Ebook: Patterns of Plausible Inference

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. "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 . . . 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