Thomas Calculus 3rd edition vs 9th edition

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In summary, the conversation discusses the different editions of Thomas Calculus and Analytic Geometry and their strengths and weaknesses. The 9th edition is larger and more thorough, but may have more unnecessary content. The earlier editions, such as the 3rd, are highly regarded and considered to be better than the later editions. It is also mentioned that the 3rd edition comes in two volumes and the 2nd edition has black and white figures. The conversation also touches on other calculus textbooks, such as Rudin's PMA, Apostol's MA, and Pugh's RMA, and their suitability for self-study and preparation for the GRE. There is also a brief discussion about selecting pre-calculus textbooks and the importance of
  • #1
lonely_nucleus
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Thomas Calculus and Analytic Geometry: How come the 3rd edition has like half the number of pages that the 9th edition has?Is the 9th edition bigger because it uses gloss pages and has a lot more nonsense in it? What has changed in the 3rd vs 9th edition. Does the 3rd edition still cover all the topics the 9th edition does, does it give a good understanding of most of multivariable calculus?It does not necessary have to be those exact editions but I am more concerned with the older editions vs new editoins. I appreciate responses.
 
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  • #2
The 9th edition is very thorough, for example it was used at MIT and is very similar to the OCW course 18.01SC. I'm talking about the blue one with the lighthouse, that's the one I'd choose.

Sorry, I don't know about the other editions but for example the 9th "alternate edition" gets bad reviews. So there seems to be no guarantee that older ones will be good.
 
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  • #3
Here is an indication that the first 5 editions will be good though, this from an Amazon review:

I used this book (5th edition) for a University Honors Calculus class that I took as a senior in High School. As a math enthusiast (my dad was a Math Professor), and compared to other math books, I would say that the exposition in this book is very very good. Addison-Wesley (MA) is renowned for publishing simple and complete books on complex technical subjects - nobody does it better! The authors were from MIT (first 4 editions) and U-Illinois (helped with the 5th edition), respectively (the latter is where I took the honor calculus class), and at the time it was being used at both schools.
 
  • #4
verty said:
The 9th edition is very thorough, for example it was used at MIT and is very similar to the OCW course 18.01SC. I'm talking about the blue one with the lighthouse, that's the one I'd choose.

Sorry, I don't know about the other editions but for example the 9th "alternate edition" gets bad reviews. So there seems to be no guarantee that older ones will be good.
Thanks for the information. I think the 9th edition is likely the better choice but I do not like its cover and it looks like it has glossy text. Also it says Finey is a coauthor for the 9th edition; does that mean the 9th edition has a lot more content that is written by Finey or did Finey help with some topics that the book did not cover so well such as limits?
 
  • #5
I have always heard that the earlier editions (like the 3rd) are much better than the later.
 
  • #6
micromass said:
I have always heard that the earlier editions (like the 3rd) are much better than the later.
Do you know if the 3rd edition comes in 2 volumes? On amazon it shows 2 volumes of the 3rd edition each with about 600-700 pages.
 
  • #7
I have no idea, sorry
 
  • #8
lonely_nucleus said:
Do you know if the 3rd edition comes in 2 volumes? On amazon it shows 2 volumes of the 3rd edition each with about 600-700 pages.
Yes, it comes in 2 volumes, I have the 3rd edition at a local library.
 
  • #9
micromass said:
I have always heard that the earlier editions (like the 3rd) are much better than the later.

I'm sure that's true but in no way is the standard 9th edition (blue lighthouse) bad. If it was bad, it wouldn't have got the reputation it has got and there would surely not be 12 or 13 editions of Thomas now, the series would have died out.
 
  • #10
I sometimes still use the 2nd edition I used in high school back in 1959. Still works.
 
  • #11
I learned from the 4th edition, and loaned my old copy to my kids when they took calculus and hated their books. Everyone seemed satisfied.
 
  • #12
Which edition of Thomas' Calculus textbook is suitable for MATH GRE? Are Stewart, Apostol (Calculus), Simmons, and Lang good books for MATH GRE, at least in the calculus portion?
 
  • #13
2nd edition is definitely not good as the figures are in black and white, not color.
 
  • #14
bacte2013 said:
I have been using Rudin's PMA, Apostol's MA, and Pugh's RMA, and they are very fantastic books for self-study! I found that Apostol's MA provide both motivation and details that Rudin's PMA does not have, and no spoon-feeding proof exposition.

bacte2013 said:
I will be going to self-study the vector calculus by using Hubbard/Hubbard as a main text and Serge Lang as a supplement to Hubbard; this will help in my current self-studying of intro. analysis (Rudin's PMA, Apostol's MA, and Pugh) and also prepare me for upcoming vector calculus course (computational aspect) that I will take during the Summer.

bacte2013 said:
Which edition of Thomas' Calculus textbook is suitable for MATH GRE? Are Stewart, Apostol (Calculus), Simmons, and Lang good books for MATH GRE, at least in the calculus portion?

bacte2013 said:
I wrote this email because I am seeking a recommendation on selecting the pre-calculus textbooks. I have been studying the real analysis and number theory, and I felt that I need to brush up the algebra, functions, trigonometry, and geometry.

There's some mixed messages here. Working backwards like this is good, it usually has the right result: you learn the prerequisite until it bores you, then return to the higher level thing that needs it. This is a bonafide way to learn. I just think if you are not so sure about precalculus, probably Rudin is too advanced or is looking too far ahead.

Are you just an eager book buyer? I'll wait for you to respond. Remember that this is an anonymous forum, nothing said here really matters that much. If you tell me you want a book to learn calculus for the GRE, you'll get it.
 
  • #15
Thomas n Finney 9th ed is a mixture of the old thomas and the newer glossies textbook (think of stewart). Both are great books. However, I would take the 3rd ed (the best edition there is/although the 2nd is more rigorous). Both are good books you cannot go wrong.
 
  • #16
Dear verty,

I sent the conversation email that addresses the matter you discussed to me.
 
  • #17
I had a dream. I was at the library. There was a man reading Thomas Calculus 3rd edition and he went away leaving the book at the desk. I looked through the book and the pages had no gloss to them and the text looked like it was lacking pictures/diagrams. Maybe the 9th edition makes l
 
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  • #18
bacte2013 said:
Dear verty,

I sent the conversation email that addresses the matter you discussed to me.
I recently finished pre-calculus and I am familiar with the whole course. There are 3 books that I would recommend based off of the table of contents I have seen inside the books.
1. Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus by Stewart
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0840068077/?tag=pfamazon01-20
2. Precalculus by Sullivan
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321716833/?tag=pfamazon01-20
2. Precalculus by Larson
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618643443/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I agree precalculus books are fun to read, there are so many applications to pre calculus that you can always learn more when reading them. I may get one of the above books after I finish Calculus 3 this summer or Ordinary differential equations.
 
  • #19
MidgetDwarf said:
Thomas n Finney 9th ed is a mixture of the old thomas and the newer glossies textbook (think of stewart). Both are great books. However, I would take the 3rd ed (the best edition there is/although the 2nd is more rigorous). Both are good books you cannot go wrong.
What about the Calculus by Edwin E. Moise? Is it better than Thomas's 3rd ed Calculus? I found two editions of Moise's calculus, one in 1967 and the other in 1972.
 
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  • #20
Passers_by said:
What about the Calculus by Edwin E. Moise? Is it better than Thomas's 3rd ed Calculus? I found two editions of Moise's calculus, one in 1967 and the other in 1972.
I have both. I prefer Moise over Thomas. Moise is a middle road between Thomas and Courant. Thomas is easier to learn from, but Moise has more interesting explanations.

My edition of Moise is the green book which contains both volumes. Not sure what edition it is.
 
  • #21
There are two current branches of Thomas' calculus textbooks. Thomas and Finney is fine, has a flavor similar to a mix with something like Larson et. al. The other branch is the ones updated by Joel Hass. The early trancendentals versions of that branch feel a lot more like a proper updated version of, eg. Thomas 3e.
 
  • #22
MidgetDwarf said:
I have both. I prefer Moise over Thomas. Moise is a middle road between Thomas and Courant. Thomas is easier to learn from, but Moise has more interesting explanations.

My edition of Moise is the green book which contains both volumes. Not sure what edition it is.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000L3UO2A/?tag=pfamazon01-20
I don't know where to buy it, and I hope I can buy it as an ebook.
 
  • #24
from your previous threads, you are studying physics. I think that the 3rd edition of Thomas is a better fit for that goal.
 
  • #25
MidgetDwarf said:
from your previous threads, you are studying physics. I think that the 3rd edition of Thomas is a better fit for that goal.
Thank you. In my current situation, I am fit to buy e-books. It's a pity these books are published so early.
 
  • #26
MidgetDwarf said:
I have both. I prefer Moise over Thomas. Moise is a middle road between Thomas and Courant. Thomas is easier to learn from, but Moise has more interesting explanations.

My edition of Moise is the green book which contains both volumes. Not sure what edition it is.
Would you consider selling Moise's calculus
 
  • #27
Passers_by said:
Would you consider selling Moise's calculus
Probably is best to take such a discussion to Private Messages (PMs). Click on their avatar and "Start a conversation". :smile:
 
  • #28
Passers_by said:
Would you consider selling Moise's calculus
Hi. At this point, I do not consider my copy. It's a bit hard to find, and my copy is a bit beat down. I write with fountain pen, so every page consists of notes in the margins lol.

But do consider the 3rd edition of Thomas for an alternative.
 
  • #29
berkeman said:
Probably is best to take such a discussion to Private Messages (PMs). Click on their avatar and "Start a conversation". :smile:
OK
 
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1. What are the major differences between the 3rd and 9th editions of Thomas Calculus?

The main differences between the 3rd and 9th editions of Thomas Calculus include updated content, new examples and exercises, and improved explanations and graphics. The 9th edition also includes additional topics such as sequences and series, and a greater emphasis on technology and applications.

2. Is the 9th edition worth the extra cost compared to the 3rd edition?

It depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you are looking for the most up-to-date and comprehensive version of Thomas Calculus, then the 9th edition may be worth the extra cost. However, if you are primarily interested in the core concepts and do not need the additional topics and features, the 3rd edition may suffice.

3. Are there any notable changes in the layout or organization of the 9th edition compared to the 3rd edition?

Yes, the 9th edition has a more streamlined and visually appealing layout compared to the 3rd edition. It also includes more real-world applications and connections to other disciplines, making it a more integrated and user-friendly textbook.

4. Can I still use the 3rd edition if I am following a course that requires the 9th edition?

It is possible, but not recommended. While the core concepts and principles may be similar, there may be significant differences in examples, exercises, and explanations between the two editions. It is best to use the edition required by your course to ensure you have the most relevant and up-to-date material.

5. Are there any notable differences in the difficulty level between the 3rd and 9th editions?

The difficulty level may vary slightly between the two editions, as the 9th edition includes additional topics and applications. However, both editions cover the same fundamental concepts and principles, so the overall difficulty should not be significantly different.

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