This revised and enlarged sixth edition of Proofs from THE BOOK
features an entirely new chapter on Van der Waerden's permanent
conjecture, as well as additional, highly original and delightful proofs
in other chapters.
From the citation on the occasion of the 2018 "Steele Prize for
Mathematical Exposition"
"... It is almost impossible to write a mathematics book that can be
read and enjoyed by people of all levels and backgrounds, yet Aigner and
Ziegler accomplish this feat of exposition with virtuoso style. [...]
This book does an invaluable service to mathematics, by illustrating for
non-mathematicians what it is that mathematicians mean when they speak
about beauty."
From the Reviews
"... Inside PFTB (Proofs from The Book) is indeed a glimpse of
mathematical heaven, where clever insights and beautiful ideas combine
in astonishing and glorious ways. There is vast wealth within its pages,
one gem after another. ... Aigner and Ziegler... write: "... all we
offer is the examples that we have selected, hoping that our readers
will share our enthusiasm about brilliant ideas, clever insights and
wonderful observations." I do. ... "
Notices of the AMS, August 1999
"... This book is a pleasure to hold and to look at: ample margins,
nice photos, instructive pictures and beautiful drawings ... It is a
pleasure to read as well: the style is clear and entertaining, the level
is close to elementary, the necessary background is given separately and
the proofs are brilliant. ..."
LMS Newsletter, January 1999
"Martin Aigner and Günter Ziegler succeeded admirably in putting
together a broad collection of theorems and their proofs that would
undoubtedly be in the Book of Erdös. The theorems are so fundamental,
their proofs so elegant and the remaining open questions so intriguing
that every mathematician, regardless of speciality, can benefit from
reading this book. ... "
SIGACT News, December 2011
