Introduction to Fourier Analysis and Wavelets

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Summary: For the Students!
Review: Courses in harmonic analysis have a central place in the course offerings of every math department, be it pure or applied;-- and the subject is as important as ever! Yet it has not always been easy for an instructor to find a book that is right for the students. Some books might be too skimpy on proofs, or not deep enough.-- Or the applications may somehow be artificial, or contrived. Afterall, we teach the material to engineers!-- It is a relief to find, in Pinsky's lovely new book, a balanced approach to the subject. The motivation and the history receive a beautiful presentation, as do the technical points and proofs. And the historical comments- sprinkled throughout the book- bring the subject to life. At the same time, the book is forward looking, and it has been tested in courses. Great exercises! The structure of the exposition is friendly, and gently leads the reader toward the exciting new wavelet material in the last hundred or so pages of the book. The student thereby gets a sense of how the central questions in wavelet theory have their root in the more classical ideas of harmonic analysis.