A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research

Political science and sociology increasingly rely on mathematical modelling and sophisticated data analysis. Many graduate programmes in these fields now require students to attend a "math camp" or enrol in a semester-long or yearlong course to acquire the necessary skills. Available textbooks are often written for mathematics or economics majors, which can fail to convey to students of political science and sociology the relevance of often-abstract mathematical concepts.

A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research fills this gap, providing both a primer for math novices in the social sciences and a handy reference for seasoned researchers. The book begins with the fundamental building blocks of mathematics and basic algebra, then covers essential subjects such as calculus in one and more than one variable, including optimisation, constrained optimisation, and implicit functions; linear algebra, including Markov chains and eigenvectors; and probability.

It describes intermediate steps that most other textbooks leave out, features numerous exercises throughout, and grounds all concepts by illustrating their use and importance in political science and sociology.

Features include:

• Uniquely designed and ideal for students and researchers in political science and sociology
• Uses practical examples from political science and sociology
• Features "Why Do I Care?" sections that explain why concepts are useful
• Includes numerous exercises
• Complete online solutions manual (available only to professors, email david.siegel at duke.edu, subject line "Solution Set")
• Selected solutions available online to students