analysis is, roughly speaking, the modern setting for Calculus, "real" alluding to the field of real numbers that underlies it all. At center stage are functions, defined and taking values in sets of real numbers or in sets (the plane, 3-space, etc.) readily derived from the real numbers; a first course in real analysis traditionally places the emphasis on real-valued functions defined on sets of real numbers.

At its core, this concise textbook presents standard material for a first course in complex analysis at the advanced undergraduate level. This distinctive text will prove most rewarding for students who have a genuine passion for mathematics as well as certain mathematical maturity.

Advanced Real Analysis systematically develops those concepts and tools in real analysis that are vital to every mathematician, whether pure or applied, aspiring or established. Along with a companion volume Basic Real Analysis (available separately or together as a Set), these works present a comprehensive treatment with a global view of the subject, emphasizing the connections between real analysis and other branches of mathematics.

The book targets undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics students and helps them develop a deep understanding of mathematical analysis. Designed as a first course in real analysis, it helps students learn how abstract mathematical analysis solves mathematical problems that relate to the real world. As well as providing a valuable source of inspiration for contemporary research in mathematics, the book helps students read, understand and construct mathematical proofs, develop their problem-solving abilities and comprehend the importance and frontiers of computer facilities and much more.

From the point of view of strict logic, a rigorous course on real analysis should precede a course on calculus. Strict logic, is, however, overruled by both history and practicality. Historically, calculus, with its origins in the 17th century, came first, and made rapid progress on the basis of informal intuition.

Written as a textbook, A First Course in Functional Analysis is an introduction to basic functional analysis and operator theory, with an emphasis on Hilbert space methods.