Abstract Algebra: A First Undergraduate Course

I really loved this book. I used this book for my first course in Algebra and we covered till chapter 4.5 and section 8.3 skipping some of the sections after 3.5. The book is easy to read and with nice homework problems . Also its not too wordy like some other book where you get lost in the myriad of words to figure out what is the essence of all that blurb. Like other standard books on this subject it is also interspread with biographies of notable mathematician who contributed to the subject. When this book was assigned as the main text during the start of the semester I was not sure if my instructor made the best choice because the book has so few and average reviews, but now after the course is over I can definitely say this it was the best choice. Use it you will love it.

I don't know what Ita Cirovic's problem is, but this book, in my opinion, is the most well written, clear and straight forword book on abstract algebra I've read.The explanations and proofs are clear and easy to understand, one can understand the proofs in a short amount of time, unlike many other abstract algebra books.If you don't like this book then you must already know abstract algebra and want more detail or you've just got a problem and need to see a psychologist (kidding) :DJOhn

My first course in abstract algebra was from a pre-publication version of this text. I remember Professor Alexanderson rushing into class at the last minute with the next few pages of the text still damp from the mimeograph machine. I have used the text in my abstract algebra courses ever since the first edition became available. The most distinctive feature of the text is the extensive and well organized sets of problems; the problems are the course. The problems at the end of each section not only give practice which reinforces the material in that section, but also leads into the next. There are many cases throughout the text where the main theorem in Section N has already been discovered at an intuitive level by the class from doing the problems in Section N-1. All that is left to be done in Section N is to give a precise statement and a proof of the theorem. I have found that students who are serious about mathematics thrive on this text. Two groups who find this approach to teaching/learning mathematics to be particularly beneficial are the students who intent to pursue graduate school and those who are preparing for secondary math education. I recommend the text highly to all my fellow mathematics professors who are looking for just the right text for their abstract algebra course.