Product Description
Widely acclaimed algebra text. This book is designed to give the reader insight into the power and beauty that accrues from a rich interplay between different areas of mathematics. The book carefully develops the theory of different algebraic structures, beginning from basic definitions to some in-depth results, using numerous examples and exercises to aid the reader's understanding. In this way, readers gain an appreciation for how mathematical structures and their interplay lead to powerful results and insights in a number of different settings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Great textbook... if you already know everything in it
This book is great if you already know the material.I was taking a first class in Abstract Algebra with this as a textbook, though, and it was completely unenlightening.It seems most suited to being a reference, or a text for a more advanced graduate course.
The style of the book is highly no-nonsense.It basically runs as Definition - Proposition - Proof, and the proofs are not exactly enlightening, leaving many intermediate steps to the reader.I'm sure that would be helpful if I already knew the material, but because I don't, I didn't find the book helpful.

Goodbook for a class
It's a good book with a lot of exercises.
Very good for a graduate class.
Being read with Hungerford is a good combination to prepare for the qual.

The Best Abstract Algebra Textbook!
This textbook is amazing. If you're looking for something more applied, this isn't it. But if you're ready to really dig into abstract algebra, this book will give you a strong base.

The Wordiness is overwhelming
Dummit and Foote's Abstract Algebra book, in terms of content, is one of the best. It should be easily read by any decent student at the advanced undergraduate or early graduate level. They give a lovely arsenal of important examples. The exercises are nice as well. I must give this book 3 stars, because of the annoying superfluous style in which they write. The exposition is consistently redundant and bloated; for example, they'll write,
"Let f(x)/in F[x] be an irreducible polynomial having coefficients in F,"
when they should write,
"Let f(x)/in F[x] be irreducible."
The entire exposition is like this. If they could have written this in a "no-nonsense" fashion, the volume of the book could probably have been cut by at least 40%, and it would be a much more elegant read. The knowledge and understanding potentially gained from this book are like diamonds... buried in a gigantic pile of elephant dung. Speaking for myself, I enjoy math books which are more concise; a good math book should allow a reader to absorb deep concepts and ideas without having to sift through a garbage-mass of words. For example, look at Rudin's Principles of Mathematical Analysis; it is considered to be one of the most elegantly written math books of all time; moreover, the style of baby Rudin is a stark contrast to that of Dummit and Foote.
I recommend the book, by I. Martin Isaacs, "Algebra: A Graduate Course."

A Really Good Textbook but No Solutions!
This is a really good book that explained abstract algebra in a very clear, concise manner.If only it had solutions or hints to its exercises, which it doesn't have any at all,this book would be perfect for an undergraduate introduction to the subject.

The key to learning and understanding abstract algebra is to see lots and lots of worked out examples. ... Read more